Opinion ID: 406149
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Motivating Factors Behind Dismissal

Text: 23 When considering a public employer's motivation for dismissing an employee, the trier of fact must examine the various proffered reasons and determine whether constitutionally protected activities played a substantial role in the decision. Mt. Healthy City School Dist. Bd. of Educ. v. Doyle, 429 U.S. 274, 283-84, 97 S.Ct. 568, 574, 50 L.Ed.2d 471 (1977). In the present case, the district court made the factual finding that first amendment considerations did not motivate the decision not to rehire the appellant. Accordingly, we must affirm unless this determination is clearly erroneous. Fed.R.Civ.P. 52(a). 6 24 The record in the present case fully supports the lower court's finding that the school board's actions were properly motivated. The evidence in the record demonstrates that Nicholson failed to follow several rules governing school bookkeeping duties and declined, on several occasions, to require his students to follow school rules. Moreover, Nicholson repeatedly disobeyed orders of his immediate supervisor regarding the student newspaper-a fact that concededly led to the deterioration of an important school relationship. See Simard v. Board of Educ., 473 F.2d 988, 996 (2d Cir. 1973). 25 While courts must be vigilant in protecting employees from dismissals based on their participation in constitutionally protected activities, this protection does not extend to employees who legitimately are not reappointed. Mabey v. Reagan, 537 F.2d 1036, 1045 (9th Cir. 1976). The decision to terminate a probationary teacher's employment is based on many subjective factors, the application of which must be left, in the first instance, to the discretion of local school officials. Id. at 1044-45. 26 Notwithstanding the special consideration that must be given to pretextual reasons which may conceal an actual motive to terminate an instructor for exercising first amendment rights, the decision as to an employer's true motivation plainly is one reserved to the trier of fact. In this case, the district court's finding on this factual question was not clearly erroneous. 27