Banigo v. Board of Education of Roosevelt Union Free School District

39 Misc. 3d 1048
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 15, 2013
StatusPublished

This text of 39 Misc. 3d 1048 (Banigo v. Board of Education of Roosevelt Union Free School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Banigo v. Board of Education of Roosevelt Union Free School District, 39 Misc. 3d 1048 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Daniel Palmieri, J.

Defendants’ motion for summary judgment pursuant to CPLR 3212 is granted and the complaint is dismissed.

All requests by plaintiff for affirmative relief are denied because plaintiff did not make a cross motion for such relief. (CPLR 2215; New York State Div. of Human Rights v Oceanside Cove II Apt. Corp., 39 AD3d 608 [2d Dept 2007]; see generally Bucceri v Frazer, 297 AD2d 304 [2d Dept 2002].)

It is well settled that an attorney’s affirmation that is not based on personal knowledge or supported by documentary evidence is of no probative value. (Warrington v Ryder Truck Rental, Inc., 35 AD3d 455 [2d Dept 2006]; Sampson v Delaney, 34 AD3d 349 [1st Dept 2006]; cf. Davey v Dolan, 46 AD3d 854 [2d Dept 2007].) Here, the attorneys do not profess to possess personal knowledge of any facts asserted, hence, their affirmations have been employed and considered only to the extent they are utilized as vehicles to refer to other competent evidence. (See Metz v Nastasi, 282 AD2d 659 [2d Dept 2001].)

Plaintiff began teaching at the Roosevelt Union Free School District in September 1987. She is certified to teach business education and received tenure in the District in the area of business education sometime in 1990. Plaintiff taught in the [1050]*1050District until her position (along with several other positions) was abolished effective June 30, 2005, resulting in her termination.1 She was 58 years old at the time her position was abolished. During her time in the District, plaintiff taught various classes including business math, accounting, keyboarding, word processing, electronic information processing, business law, introductions to occupations, financial literacy, business analysis, business computer applications and web page design. She taught web page design for the 2001-2002 school year. Web page design falls under the area of information or computer technology on the Basic Educational Data System. Plaintiff maintains that the elimination of positions was motivated by a desire on the part of individual defendant Ronald Ross, the superintendent, to replace older female teachers with younger male teachers.

Plaintiffs termination was effective June 30, 2005 and written notice of such termination was dated May 3, 2005. Plaintiff was placed on a preferred eligible list of candidates and was rehired effective September 1, 2010. Plaintiff worked at various temporary positions during her five-year layoff period, and essentially seeks money damages to compensate her for her claimed wrongful termination.

Plaintiff commenced an action in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York against the District and Ross asserting claims of age discrimination, retaliation, violation of her civil rights and due process, all of which were dismissed pursuant to a memorandum and order of the District Court dated March 4, 2009. Two of plaintiffs causes of action, asserting tortious interference with contract and violations of the Education Law, also were dismissed, but without prejudice.

This action was commenced on September 9, 2009.

The complaint defines collectively the Board of Education and the School District as “Defendant” and Ronald O. Ross as “Ross” and/or the “Superintendent” and after a recitation of “facts” asserts three causes of action.

1. Violation by the defendant of Education Law § 3013 (1) which, in substance, requires that an employee of an abolished position has a right to fill a similar position to the one abolished.

[1051]*10512. Violation of the following additional sections of the Education Law:

(a) section 2510, requiring that an employee of an abolished position be permitted to fill a similar position;

(b) section 3012, dealing with rights of tenure;

(c) section 3013, which is similar to section 2510;

(d) section 3020 (a), rights of due process if termination is for cause.

3. Violation of sections of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) covering plaintiffs employment as follows:

(a) article IX D and E, as to vacancies and promotions;

(b) article XVI A, dealing with class size in that there should have been multiple sections of the web design and business math courses;

(c) article XXVIA and B, miscellaneous provisions, by employing gender and age conscious selection procedures and by terminating plaintiff publically and without just cause.

The District Court specifically addressed plaintiffs claim that her termination was motivated by a bias on the part of Ross in favor of young male (preferably African-American) teachers, and found that the evidence in support thereof was lacking. Hence, the plaintiffs claims of age and sex discrimination were dismissed. The claims were also dismissed as to Ross individually.

As noted above, certain state causes of action were dismissed as well, but without prejudice. These were violations of unspecified sections of the Education Law and for tortious interference with contract. The latter claim of tortious interference with contract has not been resubmitted.

Initially, to the extent the remaining causes of action are asserted against Ross, the court dismisses all claims against him pursuant to the doctrine of governmental immunity. “[W]hen official action involves the exercise of discretion, the officer is not liable for the injurious consequences of that action even if resulting from negligence or malice.” (Tango v Tulevech, 61 NY2d 34, 40 [1983].) It is worth noting that, even when the charged motive is discrimination, a party in Ross’s position generally is entitled to qualified immunity provided he knew, or had an objective and reasonable basis for believing, that his [1052]*1052conduct did not violate clearly established rights. (See Grassel v Board of Educ. of City of N.Y., 301 AD2d 498 [2d Dept 2003].)2

Here, there is no question that the plaintiff had no right to continued employment once the positions at issue were eliminated, and the elimination of those positions was an act of discretion within the purview of Ross’s powers as superintendent. Thus, even assuming that his motives in eliminating plaintiffs position were venal or malicious, Ross is entitled to immunity from her suit.

The court now turns to the motion insofar as it applies to all defendants. In support of the motion, defendants have submitted depositions of plaintiff, given in the federal and in this action, a deposition of Ross given in the federal action, the CBA and plaintiff’s charge of discrimination made to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) dated February 28, 2006 and portions of a deposition given in this action by Wendy Sawitz, who was examined as to her knowledge of job postings.

On December 3, 2012, plaintiffs counsel filed a note of issue and statement of readiness. The complaint does not allege and it is not denied that plaintiff did not serve notice of intent to sue pursuant to Education Law § 3813.

Education Law § 3813 (1) provides:

“No action or special proceeding, for any cause whatever . . . shall be prosecuted or maintained against any school district, board of education, [or] board of cooperative educational services ...

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Bluebook (online)
39 Misc. 3d 1048, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/banigo-v-board-of-education-of-roosevelt-union-free-school-district-nysupct-2013.