Rhode Island § 16-13-4 § 16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 16-13-4 — § 16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.

Rhode Island § 16-13-4

Title 16Education

Ch. 16-13Teachersâ€™ Tenure

This text of Rhode Island § 16-13-4 (§ 16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-13-4 (2026).

Text

§ 16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.
(a) The statement of cause for dismissal shall be given to the teacher, in writing, by
            the governing body of the schools. The teacher may, within fifteen (15) days of the
            notification, request, in writing, a hearing before the school committee or school
            board. The hearing shall be public or private, in the discretion of the teacher. Both
            teacher and school board shall be entitled to be represented by counsel and to present
            witnesses. The board shall keep a complete record of the hearing and shall furnish
            the teacher with a copy. Any teacher aggrieved by the decisio

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§ 16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.

(a) The statement of cause for dismissal shall be given to the teacher, in writing, by the governing body of the schools. The teacher may, within fifteen (15) days of the notification, request, in writing, a hearing before the school committee or school board. The hearing shall be public or private, in the discretion of the teacher. Both teacher and school board shall be entitled to be represented by counsel and to present witnesses. The board shall keep a complete record of the hearing and shall furnish the teacher with a copy. Any teacher aggrieved by the decision of the school board shall have the right of appeal to the department of elementary and secondary education and shall have the right of further appeal to the superior court. Any decisions rendered must be approved by a majority of the full board. Members voting on a decision must have been in attendance at the hearing.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit, or at any time to have prohibited, a school committee in a municipality or regional school district with an elected school committee, or the chief executive officer in a municipality with an appointed school committee from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the arbitration of disputes arising out of the nonrenewal, dismissal, and/or suspension of a teacher pursuant to §§ 16-13-2, 16-13-3, and/or 16-13-5.

Legislative History

P.L. 1946, ch. 1775, § 4; G.L. 1956, § 16-13-4; P.L. 1965, ch. 20, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 387, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 265, § 5; P.L. 2014, ch. 278, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 335, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 93, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 131, § 1.