Churchill v. McKeague

3 Mass. Supp. 757
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedOctober 20, 1982
DocketNo. 56255
StatusPublished

This text of 3 Mass. Supp. 757 (Churchill v. McKeague) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Churchill v. McKeague, 3 Mass. Supp. 757 (Mass. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION RE: FINDINGS OF FACTS, RULINGS OF LAW, AND ORDER

I. Introduction

This is an action commenced on- July 28, 1982 by the plaintiff, a teacher employed by the Boston Public Schools since 1962, seeking a declaration that her employment was not terminated as a result of her submitting an application for Employment Termination Incentive (ETI) as set forth in the Deputy Superintendent’s Memorandum No. 97, 1981-82, dated February 24, 1982 and marked as Joint Exhibit #2.

Specifically, the plaintiff alleges that she did not resign her teaching position on April 8, 1982, to be effective on June 30, 1982, when she signed and submitted her application for ETI to the defendants’ Department of Personnel Management.

The defendants had offered an ETI plan to all tenured teachers or permanently employed nurses who would have completed ten (10) years of service at the conclusion of the 1981-1982 school year. A one-time payment of 25% of regular base salary constituted the incentive payment (Joint Exhibit #2).

There is no allegation that the plaintiff submitted her application in reliance upon any misrepresentation of material facts by the defendants or that she lacked the mental capacity to understand the nature and consequences of her actions.

It was also stipulated and agreed to by the parties through counsel at trial that the defendants did not rely to their detriment on the plaintiff’s submission of her application for ETI prior to her attempted withdrawal of said application.

The plaintiff seeks a declaration that the defendants’ refusal to employ her for the 1982-83 school year constituted a dismissal in violation of G.L. c. 71, sec. 42 and that she be reinstated and Otherwise compensated for any loss of salary as provided for by G.L. c. 71, sec. 43A.

II. Findings oi Facts

After a hearing on the merits which commenced on August 16, 1982, including the testimony of the plaintiff, Ida White, as she is the Director of the Department of Personnel Management of the Boston School Committee, William Abbott, an Administrative Assistant in the office of Deputy Superintendent Rosemarie Rosen, and Nancy Dickerson, a labor relations specialist in the Department of Personnel Management, and a careful review and examination of submitted affidavits and the exhibits, i.e., Joint Exhibits #1-5, Plaintiff’s Exhibits #1 and 2 and Defendants’ Exhibits Hi, 2 and 3. I find the following relevant and material facts.

1. The plaintiff', Helen E. Churchill, is an individual residing at 85 India Wharf, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

2. The defendants, Jean SullivanMcKeague, John D. O’Bryant, Kevin McCluskey, Jean McGuire and Rita Walsh-Tomasini together constitute the School Comrhittee of the City of Boston.

3. The plaintiff holds a valid general teaching certificate issued by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (hat authorizes her fo teach, inter alia, all subjects presently offered in the Boston Public Schools except Special Education and Guidance. (Joint Ex. 1).

4. On or about September 1, 1962, the plaintiff became employed by the defendants as a teacher of English as a Second Language (“ESL”) for adults at the Day School for Immigrants in Boston, Massachusetts, the name of which was changed to the. “English Language Center” in September 1976.

5. The plaintiff served as an ESL teacher at the English Language Center on a full-time, regular and continuous' [759]*759basis until on or about June 30, 1981 when the Center was permanently closed.

6. The plaintiff served as an ESL . teacher in the Chinese Bilingual Program at Charlestown High School- during the 1981-82 school year.

7: At all times material herein the plaintiff was a teacher serving at discretion (i.e., with tenure) within the meaning of G.L. c. 71, sec. 41.

8. On or about March 1, 1982, the defendants posted Deputy Superintendent’s Memorandum No. 97, 1981-82 dated February 24, 1982 and entitled Employment Termination Incentive (J'oint Exhibit #2).’ Said Memorandum contained, inter alia, - an offering to all teachers otherwise eligible to apply for voluntary early termination incentive benefits in exchange for their resignations which weire not otherwise required by law or contract.

9. Deputy Superintendent’s Memorandum No. 97, 1981-82, dated February 24, 1982 and entitled Employment Termination Incentive (Joint Exhibit #2), contained the following pertinent specific language:

III. The ETI payment will be made no later than August 31, 1982.
IV. A separation agreement between the committee and each employee volunteering for ETI will specify the amount of severance pay, i! any, to which the employee is entitled. The School Department reserves the right to defer severance pay until August 31, 1982. (emphasis supplied).
VI. The application period will be effective on posting of the offer and will expire on Thursday, April 8, 1982.
VII. The School Committee reserves the right to limit the number of ETI’s to 250. If the number of applicants exceeds the 250 limit, applicants will be selected in order of priority..... (emphasis supplied).
X. Submission of the signed application is binding on the applicant, cannot be withdrawn and is subject to acceptance or rejection by the School Committee, (emphasis supplied).

10. Attached to Deputy Superintendent’s Memorandum No., 97 (J oint Exhibit #2) was a sample application form which teachers electing to participate in the ETI program could submit to the Department of Personnel Management and contained the identical language that appeared in Paragraph X of the Memorandum (Joint Exhibit #2) as well as the following additional statements:

1. Successful applicants will be contacted by the office of Personnel Management regarding the execution of the Separation Agreement, (emphasis supplied).
2. This application must be submitted by Thursday, April 8, 1982. (emphasis supplied).

11. On-or about March 1, 1982, the plaintiff read Joint Exhibit #2 at Charlestown High School and subsequently requested and' did receive from the Department of Personnel Management an Application for Employment Termination Incentive (ETI).

12. Upon receipt of the application for ETI, and prior to April 8, 1982, the plaintiff discussed with friends and with Mr. Welch of the Boston Teachers Union, whether or not she should submit an application under the ETI program.

13. Prior to April 8, 1982, the plaintiff solicited the advice of various individuals both within and without the Boston School Department to help her reach a decision and attended sessions at a Stress Clinic sponsored by the Health and Welfare Division of the Boston Teachers Union at Tufts New England Medical Center, an out-patient fadlity dealing with teacher stress.

14. On April 8, 1982, the plaintiff spoke to a Ms. Williams, a counsellor at the Stress Clinic, who advised her not to [760]*760applyunder the ETI program.

15.

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Bluebook (online)
3 Mass. Supp. 757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/churchill-v-mckeague-masssuperct-1982.