Hoerman v. Western Heights Board of Education

1995 OK CIV APP 130, 913 P.2d 684, 1995 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 144, 1995 WL 817964
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 17, 1995
Docket84625
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1995 OK CIV APP 130 (Hoerman v. Western Heights Board of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hoerman v. Western Heights Board of Education, 1995 OK CIV APP 130, 913 P.2d 684, 1995 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 144, 1995 WL 817964 (Okla. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

HANSEN, Judge:

In this action arising from his termination as superintendent of schools for the Western Heights school district (Western Heights or *687 Board), Appellant, Jon Hoerman (Hoerman), seeks review of the trial court’s orders granting summary partial judgment for Appellees, and the court’s judgment sustaining Appel-lees’ demurrer to the evidence at trial.

BACKGROUND AND FACTS

The record reflects Hoerman began his duties as Western Heights superintendent in June 1990, having executed a written contract with the school district the previous January. Hoerman was under a one year contract executed February 4, 1991, and effective July 1,1991, when he was terminated in September 1991.

Appellee, Jan Davenport (Davenport), was appointed to the Board in March 1991, and then was elected to the Board, along with Lynda Howeth (Howeth), Brent Sonnier (Sonnier) and Glen Wallace (Wallace), in May 1991. Appellee, Vivian Stehr (Stehr) was appointed a member of the school board in July 1991. Appellee, Bruce Miller (Miller), had been Western Heights superintendent until Hoerman assumed those duties, and was hired by Western Heights as a consultant in July 1991. Appellee, Jerry Colelazier (Colelazier), was Western Heights’ counsel beginning in June 1991.

After Hoerman was terminated in September 1991, he initiated this action. His Petition set forth the following claims [1] violation of free speech and associational rights, in alleged retaliation for Hoerman’s public comments about the financial mismanagement of the school district, [2] denial of due process, [8] breach of contract by Western Heights, [4] tortious interference with contract, only against Miller, [5] libel and slander, [6] intentional infliction of emotional distress, [7] discharge in violation of public policy, [8] failure to pay wages in violation of 40 O.S. 1991 § 165.3, and [9] violation of the Open Meetings Act, 25 O.S. 1991 §§ 301 et seq.

Most of Hoerman’s claims were disposed of by the trial court’s rulings on Appellees’ three motions for “partial” summary judgment. The claims which went to trial were the violation of free speech and associational rights claim, as to Western Heights only; the public policy discharge claim, as to all defendants; and the failure to pay wages claim. After Hoerman had presented his evidence at trial and rested, the trial court sustained Appellees’ demurrers to the evidence on the constitutional and public policy discharge claims. Hoerman then dismissed the failure to pay wages claim, leaving no claim against any party remaining. Hoerman now brings his appeal from the trial court’s judgment..

SUMMARY JUDGMENT — STANDARD OF REVIEW

Hoerman first contends the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because there existed substantial factual disputes as to several issues. Summary judgment is appropriate where it appears there is no substantial controversy as to any material fact, and that a party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. First State Bank v. Diamond Plastics, 891 P.2d 1262, 1266 (Okla. 1995). All inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts will be reviewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion for summary judgment. First State Bank v. Diamond Plastics, at 1266.

HOERMAN WAS NOT DENIED DUE PROCESS

Hoerman asserts summary judgment was improper on his procedural due process claim because questions of material fact remained as to whether the Board acted as a fair and impartial hearing tribunal. We find the record does not support this assertion.

The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law. In the context of employment rights, the issue will normally be property and/or liberty interests. 1 The United States Supreme Court, in Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill, 470 U.S. 532, 105 S.Ct. 1487, 84 L.Ed.2d 494 (1985), determined that before a public employee *688 who possessed such interests was dismissed, he was constitutionally entitled to oral or written notice of the charges against him, an explanation of the employer’s evidence, and a pretermination opportunity to present his side of the story.

In 70 O.S. 1991 § 6-101.13, our Legislature has presumed constitutionally protected interests by mandating essentially the Loudermill due process requirements where a local board of education determines dismissal or nonreemployment of a full-time certified administrator, such as Hoerman, should be effected. Hoerman’s assertion here is that the mandated hearing, if the administrator chooses to request a hearing, must be before an “impartial tribunal”. We agree that is the law, but find Hoerman failed to establish lack of impartiality of the Board.

“A fair trial in a fair tribunal is a basic requirement of due process. Fairness of course requires an absence of actual bias in the trial of cases”. In re Murchison, 349 U.S. 133, 75 S.Ct. 623, 99 L.Ed. 942 (1955). While it appears the issue of bias in administrative boards has not been addressed in Oklahoma, our sister courts have held that a presumption of impartiality exists in favor of those serving in quasi-judicial capacities and that the burden of establishing a disqualifying interest rests on the party making the assertion. Sifagaloa v. Board of Trustees, 74 Haw. 181, 840 P.2d 367 (1992); Martin v. Montezuma-Cortez School District, 809 P.2d 1010 (Colo.App.1990).

A decision maker may be shown to be biased if he has a personal or financial stake in the decision that may create a conflict of interest, or if the decision maker has personal animosity toward the person .affected. Martin v. Montezuma-Cortez School District, at 1015 (citing Hortonville Joint School District No. 1 v. Hortonville Education Association, 426 U.S. 482, 96 S.Ct. 2308, 49 L.Ed.2d 1 (1976)). Hoerman does not argue Board’s members were disqualified for the foregoing reasons, but rather argues the Board cannot be considered an impartial tribunal because the members actively campaigned to terminate him.

Hoerman’s argument is essentially the argument made in Staton v. Mayes, 552 F.2d 908 (10th Cir.1977). There, as here, the superintendent of schools was dismissed after a hearing by the board of education.

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Bluebook (online)
1995 OK CIV APP 130, 913 P.2d 684, 1995 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 144, 1995 WL 817964, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hoerman-v-western-heights-board-of-education-oklacivapp-1995.