Opinion ID: 2001280
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Laurie Currier v. Board of Education of the Township of Weehawken

Text: This case (Currier) was initiated on July 24, 1981, by a verified petition. The petition alleged that the school board's action to employ her on only a part-time basis from September 9, 1981 through September 30, 1981, after she had acquired tenure under the terms of N.J.S.A. 18A:28-5, violated her tenure and seniority rights. Currier seeks recovery of the salary and benefits belonging to a full-time teacher only for September 1981. Currier is a certified elementary school teacher and was employed by the Board as a S.C.E. teacher on a per-diem basis from December 7, 1976 to June 17, 1977. She was again employed from February 24, 1978 to June 21, 1978. She was then employed as an elementary school teacher during the 1978-79, 1979-80, and 1980-81 school years and was compensated according to the teachers' salary guide. On April 28, 1981 the Board voted not to renew Currier's employment contract for the 1981-82 school year. She was, however, reemployed as a part-time S.C.E. teacher from September 9, 1981 through September 30, 1981, and then employed full-time in that position beginning October 1, 1981. She currently holds that position. The State Board of Education held that Currier had attained tenure, but denied compensatory relief for the month of September, 1981. The State Board relied on the language of Spiewak to the effect that teachers not before the Court would not be entitled to any back pay award. The sole issue Currier appealed to the Appellate Division was whether the State Board properly denied her retroactive monetary relief for September 1981. The Appellate Division affirmed the State Board's decision, holding that it was in accord with Spiewak.