Bolt v. N.Y.C. Dep't of Educ.

91 N.E.3d 1234, 69 N.Y.S.3d 255, 30 N.Y.3d 1065
CourtCourt for the Trial of Impeachments and Correction of Errors
DecidedJanuary 9, 2018
DocketNo. 51 SSM 34; No. 52 SSM 35; No. 53 SSM 36
StatusPublished
Cited by61 cases

This text of 91 N.E.3d 1234 (Bolt v. N.Y.C. Dep't of Educ.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court for the Trial of Impeachments and Correction of Errors primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bolt v. N.Y.C. Dep't of Educ., 91 N.E.3d 1234, 69 N.Y.S.3d 255, 30 N.Y.3d 1065 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2018).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM:

In Matter of Bolt v. New York City Dept. of Education and Matter of Beatty v. City of New York, the order of the Appellate Division should be reversed, with costs, respondents' cross motion to dismiss the petition granted, and the certified question answered in the negative; in Matter of Williams v. City of New York, the arbitral award appealed from and the Appellate Division order brought up for review should be reversed, with costs, and the judgment of Supreme Court, New York County, dismissing the proceeding reinstated.

"That reasonable minds might disagree over what the proper penalty should have been does not provide a basis for vacating the arbitral award or refashioning the penalty" ( City School Dist. of the City of N.Y. v. McGraham, 17 NY3d 917, 920, 934 N.Y.S.2d 768, 958 N.E.2d 897 [2011] ). Here, the penalties imposed are not irrational and do not shock the conscience (see Matter of Russo v. New York City Dept. of Educ., 25 NY3d 946, 948, 29 N.E.3d 896 [2015], cert denied 577 U.S. ----, 136 S.Ct. 416, 193 L.Ed.2d 317 [2015] ; Matter of Kelly v. Safir, 96 N.Y.2d 32, 38, 724 N.Y.S.2d 680, 747 N.E.2d 1280 [2001] ; Matter of Featherstone v. Franco, 95 N.Y.2d 550, 554, 720 N.Y.S.2d 93, 742 N.E.2d 607 [2000] ; Matter of *1236**257Pell v. Board of Educ. of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 N.Y.2d 222, 233, 356 N.Y.S.2d 833, 313 N.E.2d 321 [1974] ). The Appellate Division exceeded its authority by reweighing the evidence and substituting its judgment for that of the hearing officer.

RIVERA, J. (concurring):

I agree with my colleagues that the Appellate Division orders should be reversed because in all three appeals the court exceeded its authority and substituted its own judgment for that of the hearing officer (majority op. at 1068, 69 N.Y.S.3d at 256-57, 91 N.E.3d at 1235-36 ). There is no dispute that these appeals require the application of settled law to the facts of each case. There is no doctrinal complexity or novel issue presented in these appeals that cannot be resolved by reference to existing precedent. The Court is unanimous in its conclusion that under our well-established standards, the administrative sanctions are not irrational and do not "shock the conscience," and therefore the court may not disturb the penalties imposed (see Matter of Pell v. Board of Educ. of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 N.Y.2d 222, 240, 356 N.Y.S.2d 833, 313 N.E.2d 321 [1974] ).

Under other circumstances I would have no cause to write separately. Certainly, there is an argument to be made that brevity of analysis coupled with a solid reversal is sufficient ***1069comment on an obvious misapplication of the law. Nevertheless, because the Appellate Division analyses in these appeals are so clearly at odds with uncontroversial, established legal standards, and because respondent Department of Education compellingly argues this Court should clarify the scope of review to avoid judicial overreach in school disciplinary cases, it appears that full articulation of applicable standards is in order. Rearticulating our jurisprudence should eliminate any possible misunderstanding as to the Appellate Division's review of administrative sanctions, and reaffirm the high degree of impropriety and affront to our sense of fairness required to "shock the conscience."

I. JUDICIAL REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS

Judicial review of an administrative disciplinary determination is statutorily and constitutionally defined (see CPLR 7803, 7511 ; NY Const, art VI, § 3 ). We have repeatedly explained in article 78 proceedings that contrary to the Appellate Division's general broad jurisdiction, its review of administrative sanctions is circumscribed and no greater than our own. Thus, "the Appellate Division lacks any discretionary authority or interest of justice jurisdiction in reviewing the penalty imposed" by an administrative entity (Matter of Featherstone v. Franco, 95 N.Y.2d 550, 554, 720 N.Y.S.2d 93, 742 N.E.2d 607 [2000] ).

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Bluebook (online)
91 N.E.3d 1234, 69 N.Y.S.3d 255, 30 N.Y.3d 1065, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bolt-v-nyc-dept-of-educ-nycterr-2018.