If a dismissal of a tenured faculty member is sought for cause, the board must first approve a motion by a majority vote of all its members. The specific charges for dismissal shall be confidential but shall be issued to the tenured faculty member upon request. The Board decision shall be final unless the tenured faculty member within 10 days requests in writing of the Board that a hearing be scheduled. If the faculty member within 10 days requests in writing that a hearing be scheduled, the Board shall schedule such hearing on those charges before a disinterested hearing officer on a date no less than 45 days, nor more than 70 days after the adoption of the motion. The hearing officer shall be selected from a list of 5 qualified arbitrators provided by a nationally recognized arbitration
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If a dismissal of a tenured faculty member is sought for cause, the board must first approve a motion by a majority vote of all its members. The specific charges for dismissal shall be confidential but shall be issued to the tenured faculty member upon request. The Board decision shall be final unless the tenured faculty member within 10 days requests in writing of the Board that a hearing be scheduled. If the faculty member within 10 days requests in writing that a hearing be scheduled, the Board shall schedule such hearing on those charges before a disinterested hearing officer on a date no less than 45 days, nor more than 70 days after the adoption of the motion. The hearing officer shall be selected from a list of 5 qualified arbitrators provided by a nationally recognized arbitration organization. Within 10 days after the teacher receives the notice of hearing, either the Board and the teacher mutually or the teacher alone shall request the list of qualified hearing officers from the arbitration organization. Within 5 days from receipt of the list, the Board and the teacher, or their legal representatives, shall alternately strike one name from the list until one name remains. The teacher shall make the first strike. Notice of such charges shall be served upon the tenured faculty member at least 21 days before the hearing date. Such notice shall contain a bill of particulars. The hearing shall be public at the request of either the tenured faculty member or the Board. The tenured faculty member has the privilege of being present at the hearing with counsel and of cross-examining witnesses and may offer evidence and witnesses and present defenses to the charges. The hearing officer upon request by either party may issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and production of documents. All testimony at the hearing shall be taken under oath administered by the hearing officer. The hearing officer shall cause a record of the proceedings to be kept and the Board shall employ a competent reporter to take stenographic or stenotype notes of all testimony. The costs of the reporter's attendance and services at the hearing and all other costs of the hearing shall be borne equally by the Board and the tenured faculty member. Either party desiring a transcript of the hearing shall pay for the cost thereof. If in the opinion of the Board the interests of the district require it the Board, after 20 days notice, may suspend the tenured faculty member pending the hearing, but if acquitted, the tenured faculty member shall not suffer the loss of any salary by reason of the suspension. The hearing officer shall, with reasonable dispatch, make a decision as to whether or not the tenured faculty member shall be dismissed and shall give a copy of the decision to both the tenured faculty member and the Board. The decision of the hearing officer shall be final and binding.