Youngstown Education Ass'n v. Youngstown City Bd. of Education

301 N.E.2d 891, 36 Ohio App. 2d 35, 65 Ohio Op. 2d 34, 84 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2463, 1973 Ohio App. LEXIS 815
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 27, 1973
Docket72-C. of A. 54
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 301 N.E.2d 891 (Youngstown Education Ass'n v. Youngstown City Bd. of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Youngstown Education Ass'n v. Youngstown City Bd. of Education, 301 N.E.2d 891, 36 Ohio App. 2d 35, 65 Ohio Op. 2d 34, 84 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2463, 1973 Ohio App. LEXIS 815 (Ohio Ct. App. 1973).

Opinions

*36 Joites, J.

This Court has had presented to it for judicial review two separate orders of Judge Elwyn Jenkins of the Court of Common Pleas of Mahoning County. On the one hand, the Youngstown Education Association takes exception to an order favoring the Youngstown City Board of Education and the Superintendent of the Youngstown City School District claimed to be adverse to the Youngstown Education Association. On the other hand, a group of city residents, banded together, calling themselves Concerned Parents, were denied permission to intervene as a party litigant in the controversy existing in the common pleas court between the Youngstown Education Association and the Youngstown City Board of Education and the Superintendent of the Youngstown City School District. The Concerned Parents have appealed that order denying them permission to intervene as a litigant

The first order of business for this court to pass upon is the issue presented by the Concerned Parents. If the Concerned Parents were adversely affected by the denial to intervene as a party, then, in that event, Judge Jenkins’ order to that effect must be reversed. This, then, would also affect Judge Jenkins’ decision as to the controversy between the original litigants, namely the school board and superintendent of schools on the one side and the teachers’ association on the other side. If the Concerned Parents should have been permitted to intervene, then both orders before this court should be set aside and the matter remanded to Judge Jenkins for a new hearing among the four parties.

To be permitted to intervene, the Concerned Parents must show some basis pursuant to the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure. Civ. R. 24 sets out two bases for intervention. One is intervention by right, and the other by permission of the court. (In this case, that would have been pei'-mission by Judge Jenkins.) There is no question but that the Concerned Parents made a timely application to intervene and that they, through their counsel, followed the procedure set out in Civ. R. 24(C).

As to intervention as of right, there are two bases set out in Civ. R. 24 (A) and they are:

*37 (1) When a statute of this state confers an unconditional right to intervene; or,

(2) When the applicant claims an interest relating to the property or transaction which is the subject of the action and he is so situated that the disposition of the action may as a practical matter impair or impede his ability to protect that interest, unless the applicant’s interest is adequately represented by existing parties.

As to condition (1): neither the brief, nor oral argument of counsel for Concerned Parents pointed to a statute of this state which would confer upon the Concerned Parents an unconditional right to intervene. Further, we are unable to find such a statute. As to condition (2): it is the holding of this court that the existing parties, upon the issues joined by the pleadings, adequately protected the interests of the Concerned Parents. A look at the prayer of the complaint tendered by the Concerned Parents does not reveal issues that would be in addition to those already before the common pleas court.

Accordingly, the Concerned Parents have not shown that they may intervene as a matter of right.

Looking now to Civ. R. 24(B) (permissive intervention), the issue thus presented to this court is whether or not Judge Jenkins abused his discretion in not permitting the Concerned Parents to intervene. There are two bases upon which a trial judge may permit intervention of a party at his discretion:

(1) When a statute of this state confers a conditional right to intervene; or

(2) When an applicant’s claim or defense and the main action have a question of law or fact in common.

As to (1): We look to R. C. 733.58.1, which permits intervention involving “public interest” or if “justice will be furthered.” Again, however, we find that to allow intervention of the Concerned Parents would in no way present new issues and thereby would neither be “in the public interest” nor in “furtherance of justice.”

As to (2): Again, this basis to allow intervention is discretionary and we find no abuse of discretion in the court’s denial of intervention.

*38 It should further be pointed out that the Concerned Parents are, as are all other citizens of Youngstown, represented in school-teacher community matters by an elected board. This is the result of a representative form of government. They are bound to “live with” their representatives, but, interestingly enough, in this case the Concerned Parents wanted to petition the court for exactly the same things the school board was determined to uphold. Therefore, the order of Judge Jenkins denying the Concerned Parents to intervene is affirmed.

Coming now to the order of Judge Jenkins, properly brought before this court for review, wherein the Youngstown Education Association was denied the relief sought by petition in that Judge Jenkins, by order of June 26, 1972, decided as follows:

“Temporary injunction heretofore issued dissolved. Complaint dismissed.”

We are of the opinion that the order should be affirmed and shall proceed to state our reasons for finding not well taken the only error assigned, to-wit:

“The trial court committed error-in failing to enjoin the Youngstown School Board from the adoption and implementation of policies which directly conflict with previously negotiated and existing agreements between the Youngstown School Board and the Youngstown Education Association which prescribe the terms and conditions of teachers’ employment in the school system and which provide for negotiations over all teachers’ working conditions.”

Briefly stated the facts are these:

A so-called “Master Agreement” was understood by the Youngstown Education Association and the Youngstown City Board of Education to exist between them. Subsequent thereto, the Board adopted certain policies which were precipitated by much unrest at Hayes Middle School among the teachers, parents, students and others. It is the claim of the Youngstown Education Association that these policies contravened the express language of the Master Agreement in many respects. The policies were related to *39 management of the schools and the relationship between teachers and students and parents and the Board.

It is the position of the teachers’ association that the school board, in so doing, breached conditions of the Master Agreement and, therefore, the board and the superintendent ought to be enjoined from enforcing such regulations.

The school board takes the position that the Master Agreement has no legal effect as collective bargaining is not sanctioned by law. Further, that if they are wrong on this point, legislative enactment specifically enjoins upon them the duty to enact rules and regulations concerning the running of the schools, which includes the responsibility of management and control.

R. C. 3313.20 provides, in part:

“Rules and regulations; employee attendance at professional meetings, expenses.

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

Related

Williams v. City of Avon
369 N.E.2d 486 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
301 N.E.2d 891, 36 Ohio App. 2d 35, 65 Ohio Op. 2d 34, 84 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2463, 1973 Ohio App. LEXIS 815, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/youngstown-education-assn-v-youngstown-city-bd-of-education-ohioctapp-1973.