Opinion ID: 1920706
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: did the circumstances surrounding the board's hearing create an unacceptable risk of actual bias?

Text: Strain claims that the Board's review of the sheriff's investigative file in July 1986, created actual bias on the part of the Board or an unacceptable risk of actual bias, depriving Strain of his due process right to a fair hearing before an impartial tribunal. A fair trial in a fair tribunal is a basic requirement of due process. In re Murchison, 349 U.S. 133, 136, 75 S.Ct. 623, 625, 99 L.Ed. 942, 946 (1955). This applies to administrative agencies which adjudicate as well to courts. Gibson v. Berryhill, 411 U.S. 564, 93 S.Ct. 1689, 36 L.Ed.2d 488 (1973). Not only is a biased decision maker constitutionally unacceptable, but our system of law has always endeavored to prevent even the probability of unfairness. In re Murchison, supra, 349 U.S. at 136, 75 S.Ct. at 625, 99 L.Ed. at 946. The standard to be applied is whether the record establishes either actual bias on the part of the Board or the existence of circumstances that lead to the conclusion that an unacceptable risk of actual bias or prejudgment inhered in the Board's procedure. Withrow v. Larkin, 421 U.S. 35, 95 S.Ct. 1456, 43 L.Ed.2d 712 (1975); Schneider v. McLaughlin Independent Sch. Dist., 90 S.D. 356, 241 N.W.2d 574 (1976). The United States Supreme Court has observed, however, that a school board is not disqualified as the decision maker solely because of prior involvement in a dismissal case. Hortonville Dist. v. Hortonville Ed. Asso., 426 U.S. 482, 96 S.Ct. 2308, 49 L.Ed.2d 1 (1976). Pre-decision involvement is not enough to overcome the presumption of honesty and integrity in policy makers with decisionmaking power. Hortonville, supra, 426 U.S. at 497, 96 S.Ct. at 2316, 49 L.Ed.2d at 11-12. Under the negotiated agreement between the district and the Rapid City Education Association, when the dismissal of a teacher is contemplated, the teacher must first be suspended from employment responsibilities. The Board is the entity empowered to suspend and dismiss teachers. See, SDCL 13-8-39, 13-10-2 and 13-43-15. Thus, the board needed to make a prehearing decision of whether to suspend Strain with pay. This was not a decision to be taken lightly in view of the serious accusation of sexual misconduct involving a respected and experienced teacher. Such an important decision could not be made in a vacuum of knowledge. The Board properly reviewed available information. Nothing in the record in this case indicates that any of the members of the Board were in any way prejudiced or biased against Strain or prejudged the case. Further, the circumstances of this case do not establish that an unacceptable risk of bias inhered in the Board's procedures. In fact, the procedures used by this Board in hiring independent counsel to preside over the hearing and rule on objections, and hiring a court reporter to transcribe the hearing should serve as a model to other school boards. Strain has not met his burden of overcoming the presumption that the Board acted fairly and impartially.