Opinion ID: 900699
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Hughes I Speaking to Child's Parents

Text: [¶ 13.] School policy also prohibited Hughes from contacting the child's parents if she suspected abuse. The Board terminated Hughes' employment for breach of contract, presumably for failing to report suspected child abuse (discussed above) and also for speaking with the child's parents. This Court found that the Board had insufficient evidence with regard to Hughes' failure to report. The question remained whether Hughes violated school policy by talking to M.B.'s parents. We remanded for the Board to determine whether it would have terminated her solely for that reason. Unstated in the opinion in Hughes I, but certainly implicit therein, was that the Board, on remand, was required to apply a subjective standard set forth in the school policy to determine whether Hughes suspected abuse and, therefore, violated school policy and her contract by contacting the child's parents. [¶ 14.] Both parties argue that the law of the case doctrine applies in this case and, of course, each argues that the doctrine favors their position. The doctrine provides that a question decided on a former appeal [becomes] the law of the case, not to be questioned in a second or any subsequent appeal involving any branch of the case. Western States Land v. Lexington Ins., 459 N.W.2d 429, 435 (S.D.1990) (quoting Shaffer v. Honeywell, Inc., 249 N.W.2d 251, 260 (S.D.1976)). Both parties, however, misinterpret our holding in Hughes I. [¶ 15.] School Board claims that Hughes I held that Hughes admitted talking to the parents and, therefore, no further findings need be made on that point. Hughes claims, on the other hand, that Hughes I held that, inasmuch as Hughes suspected no abuse, using either the objective or the subjective standard, there was no way she could have violated school policy. School Board is mistaken as to the holding in Hughes I. Although Hughes I did hold that Hughes admitted talking to the parents, that is not the same as saying that she admitted that she suspected child abuse. Hughes is also mistaken in her position because Hughes I only held that there was no evidence that she suspected child abuse; it did not hold that she did not suspect child abuse. [¶ 16.] In reversing the Board, the trial court found [3] that the Board's decision was arbitrary and capricious and not a legal act. On remand, the Board, rather than hearing any additional testimony or making additional findings relating to Hughes' subjective belief as to whether child abuse had occurred, simply stated, in effect, that it would have terminated simply for contacting the parents. The Board took no additional evidence of any type and certainly no evidence bearing upon the question of whether Hughes suspected abuse. The Board did not make any findings to support a conclusion that Hughes suspected abuse. The only testimony in the record bearing upon that question is Hughes' own testimony as to her character, honesty and good record and that she did not suspect abuse. The record is void of any basis for making a determination that Hughes suspected child abuse. Therefore, the Board's decision to terminate Hughes for contacting the parents, absent a finding in the record that Hughes suspected child abuse, is not supported by the record and is arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion. Contrary to the dissent's assertion that we are: making a twisted reinterpretation of our reporting statutes; rendering child abuse reporting into an almost meaningless muddle, and shield[ing] school officials who evade their duties, this decision does not even attempt to interpret the reporting statutes. This decision concerns itself only with procedure in firing a teacher, and has nothing to do with interpreting the reporting statutes. Hughes' actions in speaking to the parents about the little girls' allegations are not excused here. At the very least, though, in firing a teacher for violating the reporting statutes (or school policy which forbids her from speaking to the parents), the Board is required to make findings to support its decision. This was not done here. The decision of the circuit court is affirmed. [¶ 17.] GILBERTSON, Chief Justice, and SABERS and AMUNDSON, Justices, concur.