Lowe v. Board of Education

395 N.E.2d 59, 76 Ill. App. 3d 348, 32 Ill. Dec. 112, 1979 Ill. App. LEXIS 3246
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 4, 1979
Docket78-1933
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 395 N.E.2d 59 (Lowe v. Board of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lowe v. Board of Education, 395 N.E.2d 59, 76 Ill. App. 3d 348, 32 Ill. Dec. 112, 1979 Ill. App. LEXIS 3246 (Ill. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinions

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE GOLDBERG

delivered the opinion of the court:

Leila Lowe (plaintiff), a tenured teacher at the John M. Gregory Elementary School, was dismissed from her position by the Board of Education of the City of Chicago (Board). On administrative review (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 110, par. 264 etseq.), the Board was affirmed. Plaintiff appeals.

Plaintiff contends: (1) the Board did not have jurisdiction to dismiss her; (2) the findings of the Board are against the manifest weight of the evidence; and (3) the dismissal was not proper because two of the three members of the committee who heard the evidence at the hearing subsequently voted at the full Board meeting against their own recommendation of dismissal.

On January 11, 1978, the Board, by resolution, adopted the order of Joseph P. Hannon, general superintendent of schools, that plaintiff be suspended from duty, pending trial, and approved the following charge and specifications brought by Hannon against plaintiff:

“1. During the period October 5,1976, to June 5,1977, Leila Lowe failed to maintain discipline in her classroom in that, among other things: children wandered in and about the corridors and lavatories; students threw books across the room, played and fought in the classroom; students were noisy, uncontrolled and caused disturbance to the rest of the school.
2. During the period October 5, 1976, to June 5,1977, Leila Lowe corporally punished students contrary to Board Rule 6 — 22.
3. That during the period October 5, 1976, to June 5, 1977, Leila Lowe failed to promote an adequate program of instruction in that among other things: the environment was not conducive to learning, there was little discipline, there was lacking any effective teacher-student rapport, lesson plans were inadequate or not understandable, the classroom was disorganized, there was inadequate record keeping.
4. That on January 5, 1977, while assigned to John M. Gregory School, she was served with an E-l warning notice that her work was unsatisfactory and that failure to remove her deficiencies may result in charges. After she received the warning notice, she repeatedly failed and refused to follow the recommendations, instructions and directions of her superiors for the correction of her deficiencies and improvement of her teaching performance. Her teaching deficiencies were deemed irremediable by her superiors and on March 23,1977, she was served with an E-2 notice that her efficiency rating as a teacher was unsatisfactory. On April 19,1977, an E-2 conference was held in the Bureau of Teacher Personnel to discuss her unsatisfactory rating.”

Three members of the Board were appointed to the trial committee. At the hearing, Eugene Singletary, aged 13 years, testified that he was a student in plaintiff’s class during 1977, the previous year. He stated that plaintiff hit him every day with either petitioner’s (Board’s) exhibit No. 8 or a curtain rod. Petitioner’s exhibit No. 8 is five pieces of balsa wood about a foot long nailed together and wrapped with masking tape. Singletary stated that he would tell the principal when he was hit by plaintiff. He further testified that students threw books in the classroom and that he had been hit in the face with a book.

Shirley Jordan, aged 14 years, was also in plaintiff’s class during 1977. Jordan testified that plaintiff hit students on their hands or posteriors with exhibit 8 and also with a curtain rod. Jordan was never hit with a curtain rod, but she testified that plaintiff hit her arm and back with a stitching (extension) cord. After she was hit, she got her coat and went to the principal’s office. Subsequently, plaintiff arrived at the principal’s office and in the presence of the principal, Peggy Jackson, plaintiff called Jordan, “a stinking liar and nothing but a liar.” Jordan testified that at lunch, plaintiff called her students “hogs” and “pigs.” The students ate lunch in the classroom and often spilled food.

Robert Jordan, now acting assistant principal at Gregory School, testified that at the time in question he was a guidance counselor at the school. Part of his job was to see that each teacher had lesson plans available for substitutes. He could not find plaintiff’s lesson plans. He also received notice from plaintiff that a piano in her classroom had been overturned by students and destroyed by the fall. Sometimes plaintiffs classroom would be noisy, but not always. Jordan stated he would go to plaintiff’s classroom regularly, sometimes twice a day. It was part of his duties to help with the discipline.

Henry C. Springs, Jr., District Superintendent of the Chicago Board of Education, District 8, testified that he visited plaintiff’s classroom on February 2 and 17, 1977, after plaintiff had received an “E-l” notice. He found the class to be totally disorganized. There were no lesson plans and students were running and throwing objects. He felt plaintiff maintained an unattractive classroom in that the bulletin boards were half tom off, there were no charts or interesting materials, there were no centers of interest such as a library corner or a science corner. In Springs’ opinion, plaintiff is not capable of handling a classroom.

Peggy W. Jackson, principal of the Gregory School, testified that she issued an “E-l” notice to plaintiff on January 5, 1977. In that notice Jackson stated that plaintiff’s efficiency rating was unsatisfactory for the following reasons:

“Failure to plan and implement a program of instruction.”
“Failure to assume responsibility for effective classroom management.”
“Failure to provide and maintain an attractive, pleasant classroom environment conducive to learning. Inadequate record keeping.”
“Failure to follow school policies and procedures.”

Jackson elaborated on these reasons during the hearing stating that plaintiff failed to record lesson plans, there was no discipline or control in plaintiff’s classroom, she failed to utilize the bulletin boards, and the attendance book was not adequately maintained. Jackson stated that she went to plaintiff’s class almost every day. She made three formal visits and made a report on those occasions.

Jackson further testified that one day Shirley Jordan came running to her office crying, saying she (Jordan) had been hit by plaintiff with a yellow extension cord. Jackson went upstairs to get plaintiff. As they entered the office where Shirley was seated, plaintiff “screamed at her [Shirley] and called her ‘A dirty stinking liar. You know I did not hit you with the extension cord and I should hit you now for lying.’ ” Plaintiff admitted to Jackson that she called the children “hogs” to relieve herself of tension. Plaintiff further told her that when the students behaved as hogs and pigs plaintiff would call them that. Jackson further testified that she had seen plaintiff hit Eugene Singletary with exhibit 8.

On March 21, 1977, Jackson served plaintiff an “E-2” notice which stated that since plaintiff had not made the suggested improvements, her efficiency rating must be recorded as unsatisfactory.

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Lowe v. Board of Education
395 N.E.2d 59 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
395 N.E.2d 59, 76 Ill. App. 3d 348, 32 Ill. Dec. 112, 1979 Ill. App. LEXIS 3246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lowe-v-board-of-education-illappct-1979.