Kairo-Scibek v. Wyoming Valley West School District

880 F. Supp. 2d 549, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103162, 2012 WL 3027814
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 24, 2012
DocketCase No. 3:09-CV-01421
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 880 F. Supp. 2d 549 (Kairo-Scibek v. Wyoming Valley West School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kairo-Scibek v. Wyoming Valley West School District, 880 F. Supp. 2d 549, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103162, 2012 WL 3027814 (M.D. Pa. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

KOSIK, District Judge.

This case concerns the suspensions of Angela Kairo-Scibek (“Plaintiff’ or “Kairo-Scibek”) from her position as a teacher for the Wyoming Valley West School District (“Defendant” or “District”). Kairo-Scibek alleges that the District violated her rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 because the District deprived Kairo-Scibek of her right to procedural due process pursuant to the Fourteenth Amendment. Presently [552]*552before us is the District’s Motion for Summary Judgment against Kairo-Scibek’s § 1983 claim. We have subject matter jurisdiction over this case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1343, because the claims in the Complaint raise federal questions.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On July 22, 2009, Kairo-Scibek filed the Complaint against the District. (Doc. 1.) The District then filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings on March 1, 2010. (Doc. 14.) The court referred this motion to United States Magistrate Judge William T. Prince for purposes of preparing a Report and Recommendation. (Doc. 24.) The Report and Recommendation, dated May 19, 2010, recommended a denial of the District’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. (Doc. 25.) The District filed objections to specific portions of the Report and Recommendation. (Doc. 26.) In our Order of September 7, 2010, we adopted in part the Report and Recommendation and denied the District’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. (Doc. 29.)

On November 14, 2011, the Defendant filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. (Doc. 40.) In response to Defendant’s Statement of Material Facts (“SOF”) (Doc. 41), Kairo-Scibek filed Plaintiffs Counter-Statement of Material Facts (“COMF”) (Doc. 48) and Plaintiffs Response to Defendant’s Statement of Material Facts (“RSOF”) (Doc. 49) on December 19, 2011.

The District filed a Motion to Strike Plaintiffs Counter-Statement of Material Facts on December 29, 2011, pursuant to Local Rule 56.1, which requires a non-moving party to file a short and concise statement of material facts responding to the numbered paragraphs of the moving party’s SOF. (Doc. 54.) The District’s motion will be granted as Kairo-Scibek wrongfully submitted the COMF. However, Kairo-Scibek also submitted a proper response to the District’s SOF. (Doc. 49.) Accordingly, in ruling on the motion for summary judgment, the record will be considered as a whole.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Kairo-Scibek is a teacher at Wyoming Valley West School District and began teaching there full-time in 1999. (SOF ¶ 8.) From 1999 to 2007, she held the position of a fourth and fifth grade learning support teacher. (PI. Dep. 9:10, 14-17.) Kairo-Scibek’s employment is governed by a collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”), which included a provision that “no member of the bargaining unit shall be discharged, disciplined, suspended or laid off without just cause,” (Compl. ¶ 8) and a provision that outlined grievance and arbitration procedures if there was a claim that the terms of the CBA were violated.

In 2007, parents of three students reported allegations of abuse by Kairo-Scibek to the police. (SOF ¶ 37.) The students alleged “they were struck with a paddle and had their faces shoved into a pillow to prevent them from screaming.” (Garzella Dep. Ex. 5.) On March 28, 2007, police executed a search warrant on Kairo-Scibek’s classroom. (SOF ¶ 9.) The police confiscated one wooden pointer, one wooden pointer with a paddle on one end, and a wooden yard stick. (Garzella Dep. Ex. 5.) Following the search, the police read Kairo-Scibek her rights and informed her of the charges against her, what they were looking for, and what they had found. (PL Dep. 13.)

Kairo-Scibek worked the following day, March 29, 2007.1 (Pl. Dep. 14:11-12.) At [553]*553the end of the day, the principal, Raymond Whalen, told Kairo-Scibek to collect- her belongings since she was being placed on suspension with pay. (Pl. Dep. 13.) The decision to suspend her with pay was made by the school board president at the time, Barry Williams, and the superintendent, Mike Garzella. (Williams Dep. 7:2-5.) Kairo-Scibek did not receive a hearing and the District did not conduct an independent investigation before or after the suspension with pay. (Compl. ¶ 11.) Superintendent Garzella stated that the District did not conduct an independent investigation because the matter was being investigated by the police and Luzerne County District Attorney’s office. (Garzella Dep. 11-13.) After Kairo-Scibek was suspended with pay, she spoke with board member and Plymouth Borough Administrator, Joey Mazur. (Pl. Dep. 63-64.) Kairo-Scibek stated Mazur “listened to what I had to say, what had happened, and he said he would see what he could do for me ... [meaning] to find out more information ....” (Pl. Dep. 64:8-11.) In the record before us, Mazur does not confirm nor dispel this conversation, but both parties agree that no hearing was given to Kairo-Scibek after she was suspended with pay. (Mazur Dep. 17:22-25, SOF ¶ 65.)

While Kairo-Scibek was on suspension with pay, her position at Main Street Elementary was absorbed. (Pl. Dep. 18.) Meanwhile, a teacher with lower seniority retained her position as an Elementary Learning Support teacher. (Compl. ¶ 20.) The District stated this was done in accordance with the CBA, which allows the administration to determine placement of teachers, regardless of seniority. (Garzella Dep. 27-28.) While on suspension with pay, Kairo-Scibek applied to an open position at the high school with the request to return to her previous position at Main Street Elementary if it was reabsorbed. (Pl. Dep. Ex. 1.) On August 27, 2007, Kairo-Scibek was assigned to the position of High School Special Education Teacher. (Pl. Dep. Exhibit 2.) Kairo-Scibek’s salary did' not change as a result of the new position, and she continued to remain suspended with pay. (Pl. Dep. 22.)

Kairo-Scibek was arrested on December 19, 2007, and charged with three counts of endangering welfare of children, a felony in the third degree, and three counts of simple assault, misdemeanors in the first degree. (Criminal Docket CP-40-CR-0000745-2008.) As a result, the Wyoming Valley West School Board (Board) suspended Kairo-Scibek without pay at their next session on December 27, 2007. (SOF ¶ 59.) Board president at the time, Barry Williams, stated this action was consistent with a previous incident, where an employee was suspended without pay upon being arrested for molesting a student. (Williams Dep. 8-9.) Also consistent with the previous incident, Kairo-Scibek did not receive a hearing before or after being suspended without pay following her arrest. (Compl. ¶ 17.) Kairo-Scibek received notification of this suspension from the Board in a letter stating,

“Please be advised, at the December 27, 2007 school board meeting, the Board of Directors passed a resolution to place you on suspension without pay. The suspension will be in effect pending the outcome of your imminent hearing.”

(Garzella Dep. Ex. D.)

Upon being arrested, the story surrounding Kairo-Scibek’s arrest and suspension received media coverage from local newspapers and news stations. (Garzella Dep. 20-21, Williams. Dep. Ex.

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Bluebook (online)
880 F. Supp. 2d 549, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103162, 2012 WL 3027814, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kairo-scibek-v-wyoming-valley-west-school-district-pamd-2012.