Opinion ID: 2637226
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Remedies for Violation of Section 22-63-203(3)

Text: Having found that section 22-63-203(3) requires timely, written notice that Barbour's contract was not renewed following the final vote by the Board, we turn to the remedies due Barbour for the Board's violation of the statute. The Board asks that we overturn the court of appeals' holdings that Barbour receive full back pay without offset of earnings from his alternative employment and that he receive reinstatement at Hanover Junior-High School for the 2006-2007 school year. The remedy for violating section 22-63-203(3) is the teacher's reemployment for the succeeding school year. Because it was too late to reinstate Barbour for the 2004-2005 school year, the trial court interpreted this statute to require that Barbour be reemployed for the school year following the court's decision, the 2005-2006 school year. This order was stayed while the court of appeals considered the case. Upon finding for Barbour, the court of appeals also interpreted the statute to require that Barbour be reemployed for the school year following litigation and remanded the case to the trial court to order Barbour's one-year reemployment occur during the 2006-2007 school year. We must now decide if Barbour is entitled a year of employment after all appeals are completed. We make this decision after considering the Board's September 2004 and May 2005 letters providing Barbour with written notice that his contract would not be renewed for the year following the 2004-2005 school year for which he might be deemed reemployed. Additionally, we must decide whether the common law principle of mitigation applies to the statutory remedies provided in section 22-63-203(3) to determine whether Barbour's employment with the Falcon School District mitigates his loss, thereby limiting the Board's liability.