Opinion ID: 345622
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hodges

Text: 39 As noted earlier, appellee Hodges served as guidance counselor at Glen Allan during the second semester of the 1969-70 school year and during the 1970-71 and 1971-72 school years. During the second semester of 1970 and the 1970-71 school year Hodges was one of three guidance counselors employed by the school district. Each was assigned to one of the district's three integrated schools. Ora Kelly (black), the counselor at O'Bannon, was reassigned as an elementary teacher for the 1971-72 school year because she did not qualify for license renewal. James Pollard (white), with the title of the school district's head counselor and the counselor assigned to Riverside, resigned at the end of the 1970-71 school year. Neither Pollard nor Kelly was replaced for the 1971-72 school year, leaving Hodges at Glen Allan as the school district's only guidance counselor. 40 District Superintendent Morris in March or April, 1972, decided to abandon the concept of a counselor for each school and instead to hire one counselor for the whole district for 1972-73. Tony Cintgran, a white, eventually was hired for this position. Around March 8, 1972, Hodges learned that Leach was recommending that she not be rehired. Leach and Harold Adams, assistant superintendent, told her that the reasons for the decision included parental opposition and her inability to get along with students. 41 In September, 1972, Hodges was informed of a vacancy in the district and applied to Superintendent Morris for the position. He refused her application, citing (1) her refusal to accept a fourth grade position for 1971-72 and (2) the letter (Hodges) sent to Atlanta. 42 The latter reference was to Hodges' application to Atlanta University in the spring of 1972. The application had to be accompanied by the written recommendations of the principal and assistant principal. Hodges was not sure how long she had had the necessary forms for the recommendation and rating, but it suddenly dawned on her on Thursday, April 6, that the application was due on Monday, April 10. Since she was leaving on Friday the 7th for a meeting in Jackson, she decided it was imperative that the application be completed promptly. She looked for principal Leach but could not find him. She approached Assistant Principal Givhan, who without knowledge of exactly what she wanted, told her that he was busy and to get someone else to sign it for you. Hodges did exactly that. She wrote a recommendation, displaying a lively appreciation of her own worth and abilities, 20 signed Leach's name to it, filled out the rating blank, and got someone else to sign Ms. Givhan's name to it. 43 Although Hodges was quite contrite about this episode at trial, 21 district officials learned of it only inadvertently. After completing and signing the forms, Hodges got a girl in the library to type the address on the envelope. The envelope was addressed inadequately, and the letter was returned to Leach. Leach apparently sent the letter to Superintendent Morris, who put it in Hodges' file. When Morris brought up the incident at the time she applied for a position in September, 1972, Hodges had difficulty remembering it. Morris refreshed her memory by showing her the letter. She admitted writing it, and Morris rejected her application. 44 The district court again avoided deciding whether there was an overall reduction in faculty positions making the Singleton order applicable. Instead the court thought that the counselor positions themselves were an appropriate group upon which to determine applicability of Singleton. It then concluded that there had occurred a reduction from three to one counselor positions between the 1971-72 and 1972-73 school years. The court acknowledged that Hodges had been the only counselor employed by the school district in 1971-72. However, the court observed that there had in fact been three counselor positions that year, with the district apparently either unable or unwilling to replace Kelly and Pollard. The court found that the district's scheme of employing counselors resulted in there being one instead of three positions in 1972-73, that Singleton therefore applied, and that since the school district did not apply objective and reasonable non-discriminatory standards in effecting the reduction, only just cause would excuse Hodges' nonretention. The court found no just cause. That finding is not clearly erroneous. Appellants contend that the court erred in applying Singleton. 