Mitchell v. Alma School District No. 30

332 F. Supp. 473, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11372
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedOctober 4, 1971
DocketCiv. A. No. FS-70-C-1983
StatusPublished

This text of 332 F. Supp. 473 (Mitchell v. Alma School District No. 30) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mitchell v. Alma School District No. 30, 332 F. Supp. 473, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11372 (W.D. Ark. 1971).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

PAUL X. WILLIAMS, District Judge.

On October 5, 1970, the plaintiff Robert Foy Mitchell, filed complaint against Alma School District No. 30 alleging jurisdiction in the United States District Court under 28 U.S.C. § 1343 (3) and (4); 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201 and 2202; 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the 1st and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.

The complaint alleges that Mr. Mitchell was a school teacher in the Alma System, having taught for a period of 10 years; that he taught for the school year 1969-1970 under a written contract; that he was notified by a letter dated May 26, 1970 that Alma School District No. 30 would not renew his teaching contract for the next school year 1970-1971 because of his persistent failure to observe announced administrative policies regarding discipline of students and that such notice was vague and unconstitutional because he had a right to be employed under the Arkansas Statute 80-1304 (Act 84 of 1959) which requires re-employment if timely notice of termination is not given to a teacher.

The plaintiff, Mr. Mitchell, further alleges that termination of his employment was caused by his activity in trying to form a classroom teacher’s organization and that such termination for such alleged reason was and is unconstitutional. He prays that this Court declare the “refusal to re-employ” a violation of his constitutional rights; that the defendant be ordered to re-instate and re-employ him; that the defendant be enjoined from refusing to employ teachers because of engaging in teacher association activities and for damages, attorney’s fees and costs.

On October 23, 1970 the defendant filed a motion to dismiss the complaint and an answer denying the material allegations of the complaint, alleging that it gave proper notice to plaintiff of refusal to re-employ him and praying that the complaint be dismissed.

On October 29, 1970 the motion to dismiss was overruled by the Court.

At the trial before the Court on the merits the plaintiff appeared, testified in person and introduced witnesses. The officials and school board members of Alma School District No. 30 appeared, testified in person and introduced witnesses who testified.

In the main, the evidence given by all witnesses is true and uncontradicted, but with each side placing magnified importance on isolated circumstances that have assumed great importance in the mind of the particular witness.

From the viewpoint of the plaintiff the evidence reveals the following circumstances :

Prior to the school year 1969-1970 affiliated local organizations of the AEA (Arkansas Educational Association) had to be all inclusive. In the summer of 1969 the Constitution of the AEA was changed so as to permit local teachers to adopt one of six options. They could have county wide all inclusive local organizations or county wide separate organizations. They could have district all inclusive organizations or separate organizations. Even if the teachers adopt an “all inclusive” option they could form separate classroom teacher organizations which would be recognized by AEA. The AEA encouraged all local organization presidents to arrange for an immediate vote of the teachers. The plaintiff was on the Representative Assembly of AEA which adopted the option plan and was also President of the Crawford County Education Association, an all inclusive group. Mr. Mitchell attempted to secure the permission of Superintendent Dyer of the Alma School before the question was submitted to the teachers. He also sought the aid of the AEA which sent Hubert Blanchard and Ken Harrison of AEA to see Mr. Dyer personally and Mr. Dyer agreed to a vote on the “options”. The option election was held in January 1970, and the Alma teachers voted for [475]*475option “A” which was a county wide all inclusive organization with provision for a separate classroom teacher organization.

After this vote Mr. Mitchell began working to get a vote of the Alma District School Teachers on a separate C.T.A. (Classroom Teachers Association). The then high school principal, Don Neathery, testified that Mr. Dyer said he was not going to permit a separate C.T.A. and would do everything he could to prevent one from being formed. Mr. Mitchell planned to admit the question of a separate organization of classroom teachers to the teachers at the Mountainburg meeting of April 20, 1970. He called a Mountainburg teacher, Mr. Brammer, two or three weeks prior to the time of the meeting, and asked Mr. Brammer to arrange for a separate meeting room in which to hold a meeting for the organization of a separate C.T.A. Mr. Brammer made such arrangements on April 6th. On April 13th Mr. Mitchell called Superintendent Dyer and asked if it would be all right for him as President of the C.C.E.A. to attend the Board Meeting to ask for an open door policy by the Board, which would permit representatives of the teachers to establish a discussion policy with the Board, which was and is an absolute essential to the formation and operation of a separate C.T.A. Mr. Mitchell testified that Superintendent Dyer refused to give permission for his attendance, telling Mitchell that he could not attend the meeting as a teacher. Mr. Mitchell then told him that he (Mitchell) would attend as a tax payer. Mr. Mitchell attended the meeting. Mr. Mitchell also testified that on the next day, April 14th, Superintendent Dyer called Mr. Mitchell and told him he was going to recommend to the Alma School Board that Mr. Mitchell not be given a contract for the following year.

Alma District teachers had attended the C.C.E.A. meeting immediately prior to Mountainburg meeting 100%. The meeting before that they had attended about 80%, but at the Mountainburg meeting only two teachers showed up. Mr. Neathery testified that Superintendent Dyer had called him and ordered him to go to the meeting to “see what Mitchell was up to” and to sabotage any attempt to form a separate C.T.A. When only two Alma teachers showed up no action was taken for the formation of a separate C.T.A.

Mr. Mitchell went to the May 11, 1970 meeting of the Alma School Board. He testified that he had been given no notice of termination, but he had heard that he was going to be terminated and Mr. Dyer had told him he was fired. Mr. Mitchell sat outside the meeting until he was called in and asked “what he had to say in his defense”. He says he was not informed of the charges against him. On May 26th he was written a letter as follows:

Alma Public Schools
Office of Superintendent
Alma, Arkansas 72921
May 26, 1970
Mr. Robert F. Mitchell
Route 1
Rudy, Arkansas
Dear Mr. Mitchell.
This is to advise you that the Board of Education of Alma School District No. 30 will not renew your teaching contract for the next school year 1970-71.
You have requested by letter to know the reason for this action.

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Related

Safferstone v. Tucker
357 S.W.2d 3 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1962)
White v. Jenkins
209 S.W.2d 457 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1948)
Pugsley v. Sellmeyer
250 S.W. 538 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1923)
Garner v. Highland School District No. 42
421 S.W.2d 895 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1967)
Corbin v. Special School District
465 S.W.2d 342 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
332 F. Supp. 473, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11372, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mitchell-v-alma-school-district-no-30-arwd-1971.