Opinion ID: 2134925
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether the grievances were timely filed.

Text: Initially, we address District's argument that Cox and Adler failed to timely file their grievances pursuant to the grievance policy. The Department's jurisdiction is lost if the grievance is not timely filed in accordance with grievance procedures. Rininger v. Bennett County Sch. Dist., 468 N.W.2d 423, 428 (S.D.1991) (citing Schloe v. Lead-Deadwood Indep. Sch. Dist. No. 106, 282 N.W.2d 610, 614 (S.D.1979)). Whether a grievance was timely filed is a question of fact, reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard. Id. Department found that District waived its defense of notice by declining to address the defense in its argument to Department. Our review of the record of the grievance hearings indicates that this finding of fact is clearly erroneous. SDCL 1-26-36(5). We agree with the circuit court that District did raise this argument to Department at the hearing and therefore, the argument was not waived. Cox and Adler claim that District has inequitably applied, misinterpreted, or violated the negotiated agreement and its own practice in determining credit to be given for their past work experience. According to the Professional Staff Handbook provided to Cox and Adler at the time of their employment, a  teacher ... shall file a formal grievance within thirty-five (35) days of the alleged violation, or within thirty-five (35) days of when the alleged violation was discovered, or through reasonable diligence should have been discovered.  (Emphasis added.) As stated above, Cox testified that she understood at the time she was hired that she was not credited for her years of experience as a librarian for Citibank, but that she was unaware of District's practice of giving credit for non-teaching experience at that time. As to Adler, there was conflicting testimony as to whether she understood at the time she was hired that she was not being given full credit for her years at DSS. It appears both Cox and Adler filed their grievances within 35 days of discovering the inequitable crediting of prior experience, which was the alleged violation. District has failed to show that either Cox or Adler sat on their claims after discovering District's manner of crediting prior experience for other teachers in similar circumstances. See Rininger, 468 N.W.2d at 425 (District's allegation of deceit constitutes an affirmative defense which must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence). Therefore, District has failed to show untimely filing of either grievance.