Harrod v. Board of Education, City of St. Louis

500 S.W.2d 1, 1973 Mo. App. LEXIS 1145
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 18, 1973
Docket34426
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 500 S.W.2d 1 (Harrod v. Board of Education, City of St. Louis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harrod v. Board of Education, City of St. Louis, 500 S.W.2d 1, 1973 Mo. App. LEXIS 1145 (Mo. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinions

DOWD, Chief Judge.

This case is before us on rehearing. The original opinion reversed the judgment of the Circuit Court. The rehearing was held before the Court en banc. The Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis affirmed the decision of the Board of Education of the City of St. Louis, hereinafter referred to as the Board, wherein the Board permanently terminated the employment of James E. Harrod and Lloyd Buchanan, hereinafter referred to as appellants, as tenured teachers. This appeal resulted.

The case was submitted to the trial court upon the transcript of the proceedings before the Board, including all exhibits.

The appellants were originally charged by the Board as follows:

“It is charged that on and prior to Thursday, February 12, 1970, you, acting alone and in concert with others, caused, suffered, and permitted a program to be presented to the student body, which was obscene and calculated to inflame racial discord and incite the students to riot and violence; that in causing, suffering, and permitting this program to be so presented, you acted in disregard of your duties and in disobedience of the school administration and that you have continually for a protracted period of time condoned and encouraged disrespect of the school administrators and sought to foster racial disharmony, tension and disruption in the school.”

At the request of the attorney for the teachers more specific charges were made which read as follows:

“More specifically, it is charged that in February, 1969, on the occasion of the presentation of an auditorium program at Beaumont High School by the Afro-American student group (now known as Black Student Alliance) you, as one of the sponsors of the group, assisted in the presentation of a program, which was not only obscene and calculated to inflame racial discord and hatred, but was in direct contravention of the instructions given you by the principal of the school in that it allowed active participation of persons who were not students at the School; that in connection with the presentation of another auditorium program presented on February 12, 1970, by the same group now known as the Black Student Alliance, you, as one of the sponsors, were cautioned by the Principal not to permit the development of another program similar to the one presented the previous year, but that, acting contrary to such instructions, you did, in fact, permit the development of a similar program, setting in motion the forces which resulted in the presentation of a program as inflammatory and obscene as the previous one, inciting the students to riot and violence.
“It is further specifically charged that throughout the period that you have acted as a sponsor of the Black Student Alliance, known originally as the Afro-American Group, you have, in disregard of the responsibilities imposed upon you as a sponsor, condoned the development and growth among these students of racial discord and hatred.
“It is further specifically charged that you encouraged disrespect of the school administrators by absenting yourself from your classroom, leaving your class unattended, and by encouraging the students in your charge to act contrary to the directions of the administrators.
“All of the matters stated above have created tension and disruption in the school. Your acts were in disregard of your responsibilities and duties both as a teacher and as a sponsor of a student activity, contrary to the Regulations approved by the Board of Education for [3]*3the conduct of the schools, particularly Regulations 2.330, 3.100, 3.240 and 3.330 of the Department of Instruction, Secondary Division.”

After a hearing, before the Board, the Board filed the following statement of its proceedings, findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a memorandum opinion:

“BEFORE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS STATE OF MISSOURI
“WILLIAM KOTTMEYER, Superintendent of Schools,
v.
JAMES E. HARROD and LLOYD BUCHANAN, Teachers
“Dr. William Kottmeyer, Superintendent of Schools, suspended two teachers at Beaumont High School, St. Louis, on February 12, 1970, on recommendation of the Administrators directly involved, because of disruption at the School which required it to be closed for a period of nearly ten days. The two tenured teachers, Messrs. Harrod and Buchanan, now under suspension, appealed to the Board of Education and requested a public hearing of their appeal of the Superintendent’s decision under the provision of Sec. 168.221 R.S. Missouri 1959. Throughout the proceedings, the two tenured teachers are referred to as Appellants.
“Pursuant to proper notice, a formal public hearing was held starting at 2:30 p. m. on April 9, 1970. The Superintendent to Schools was represented by James S. McClellan, as special counsel. The appellants were represented by Charles R. Old-ham and Joseph McDuffie as co-counsel. Nine of the twelve members of the St. Louis Board of Education including its president, who presided, were present throughout all the sessions. Two other Board members were forced to miss portions of the hearing, but have read the written transcript of the testimony that they did not hear in person. One Board member, Mr. James E. Hurt, Jr., heard only the first day’s proceedings but has read the entire transcript of the testimony. Depositions of numerous witnesses had been taken before the hearing began and examination and cross-examination was exhaustive. The Superintendent introduced 19 exhibits and Appellants introduced 28 exhibits. Altogether 9 witnesses appeared for the Superintendent and 12 witnesses for the Appellants. The hearing lasted all or parts of the seven days, being finally terminated with forty minute oral arguments on June 3, 1970.
“The Board, being fully advised in the premises, and having given full consideration to the testimony and arguments of counsel, finds, as follows:
“FINDINGS OF FACT
“1. Racial tension has existed for some years in Beaumont High School and administrators have endeavored to promote racial harmony.
“2. Appellants were sponsors of a student group called the Black Student Union (formerly Afro American Club.)
“3. An auditorium session produced by Afro American Club in 1969 was racist, inflammatory, and promoted racial disharmony resulting in school disruption.
“4. The 1969 auditorium session had a divisive effect on students, faculty, and parents. Many objected to the presentation and to the sponsors of presentation.
“5. Following the 1969 auditorium session, the Principal told the sponsors that he was hurt and shocked by the presentation.
“6. Prior to a scheduled 1970 auditorium session, Appellants were warned to avoid repetition of the 1969 type program and that they would be held responsible for results.
[4]*4“7. Auditorium session produced by Black Student Union in 1970 promoted racial disharmony, and resulted in fire, injuries and closing of school for substantial period of time.
“8.

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Bluebook (online)
500 S.W.2d 1, 1973 Mo. App. LEXIS 1145, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harrod-v-board-of-education-city-of-st-louis-moctapp-1973.