Case Name: Mary B. MARTIN, Appellant, v. SCHOOL BOARD OF GADSDEN COUNTY, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1983-05-17
Citations: 432 So. 2d 588
Docket Number: No. AH-190
Parties: Mary B. MARTIN, Appellant, v. SCHOOL BOARD OF GADSDEN COUNTY, Appellee.
Judges: JOANOS, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 432
Pages: 588–592

Head Matter:
Mary B. MARTIN, Appellant, v. SCHOOL BOARD OF GADSDEN COUNTY, Appellee.
No. AH-190.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
May 17, 1983.
Pamela L. Cooper, Tallahassee, Gen. Counsel for FTP-NEA, for appellant.
James Harold Thompson and Claude B. Arrington of Thompson & Arrington, Quincy, for appellee.
John D. Carlson, Tallahassee, for Florida Ass’n of School Administrators, Inc.; Robert M. Rhodes and James C. Hauser of Messer, Rhodes & Vickers, Tallahassee, for The Florida School Boards Association, Inc., for amici curiae.

Opinion:
MILLS, Judge.
The appellant, a teacher in the Gadsden County School System, challenges an order denying her a Section 120.57, Florida Statutes (1981), hearing concerning her intra-system transfer. We affirm.
The teacher's petition for a Section 120.57 hearing wholly fails to identify what substantial interest is affected. There is no allegation of harm done to the teacher by the transfer. No pecuniary harm was alleged. No damage to reputation was alleged, although argued in the briefs.
We do not decide whether damage to reputation would require a formal hearing, compare Paul v. Davis, 424 U.S. 693, 96 S.Ct. 1155, 47 L.Ed.2d 405 (1976), (holding that damage to reputation alone does not trigger due process protections for purposes of 42 U.S.C. § 1983).
We are, in effect, asked to find that Administrative Procedures Act formal hearings are, as a matter of law, a part of a school system's personnel procedures. We will not do this.
Personnel decisions are necessarily judgment calls involving a multitude of factors. If a superintendent in his or her discretion, supported by the School Board, decides that harmony between administration and faculty is best served by an intrasystem transfer, it is not this Court's job to second-guess them.
The dissent characterizes this opinion as a "sweeping" holding that personnel decisions are immune from Chapter 120 processes. Untrue.
We have merely adhered to the unquestioned premise that substantial interests must be affected to trigger Section 120.57 hearings. To avoid confusion as to the specific allegations in the petition for formal hearing, we have appended the petition to this opinion.
AFFIRMED.
JOANOS, J., concurs.
ERVIN, J., dissents with opinion.
APPENDIX
BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD OF GADSDEN COUNTY
Filed Nov. 9,1982
WILLIE RUTH WILLIAMS, MARY B. MARTIN : and GLADYS ROWE,
Petitioners,
- v -
SCHOOL BOARD OF GADSDEN COUNTY,
Respondents.
PETITION FOR FORMAL HEARING
Pursuant to § 120.57(1), Florida Statutes and Rule 28-5.201, F.A.C., the Petitioners in the above-styled matter hereby request a formal hearing to determine the validity of the School Board action taken on July 28, 1981. In support of the request, the Petitioners state:
1. The Petitioners are residents of Gadsden County and are employed as classroom instructors in the Gadsden County School System.
2. At the specially scheduled Gadsden County School Board meeting of July 15, 1981, the recommendations to transfer four Gadsden County classroom teachers were presented to the Board. The Petitioners, three of the four teachers in question, received no prior notice of the impending action and, in fact, were not in attendance at the meeting.
3. Because of the absence of facts warranting such transfers and the inability of the affected parties to present information in their behalf, School Board member Harold Henderson requested a deferral of the item until the next school board meeting.
4. On July 28, 1981, the Superintendent called a special meeting of the Gadsden County School Board, wherein the involuntary transfers of the Petitioners was again addressed. Without discussion, the School Board effectuated the transfers of the Petitioners.
5. Contrary to established district practice and the requirements of § 120.53, § 120.54, § 230.17, Florida Statutes, the School Board failed to publish notice of the special meeting in the Gadsden County Times. Moreover, individual notice of the meeting was not furnished to the affected Petitioners. As a result, none of the Petitioners had an opportunity to attend the meeting to question the efficacy of the transfers.
6. As a result of the School Board action, the Petitioners will be removed from their areas of experience and expertise. Not only has Mrs. Williams taught advanced mathematics exclusively at the high school level for a number of years, but moreover she has developed a rapport with her students equalled by few teachers. In addition, Mrs. Rowe has held her position as a basic mathematics instructor for many years. Both teachers have served effectively as active members of their respective faculties. By placing Mrs. Williams in the position currently held by Mrs. Rowe and by transferring Mrs. Rowe to Mrs. Williams' position, the School Board will be disrupting established mathematics programs in each school.
7. The involuntary transfers of Petitioners Willie Ruth Williams and Mary B. Martin are punitive and without justification. The transfer of Mrs. Williams was precipitated by allegations that she provided students with answers to the student assessment test. However, these allegations are presently before the Education Practices Commission (EPC). As of yet, the EPC has not determined the legal sufficiency of the allegations nor rendered any decision in this regard. Because Mrs. Williams has vehemently and consistently asserted her innocence of the charges, the School Board acted prematurely, without benefit of the EPC recommendations and has penalized Mrs. Williams based upon unproven allegations.
In like manner, the involuntary transfer of Mary B. Martin was initiated as a disciplinary measure. In a letter to Superintendent Bishop, Mr. Charles Boyd, principal of George W. Monroe Elementary School, indicated that "Mrs. Martin's actions and attitudes have detrimentally affected the morale of the faculty and staff." The statements were not factually substantiated in this letter. Thus, without the benefit of a hearing, Mrs. Martin will be denied the opportunity to challenge the accuracy of such statements.
WHEREFORE, the Petitioners hereby request advanced notice of any further proceedings relating to the instant petition and a formal hearing to address the concerns stated herein.
Florida Teaching Profession-NEA Office of the General Counsel 213 South Adams Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301
By: /s/ Pamela L. Cooper PAMELA L. COOPER