Title: Love v. Smackover Sch. Dist.

State: arkansas

Issuer: Arkansas Supreme Court

Document:

Patricia LOVE v. SMACKOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT
and Terry Lee, Jeff Rogers, Juanita Corley,
Jerry Hegwood, and Lynn Bradley, In Their
Official Capacity as Members of the Smackover
School District Board of Directors

97-20                                              ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
                 Opinion delivered June 9, 1997


1.   Attorney & client -- attorney's fees -- not chargeable as costs unless
     permitted by statute. -- The American rule, which is the rule
     observed in Arkansas, is that attorney's fees are not
     chargeable as costs in litigation unless specifically
     permitted by statute.

2.   Schools & school districts -- action brought under Teacher Fair Dismissal
     Act is civil action within meaning of Ark. Code Ann.  16-22-308 --
     attorney's fees allowed for "labor or services" claim. -- An action
     brought pursuant to the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act is a civil
     action within the meaning of Ark. Code Ann.  16-22-308 (Repl.
     1994); likewise, a claim for "labor or services" is within the
     meaning of the statute, and attorney's fees are allowed for
     such claim under section 16-22-308. 

3.   Schools & school districts -- actions pursuant to Teacher Fair Dismissal
     Act are actions in contract for labor or services -- attorney's fess may
     be awarded -- federal decision was erroneous interpretation of state law. -
     - The supreme court held that actions brought pursuant to the
     Teacher Fair Dismissal Act are actions in contract for labor
     or services and that attorney's fees may be awarded by the
     trial court pursuant to Ark. Code Ann.  16-22-308, the
     general statute authorizing attorney's fees; the court further
     concluded that Piggee v. Jones, 84 F.3d 303 (8th Cir. 1996),
     decided before the supreme court had definitively spoken on
     this issue, was an erroneous interpretation of state law.

4.   Attorney & client -- fees -- trial court did not exercise discretion --
     case reversed and remanded for determination whether award of fees was
     warranted. -- Although the award of attorney's fees is
     discretionary, here, the trial court did not exercise its
     discretion when it declined to award appellant attorney's
     fees; because the supreme court concluded that attorney's fees
     are recoverable in a Teacher Fair Dismissal Act action, it
     reversed and remanded the case to the trial court to determine
     if an award of attorney's fees was warranted.  

     Appeal from Union Circuit Court; David F. Guthrie, Judge;
reversed and remanded.
     Mitchell, Blackstock & Barnes, by: Marcia Barnes, for
appellant.
     W. Paul Blume, for appellees.
     Donald L. Corbin, Justice.
     This is an appeal by Appellant Patricia Love of the order by
the Union County Circuit Court denying the award of attorney's fees
in her case against Appellee Smackover School District involving
the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act of 1983, Ark. Code Ann.  6-17-1501
to -1510 (Repl. 1993).  This is the second appeal of this case.  In
the first appeal, this court reversed the trial court's ruling that
Appellant was not a "teacher" as contemplated by the Act and
remanded the case to determine the amount of compensation to which
she was entitled.  Love v. Smackover Sch. Dist., 322 Ark. 1, 907 S.W.2d 136 (1995).  Jurisdiction of this appeal is therefore
properly in this court pursuant to Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 1-2(a)(10) (as
amended by per curiam July 15, 1996).
     Pursuant to this court's mandate, the Union County Circuit
Court held a hearing on June 19, 1996, to determine Appellant's
damages pursuant to the mandate.  The trial court ruled that
Appellant was entitled to judgment against Appellee for $6,893.36
plus interest.  The trial court also granted Appellant
reinstatement as a half-time teacher for the 1996-97 school year. 
Appellant requested attorney's fees, but the trial court denied her
request holding that such fees are not authorized under the Teacher
Fair Dismissal Act, referring to the trial court's previous
decisions in other Teacher Fair Dismissal act cases as well as the
recent decision of Piggee v. Jones, 84 F.3d 303 (8th Cir. 1996). 
In Piggee, the United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, held
that a violation of the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act was not a breach
of contract claim for which attorney's fees may be awarded under
Ark. Code Ann.  16-22-308 (Repl. 1994).
     The sole issue presented by this appeal is whether attorney's
fees are available in an action brought under the Teacher Fair
Dismissal Act as contemplated by section 16-22-308.  We conclude
that attorney's fees are available and we reverse the ruling of the
trial court and remand this case to determine whether in this
instance attorney's fees are warranted.
     The American rule, which is the rule observed in Arkansas, is
that attorney's fees are not chargeable as costs in litigation
unless specifically permitted by statute.  Chrisco v. Sun Indus.,
Inc., 304 Ark. 227,