Opinion ID: 2610617
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: appearance and dress

Text: Whether or not this incident formed a basis for reversal is not too important in view of the other prejudicial errors I have already discussed. It does, however, have significance with respect to similar future proceedings and for that reason merits some discussion. Wholly aside from plaintiff's argument on the constitutional right of a teacher to privacy, plaintiff demonstrates from the record that the board was clearly in error in injecting this matter into the proceeding. What the board did here in substance was to take judicial notice without so advising plaintiff of the observations made by its members of plaintiff's appearance on occasions prior to the hearing which, of course, in the first instance was violative of § 9-276.26(d) of the A.P.A. More importantly, the board introduced no evidence at the hearing as to when and where these observations were made and what plaintiff's appearance was at those times. From the record it appears that the superintendent, the principal, and members of the board knew of plaintiff's manner of wearing his hair, beard and dress prior to the renewal of his contract and yet it is apparent that none of them regarded it at that time as inappropriate for the teaching profession. For purposes here I think there is no need to explore plaintiff's contention on his asserted deprivation of his protected right of privacy. His other contentions are sufficient to dispose of this matter, and when that is apparent we ordinarily refrain from deciding such questions. Plaintiff's other contentions are that he had no notice either before or at the hearing that these matters were going to be inquired into; that he was afforded no opportunity to defend against such charges; that the finding is not supported by evidence; and that the board had adopted no rules or policy establishing standards which the board found and concluded were violated by the plaintiff. All of these contentions, as shown above, were amply sustained by the record. In my view the plaintiff here again was not afforded due process. While the board states in its order that plaintiff's appearance did not afford grounds for removal it did not conclude and cannot say in the face of its order as a whole and its injection of this matter under the circumstances described that it gave no consideration to his appearance in reaching its ultimate conclusion that plaintiff was an incompetent teacher. As I mentioned above, the board went out of its way to place emphasis on statements made by students in his survey, such as plaintiff was a hippie type, anti-establishment, and unpatriotic. No doubt it felt, which is understandable, that plaintiff's appearance was an additional thread with which to sew the garment of incompetency on the plaintiff as it is regarded by most as the flaunting of an emblem depicting such things. Nevertheless, if the board had a basis for charging that plaintiff's appearance was inappropriate for the teaching profession and did not set a proper example for high school students, there was a proper way for it to proceed and it has not done so.