Unified School District No. 503 v. McKinney

689 P.2d 860, 236 Kan. 224, 1984 Kan. LEXIS 401
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedOctober 26, 1984
Docket56,354
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 689 P.2d 860 (Unified School District No. 503 v. McKinney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Unified School District No. 503 v. McKinney, 689 P.2d 860, 236 Kan. 224, 1984 Kan. LEXIS 401 (kan 1984).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Lockett, J.:

The defendants seek to have a restraining order, temporary injunction, and resulting injunction declared unconstitutional.

On May 23, 1980, Don McKinney, Marilyn Taylor, and Steve *225 Stocker went to the offices of U.S.D. No. 503 (District) to file a grievance which they presented to the secretary, Kathy Hard-man. Present in the office at the time were two applicants for teaching positions. As McKinney, Taylor (a teacher employed by the District and the wife of McKinney), and Stocker were leaving the office, McKinney stated, “Don’t work here. It’s terrible.” It is unclear whether McKinney was saying this to the applicants or to his cohorts.

On June 8, 1980, Stocker distributed a news release to the news media. The news release stated:

“On Monday night, June 9th, [at 6:45] the Citizens for a Healthy Environment in the School System will hold a press conference at the District office of USD 503, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Parsons, Kansas. This conference will precede the regular meeting of the board of education held at that site at 7:00. Several citizens wish to make statements and express opinions concerning the turmoil in Parsons schools, including the state investigation now being conducted, as well as the Marilyn Taylor and Duane Callahan cases, and other problems in the schools. School superintendent Salvatore Alioto will be present on the site, as well as Lincoln school principal Calvin Dill, although it is not known if they will concede to make statements on tape or camera.”

School Superintendent S. J. Alioto did not know of the press conference until the news director of a Pittsburg radio station questioned him about it. Calvin Dill, principal of Lincoln Elementary School, learned of the press conference from a news broadcast over the Pittsburg radio station around 7:30 a.m., June 9, 1980. At 3:55 p.m. on June 9, 1980, the school district filed a petition seeking an order restraining the defendants from coming upon the premises of the superintendent’s office in Parsons, Kansas; from making derogatory statements to applicant teachers who were being interviewed for employment with the school district; and for an injunction to restrain defendants from such acts; and in addition, to restrain the defendants from acts of harassment toward Dr. Alioto and Principal Calvin Dill.

The restraining order was issued by the district judge at 4:00 p.m., June 9, 1980. It stated:

“IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that defendants, Don McKinney, Marilyn Taylor and Steve Stocker be and they are hereby restrained from coming upon the premises at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Parsons, Kansas, and from making derogatory remarks concerning said school district in the presence of certified applicant teachers who are applying for positions with plaintiff for the school year 1980-1981, and from calling unplanned press conferences at any building of plaintiff and from harassing Dr. Alioto and Mr. Dill at any time or place.”

*226 McKinney, Taylor and Stocker met with the news media at 6:45 p.m., June 9, 1980, in the parking lot of the district office. The restraining order was served on the defendants prior to the meeting in the parking lot. Because of the restraining order, the defendants did not discuss their concerns about the school system with the media.

The Board of Education had a regular meeting scheduled for 7:00 p.m. that night at its offices. The defendants entered the Board meeting, followed by a television cameraman who had been present to film the public meeting called by the defendants. No statement was made by any of the defendants while present at the Board meeting. A sheriff s deputy and several police officers removed the defendants from the Board meeting after it had begun.

On June 12, 1980, the district court held a hearing on the District’s motion for a temporary injunction. The court ordered a temporary injunction against defendants and required the District to post a $1,000.00 bond. The injunction stated that:

“(A) Defendants are enjoined from holding a press conference or any public meeting on any property of plaintiff, including the school buildings, and the parking lot, and the Superintendent’s office at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Parsons, Kansas.
“(B) Defendants are enjoined from disrupting or interfering with any meeting of plaintiff s Board of Education or any activities or work assignments of the school administrators of said school district.
“(C) The court retains jurisdiction of this matter until a future date can be determined as to whether a permanent injunction should be issued in this case.”

Defendants did not appeal the June 12, 1980, temporary injunction.

On November 16, 1983, three years and five months after the issuance of the temporary injunction, the district court held a hearing on the defendants’ motion to reconsider and set aside the temporary injunction of June 12, 1980. The court ordered the temporary injunction be made permanent, and denied any increase in bond for the plaintiff.

On November 29, 1983, McKinney and Taylor filed their notice of appeal from the granting of the temporary restraining order of June 9, 1980, the temporary injunction of June 12, 1980, and the injunction of November 16, 1983.

Injunction is an equitable remedy and its grant or denial in each case is governed by the principles of equity. The granting *227 or denial of an injunction is discretionary. Absent an abuse of discretion, the appellate court does not normally interfere. To warrant injunctive relief it must clearly appear that some act has been done, or is threatened, which will produce irreparable injury to the party seeking such relief. The burden of proof in an injunction action is upon the petitioner to sustain the allegations of its petition. Concerned Citizens, United, Inc. v. Kansas Power & Light Co., 215 Kan. 218, 523 P.2d 755 (1974).

The Code of Civil Procedure, Chapter 60, Article 9, provides for the issuance by a court of an injunction order to do or refrain from doing a particular act. The order may be a final judgment in an action, or it may be allowed as a provisional remedy. K.S.A. 60-901.

K.S.A. 60-903 provides for the issuance of a restraining order as a provisional remedy to a party entitled to relief, restraining the commission or continuance of some act. The purpose of such order is to restrain a defendant for a very brief period, pending a hearing on the application for a temporary injunction. The restraining order can go no further than to preserve the status quo until the hearing is held for the temporary injunction, the status quo being the last actual, peaceable, noncontested position of the parties which preceded the pending controversy. Where it appears to the judge that a restraining order will not result in damage to the party restrained, no bond is required of the movant.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hodes & Nauser, MDs v. Stanek
551 P.3d 62 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2024)
State v. Morris
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2024
Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc. v. Goldwyn
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2024
Jennings v. Shauck
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2023
Rivera v. Schwab
Supreme Court of Kansas, 2022
League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
513 P.3d 1222 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2022)
State v. Jones
492 P.3d 433 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2021)
Hodes & Nauser v. Norman
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2021
State v. Smith
452 P.3d 382 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2019)
State v. Bell
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2017
State v. Bollinger
352 P.3d 1003 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2015)
Garetson Brothers v. American Warrior, Inc.
347 P.3d 687 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2015)
Shipe v. Public Wholesale Water Supply District No. 25
210 P.3d 105 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2009)
Outdoor Systems, Inc. v. City of Merriam, Kan.
67 F. Supp. 2d 1258 (D. Kansas, 1999)
Outdoor Systems, Inc. v. City of Lenexa, Kan.
67 F. Supp. 2d 1231 (D. Kansas, 1999)
Attorney General Opinion No.
Kansas Attorney General Reports, 1999
Kaul v. State of Kansas Department of Revenue
970 P.2d 60 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1998)
Kaul v. STATE, DEPT. OF REVENUE
970 P.2d 60 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1998)
Smith v. State
955 P.2d 1293 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1998)
In Re the Care & Treatment of Hay
953 P.2d 666 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
689 P.2d 860, 236 Kan. 224, 1984 Kan. LEXIS 401, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/unified-school-district-no-503-v-mckinney-kan-1984.