Title: Morgan v. Pizzino
Citation: 256 S.E.2d 592
Docket Number: 14493
State: west-virginia
Issuer: west-virginia Supreme Court
Date: July 17, 1979

256 S.E.2d 592 (1979) Jesse W. MORGAN, Gerald Short, Ronald Lee Cook and Loetta C. Morgan v. James PIZZINO, Superintendent of the Wyoming County Board of Education, Morris L. Meadows, et al., etc. No. 14493. Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. July 17, 1979. *593 Warren R. McGraw, Pineville, for petitioners. D. Grove Moler, Mullens, for respondents. HARSHBARGER, Justice: Jesse W. Morgan, Ronald Lee Cook, Gerald Short and Loetta C. Morgan seek mandamus to compel the Wyoming County Board of Education and Wyoming County School Superintendent James Pizzino to either place their names on the regularly employed personnel list for the 1979-80 school year or remove their names from the transfer and reassignment list. James W. Morgan is Coordinator of Federal Programs; Ronald Lee Cook is Social Studies Supervisor; Gerald Short is Mathematics Supervisor; and, Loetta C. Morgan is Early Childhood and Elementary Supervisor. All four were notified on March 13, 1979 that they had been placed on the transfer and reassignment list for the 1979-80 school year. The notice provided: However, the Board had already approved the transfers and reassignments. A letter dated March 26, 1979 advised: Consistent with West Virginia Code 18A-2-7 authorizing statutory procedures for assignment and transfer at a regular meeting of the Board of Education held on March 12, 1979 the Superintendent recommended you for transfer *594 and subsequent reassignment. By a vote of 3 to 0 the Board approved the Superintendent's recommendation. . . . A hearing was held on April 9, 1979, at which the four employees contended they had not been properly notified but consented to the hearing without waiving their notice claim. The Superintendent explained that all Title I employees, including these four, were placed on the "transfer and reassignment" list because of federal funding problems and a desire to shift emphasis from secondary to elementary education. On May 2, 1979, the Board again approved the Superintendent's "transfer and reassignment" list and tried to vacate its earlier approval by stating that it did not intend it. W. Va. Code, 18A-2-7 applies: Code, 18A-2-7 requires that an employee be notified and given a hearing before a decision about their placement on a transfer and reassignment list is made. But the final Board decision was made on March 12, 1979 as evidenced by the March 26th letter and the minutes of the March 12th meeting: [U]pon the recommendation of the Superintendent, motion of Mr. Cook, seconded by Mr. Foglesong, and voting for Mr. Meadows, Mr. Cook, Mr. Foglesong, and not voting Mr. Rose and Mr. Laxton, the *595 following action [adoption of transfer and reassignment list] was approved regarding personnel. [Our emphasis] The Board's subsequent notice and hearing did not cure their early approval which did not comply with Code, 18A-2-7. The purpose of Code, 18A-2-7 notice and hearing is to give employees an opportunity to present their position to the Board before their names are listed. If a decision has already been made, and the employees have been prejudged the process is meaningless. We took this case to emphasize the law of this State is that school personnel laws are to be strictly construed in favor of personnel, and regulations and statutes for their protection, carefully complied with. See, Trimboli v. Board of Education of the County of Wayne, W.Va., 254 S.E.2d 561 (1979); Powell v. Brown, W.Va., 238 S.E.2d 220 (1977). However, in the future we will not ordinarily accept petitions alleging irregularities in personnel matters except as appeals after all administrative and circuit court remedies have been pursued. We award the writ of mandamus and order the Wyoming County Board of Education and the Wyoming County School Superintendent to remove Jesse W. Morgan, Gerald Short, Ronald Lee Cook and Loetta Morgan from the transfer and reassignment list. Writ awarded.