Opinion ID: 2071168
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Scope of the Record in District Court.

Text: In Walthart's certiorari action against the school district, rejected in Walthart I, she made a record of alleged irregularities in the board's proceedings to terminate her. Specifically, she claimed that much of her case was based on events bearing on the board's decision that occurred outside the formal hearing, such as the alleged involvement by the board's attorney in the decision-making process. Walthart I, 667 N.W.2d at 876. In this case, Walthart attempted to get the record of the certiorari case admitted in district court because it included matters outside the record as certified by the board. This additional record would have included the extraneous acts by board members and their attorney, which allegedly had impacted the board's decision. Iowa Code section 279.17 limits the evidence that may be considered by the adjudicator. Within thirty days after filing the notice of appeal [to the adjudicator], or within further time allowed by the adjudicator, the board shall transmit to the adjudicator the original or a certified copy of the entire record of the private hearing which may be the subject of the petition.... The record certified and filed by the board shall be the record upon which the appeal shall be heard and no additional evidence shall be heard by the adjudicator. [1] (Emphasis added.) A district court on judicial review of the adjudicator's ruling is also limited as to the evidence it may consider. Iowa Code § 279.18 (In proceedings for judicial review of the adjudicator's decision, the court shall not hear any further evidence but shall hear the case upon the certified record.). This limited scope of the record in teacher-termination cases must be contrasted to that in other cases involving judicial review of agency action. See Iowa Code § 17A.19(7) (In proceedings for judicial review of agency action a court may hear and consider such evidence as it deems appropriate.). We believe the legislature's decision to limit the record on judicial review in teacher-termination cases was deliberate; a terminated teacher has an opportunity to expand the certified record by applying to the adjudicator under Iowa Code section 279.17: Before the date set for hearing a petition for review of board action ..., application may be made to the adjudicator for leave to present evidence in addition to that found in the record of the case. If it is shown to the adjudicator that the additional evidence is material and that there were good reasons for failure to present it in the private hearing before the board, the adjudicator may order that the additional evidence be taken before the board upon conditions determined by the adjudicator. The board may modify its findings and decision in the case by reason of the additional evidence and shall file that evidence and any modifications, new findings, or decisions, with the adjudicator and mail copies of the new findings or decisions to the teacher. We agree that a terminated teacher must have a means of challenging the board's decision with evidence of matters outside the certified record, but we do not agree that it should be done by a district court on judicial review in light of section 279.18, which clearly prohibits it. The only vehicle for getting outside evidence into the certified record of the board is through an application to the adjudicator requesting that the adjudicator order the board to consider the evidence. Id. § 279.17. Walthart initially made an application to do this, but she withdrew it before the adjudicator ruled on it. In doing so, she lost her only means of supplementing the record, and the district court did not err in rejecting her proffer of the additional evidence.