Opinion ID: 2066191
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Fourth Grade Class Incident

Text: Once again, there is no dispute as to whether this incident occurred. The question is whether it constituted unprofessional conduct. The teacher handbook states that teachers should act dignified toward students and should not employ sarcasm. The steps of procedure in handling discipline problems suggested in the handbook include knowing the student's background, handling the problem promptly in a private conference, and then providing the principal with a written report. Nowhere does the handbook or policy manual suggest that a teacher publicly humiliate a student in front of another classroom, which, if not sarcastic, is certainly undignified. O'Rourke, the fourth grade teacher who witnessed this incident, stated that it surprised her, and Johanson admitted that he did not handle this incident as well as he could have. We conclude that the evidence was sufficient to support a finding that Johanson's conduct breached the rules or ethical code of the District and, thus, that there was sufficient evidence to support the District's finding that it was unprofessional.