Mozier v. Board of Education

450 F. Supp. 742, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14391
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedAugust 19, 1977
DocketCiv. A. No. 77-0705
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 450 F. Supp. 742 (Mozier v. Board of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mozier v. Board of Education, 450 F. Supp. 742, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14391 (D.N.J. 1977).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT and CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

BROTMAN, District Judge.

In this civil rights suit plaintiff Dennis Mozier challenges the termination of his employment as a teacher with the Cherry Hill Board of Education. Named as defendants are the Cherry Hill Board of Education, individual members of the Board, and the Superintendent of the Cherry Hill School District.

In seeking damages, reinstatement and other relief, plaintiff urges that the termination deprived him of constitutionally protected liberty and property interests. In this respect plaintiff urges that the termination violated his rights both to procedural and substantive due process under the Fourteenth Amendment.

On June 7, 1977 a hearing was scheduled on an order to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not issue. Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 65(a)(2) that hearing was consolidated with the trial on the merits. With the consent of counsel such consolidation was limited to the question of injunctive relief; the question of damages was reserved for further proceedings.

The court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff Dennis Mozier was employed as a non-tenured teacher by the Board of Education of the Township of Cherry Hill (hereinafter “Board” or “Board of Education”) under successive contracts of employment for the 1975 — 1976 and 1976-1977 school years (Tr. 6 morning session (hereinafter M. S.); 14 M. S.).

2. July 22, 1975 plaintiff signed a contract of employment as a teacher of science with the Board of Education for the 1975-1976 school year (D-l).

3. Plaintiff received three evaluations during the 1975-1976 school year relating to his teaching performance (P-2). All were of a positive nature.

4. On August 17, 1976 plaintiff signed a contract of employment as a teacher of science and social studies with the Board of Education for the 1976-1977 school year (P-3).

5. Plaintiff did not receive evaluations for the portion of the 1976-1977 school year he was employed by the Board of Education (Tr. 20 M. S.).

6. Plaintiff’s employment contracts for the school years 1975 — 1976 and 1976 — 1977 each contained the following language:

It is hereby agreed by the parties hereto that this contract may at any time be terminated by either party given to the other sixty (60) days notice in writing of intention to terminate the same, but that in the absence of any provision herein for a definite number of days notice the contract shall run for the full term named above (P-3, D-l).

7. Employment contract forms containing the termination clause found in plaintiff’s contracts have been used in New Jersey for many years. These forms are specimen forms recommended for use by the [744]*744New Jersey Department of Education. It is standard procedure for county school superintendents to distribute these contract forms to their respective school districts. The termination clauses are essentially identical in all school districts, except that respective districts determine the number of days notice that will be given in that particular district. Contracts similar to plaintiff’s are executed by each non-tenured teacher employed in the Cherry Hill school system and have been so executed for at least the past two years (Tr. 68-70 afternoon session (hereinafter A. S.)).

8. During the 1976-1977 contract year, the Board of Education entered into a collective bargaining agreement with the Cherry Hill Education Association. Article IVB of the negotiated agreement provides:

No teacher shall be disciplined, reduced in rank or compensation or deprived of any professional advantage without just cause. Any such action asserted by the Board, or any agent or representative thereof, shall be subject to the grievance procedure and the limitations as set forth in Article III, paragraph A.

9. On November 17, 1976 plaintiff was asked to report to the office of Dr. William A. Shine, Superintendent of the Cherry Hill School District (hereinafter “Superintendent Shine”). Superintendent Shine informed plaintiff that he was suspended without pay, effective immediately, and that he should not report back to school in any teaching capacity (Tr. 17 M. S.).

10. Later that day Superintendent Shine advised plaintiff, by hand delivered letter, to meet with him at a future date

“to review . . . the matters listed which could result in the termination of [his] employment as a teacher in the School District of Cherry Hill.
1. [Plaintiff’s] alleged past criminal record.
2. Recent alleged police report of criminal activities” (P-4).

The letter reiterated plaintiff’s immediate suspension.

11. On December 3, 1976, the aforementioned meeting was held in Superintendent Shine’s office. Present at the meeting were plaintiff; plaintiff’s attorney, Joseph T. Sherman, Esq.; Superintendent Shine; an attorney representing the Board of Education; and William Laub, personnel administrator for the School District (Tr. 21 M. S.).

12. Mr. Sherman had arranged with plaintiff to appear at the December 3, 1976 meeting solely for the purpose of explaining the pending criminal charges to those at the meeting. Mr. Sherman was at that time also representing plaintiff in the criminal prosecution (Tr. 36 M. S.; 45 — 47 M. S.).

13. At the meeting Superintendent Shine indicated that he intended to recommend to the Board of Education that plaintiff’s contract of employment be terminated. This recommendation was based upon plaintiff’s prior conviction for armed robbery and the pendency of charges of illegal possession of a pistol (Tr. 23 M. S.; 64-65 A. S.).

14. Mr. Sherman explained that since the prior conviction plaintiff had undergone a complete change of lifestyle, and that it was his opinion that plaintiff would be acquitted of the pending pistol charge. This opinion was explained as based on the fact that the pistol was found in a bureau belonging to one of plaintiff’s roommates and that roommate was willing to testify that the pistol belonged to him and not plaintiff (Tr. 22-23 M. S.; 37-39 M. S.; 42-43 M. S.).

15. Two sets of possible alternatives were mentioned by Superintendent Shine on December 3, 1976: those which could be initiated by the defendant Board, i. e., suspension with or without pay and termination; and those which could be initiated by plaintiff, i. e., resignation and requesting a leave of absence without pay pending disposition of the present charges. Plaintiff was informed by Superintendent Shine that it could be extremely difficult to “sell” a leave of absence to the Board (Tr. 24 M. S.; 77 A. S.). Thus, plaintiff left said meeting believing that the only viable alternative offered to him (which he could initiate) was resignation (Tr. 24-26 M. S.; 70-77 M. S.; 83-84 M. S.; 65-67 A. S.; 77 A. S.).

[745]*74516. Plaintiff was advised to inform Superintendent Shine’s Office within ten (10) days whether he intended to resign or pursue another course of action (Tr. 29 M. S.; 66 A. S.).

17. On December 10, 1977 plaintiff met with William Laub (in Superintendent Shine’s absence) and indicated that he did not wish to submit his resignation (Tr.

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Mozier v. BD. OF ED. OF TP. OF CHERRY HILL, ETC.
450 F. Supp. 742 (D. New Jersey, 1977)

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Bluebook (online)
450 F. Supp. 742, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14391, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mozier-v-board-of-education-njd-1977.