It Appears The DOE Is Trying To Push Veteran Teachers Off Payroll By Claiming They Committed Major Misconduct In A Probable Cause Hearing.

Over the last fifteen years the DOE's Office of Legal Services has slowly expanded the "probable cause" actions of major misconduct that can take teachers off the DOE payroll. Originally, it started in the terrible 2003 contract that allowed the DOE to demand a "probable cause" hearing in front of an arbitrator for teachers accused of sexual misconduct and corporal punishment that seriously injured a child that usually led to the student going to the hospital.  As the years went by and new contracts were negotiated, the major misconduct, category was expanded to include most felonies and criminal actions. Now, it seems the DOE's Office Of Legal Services is trying to expand the major misconduct definition further to include any corporal punishment that resulted in a child being bruised, scratched, or hurt. Even if the school nurse was not contacted!

The DOE's overreach by including actions not covered under the major misconduct provisions in the contract, just to  get teachers off payroll has not been challenged by our union and this is just another example of our union leadership failing to protect their members  while allowing the DOE to target veteran teachers by any means possible.

Here are the three section of the contract dealing with the probable cause provisions,  21g-5, 21g-6, and 21g.

5. Serious Misconduct 
The parties agree that certain types of alleged misconduct are so serious that the employee should be suspended without pay pending the outcome of the disciplinary process. Serious misconduct shall be defined as actions that would constitute: • the felony sale, possession, or use of marijuana, a controlled substance, or a precursor of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia as defined in Article 220 or 221 of the Penal Law, or • any crime involving physical abuse of a minor or student (crimes involving sexual abuse of a minor or student are addressed in paragraph 6 below.), or • any felony committed either on school property or while in the performance of teaching duties, or • any felony involving firearms as defined in Article 265 of the Penal Law. If an employee is accused of committing serious misconduct, the employee shall be removed from payroll for a term not to exceed two (2) months after a finding by the “probable cause arbitrator” that there is probable cause to believe that the actions alleged were committed by the employee and that they constitute “serious misconduct” as defined above. Probable cause exists when evidence or information which appears reliable discloses facts or circumstances making it likely that such conduct occurred and that such person committed the conduct. To establish probable cause, the investigator assigned to the matter must be present and testify under oath before the arbitrator. The Board may also be required to produce signed statements from the victim or witnesses, if any. Thereafter, the Respondent shall have an opportunity to respond orally to the offer of proof. The arbitrator may ask relevant questions or may make further inquiry at the request of Respondent. The hearing shall not require testimony of witnesses nor shall cross-examination be permitted. Said probable cause hearing usually shall not exceed one half of a hearing day

One arbitrator, agreed to by both parties, shall be assigned to hear all probable cause matters for a period of one year. If the parties cannot agree upon one arbitrator, each party shall select one arbitrator who together will select the probable cause arbitrator. Should the Board meet its burden of establishing probable cause of serious misconduct, the employee shall remain suspended without pay during the pendency of the disciplinary action, but in no event shall such period exceed two months except as set forth herein. The parties expect that these cases shall be completed within two (2) months. However, where it is not possible to complete the hearing within the two (2) month period despite the best efforts of all parties, and where the arbitrator believes that the evidence already presented tends to support the charges of serious misconduct, the arbitrator may extend the period of suspension without pay for up to thirty (30) days in order to complete the proceedings. If the Respondent requests not to have the case proceed for a period of thirty (30) days or more and that request is granted, during the period of this adjournment, the Respondent shall remain in non-paid status. As noted above, however, the parties are committed to having these cases heard in an expeditious manner. For this reason, absent extraordinary circumstances, arbitrators are not to adjourn hearing dates. While suspended without pay pending the arbitration hearing on serious misconduct charges, the Respondent may continue his or her existing health coverage, except that in no event shall the Respondent be entitled to continue his or her existing health coverage for more than six (6) months while on non-paid status except at the absolute discretion of the Chancellor. In the event that the Respondent is exonerated of all serious misconduct charges, the employee shall be restored to his or her position and be entitled to receive back pay and be made whole for the amount of time he or she remained off payroll. In the event that the arbitrator finds the employee guilty of the serious misconduct and imposes a penalty less than termination, the arbitrator shall decide whether and to what extent a reinstated employee shall be entitled to receive any back pay for the time the employee was suspended without pay. The parties agree that these types of cases shall receive the highest priority, and, upon the Board’s request, hearings may be held on such matters during any days previously committed by a rotational panel to other employees, as set forth above. In other words, hearings for serious misconduct take precedence over other disciplinary matters, and the Board may require adjourning other cases previously scheduled before the assigned arbitrator during that time frame in order for that arbitrator to hear serious misconduct cases within the two-month time frame.

6. Sexual Offenses Involving Students or Minors 
A tenured pedagogue who has been charged under the criminal law or under §3020-a of the New York State Education Law with an act or acts constituting sexual misconduct (defined below) shall be suspended without pay upon a finding by a hearing officer of probable cause that sexual misconduct was committed. A rebuttable presumption of probable cause shall exist where the Special Commissioner of Investigations (“SCI”) substantiates allegations of sexual misconduct, or a tenured pedagogue has been charged with criminal conduct based on act(s) of sexual misconduct. 117 A report from the Chancellor’s Office of Special Investigations (“OSI”) substantiating allegations of sexual misconduct is relevant evidence of probable cause but does not create a rebuttable presumption of probable cause. In §3020-a proceedings, a mandatory penalty of discharge shall apply to any tenured pedagogue a) found by a hearing officer to have engaged in sexual misconduct, or b) who has pleaded guilty to or been found guilty of criminal charges for such conduct. The §3020-a hearing should be completed within two months, but the suspension without pay shall be extended one additional month if the hearing has not been completed, unless the Board has received an adjournment or otherwise delayed the proceeding. The suspension without pay shall also be extended until a criminal action is resolved and any §3020-a proceeding is also completed. If the §3020-a hearing results in a dismissal of the charges or if the criminal proceeding ends in an acquittal or dismissal (and the Board has decided not to prefer charges), the pedagogue shall be entitled to back pay with interest for the entire period of the suspension without pay. For purposes of this section, sexual misconduct shall include the following conduct involving a student or a minor who is not a student: sexual touching, serious or repeated verbal abuse (as defined in Chancellor’s Regulations) of a sexual nature, action that could reasonably be interpreted as soliciting a sexual relationship, possession or use of illegal child pornography, and/or actions that would constitute criminal conduct under Article 130 of the Penal Law against a student or minor who is not a student. A letter of agreement dated October 2, 2005 regarding sexual misconduct is attached in Appendix G.

7. Other Felony Offenses 
Tenured pedagogues who have been convicted of, or who have pled guilty to, any felony not addressed in paragraph 5, above shall be suspended without pay pending the final outcome of the Education Law §3020-a disciplinary proceeding. The §3020-a hearing should be completed within two months, but the suspension without pay shall be extended one additional month if the hearing has not been completed, unless the Board has received an adjournment or otherwise delayed the case.

Leave it to the DOE to try to terminate as many veteran teachers as possible and by any means necessary. while our disconnected union leadership does nothing about it.