45 We agree with the district court that the school district was still in the process of becoming a unitary system in 1972, that is, it was still in a Singleton situation. See, e. g., United States v. Coffeeville Consolidated School District, 513 F.2d 244, 247 (5th Cir. 1975); United States v. Texas, 509 F.2d 192, 193 (5th Cir. 1975). By its own terms, however, Singleton applies only (i)f there is to be a reduction in the number of principals, teachers, teacher-aides, or other professional staff. Our recent cases establish that not only an arithmetic reduction is required, but a reduction related to desegregation. Hardy v. Porter, 546 F.2d 1165, 1167-68 (5th Cir. 1977) (former principal lost his Singleton protection when he left the system for reasons unrelated to the desegregation process); Lee v. Chambers County Board of Education, 533 F.2d 132, 135 (5th Cir. 1976); Pickens v. Okolona Municipal Separate School District, 527 F.2d 358, 361, 362 & n. 3 (5th Cir. 1976). As we said in Lee, supra : 46 Singleton was designed to ensure that the transition from a dual to a unitary system, with all the concomitant logistical problems, would not occasion unfair treatment of black teachers and staff members. Oliver's demotion from the position of Assistant Attendance Supervisor to that of classroom teacher was not a result of the desegregation of Chambers County schools, but rather was necessitated by termination of the Title I funds that paid his salary. 47 A plaintiff seeking Singleton protection has the burden of proving the applicability of its terms. Cf. Hardy v. Porter, supra; Lee v. Chambers County Board of Education, supra. There is no evidence in this record that the reduction in counselor positions was related to desegregation, and the court made no such finding. Since the desegregation-relatedness aspect of Singleton may not have been entirely clear when the case was tried, it is appropriate to reverse and remand for further consideration of why the district changed its counselor employment scheme. If that change was not related to desegregation, Singleton would not apply to Hodges regardless of any reduction in the overall faculty related to desegregation, because elimination of her position would not have been so related. Hardy v. Porter, supra. 48 If the district court finds that Hodges was protected by Singleton, reinstatement in this case would be an inappropriate remedy for its violation. Reinstatement is a usual remedy for Singleton violations. See, e. g., McLaurin v. Columbia Municipal Separate School District, 530 F.2d 661, 665-66 (5th Cir. 1976); Ward v. Kelly, 515 F.2d 908, 912 (5th Cir. 1975); Cornist v. Richland Parish School Board, 495 F.2d 189, 191 (5th Cir. 1974). As Judge Godbold noted in Hardy v. Porter, supra, at 1168, the requirements of Singleton are equitable remedies designed to fashion relief for constitutional violations in accordance with principles of fairness. Consequently, our reinstatement cases have been predicated on the plaintiffs' qualifications as school teachers and administrators. E. g., Kelly v. West Baton Rouge Parish School Board, 517 F.2d 194, 199 (5th Cir. 1975). 49 Also with a view toward equity, just cause is a good defense to school district action in violation of Singleton. Thompson v. Madison County Board of Education, 476 F.2d 676, 678-79 (5th Cir. 1973). As we said there, 50 Just cause in a Singleton situation means types of conduct that are repulsive to the minimum standards of decency such as honesty and integrity required by virtually all employers of their employees, and especially required of public servants such as school teachers. . . . For example, if a teacher came to school drunk, or was found stealing from the school treasury, or sexually assaulted a student . . .. 51 Although such conduct sometimes may not negate an employer's violation of an employee's rights, for example, because it was not relied upon by the employer in making a decision to discharge or not to rehire, it may preclude reinstatement as a remedy. 22 That is the case here. There is no evidence that Leach or the Board relied on the incident relating to the unauthorized signatures in deciding not to rehire Hodges. After they learned of the incident, however, they rejected her application for a different position in September, 1972. Hodges wrote her own recommendation, signed Leach's name to it, and procured another teacher to sign Mr. Givhan's name on the rating blank, all with knowledge that these actions were not authorized and that the university would rely on the authenticity of the signatures. Such conduct was a type repulsive to the minimum standards of decency . . . required by virtually all employers of their employees. Thompson v. Madison County Board of Education, supra. Her conduct particularly disqualified Hodges for the sensitive position of guidance counselor to young students. 52 Accordingly, we reverse and remand Hodges' case for further district court consideration of her Singleton claim. We leave to the district court the determination of Hodges' entitlement to attorneys' fees and to damages for the interim between the decision not to rehire her as a counselor and the decision not to consider her future employment because of her conduct in using unauthorized signatures on recommendations in her own behalf. 53 REVERSED and REMANDED.