Opinion ID: 1805028
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: neglect of duty: absent for unreasonable period of time

Text: Drain also argues that the Court of Appeals erred in finding there was sufficient evidence that she was absent from her teaching position for an unreasonable amount of time or in finding that the time she was absent constituted neglect of duty or just cause for her termination. At Drain's hearing before the Board, Denson testified that in his professional opinion, a reasonable amount of bereavement leave would be 5 days. The Court of Appeals considered Denson's testimony to be relevant evidence on what constituted a reasonable amount of time for family death leave. The court also took judicial notice that 21 days of leave due to a family death is not a generally accepted practice in this society. Drain v. Board of Ed. of Frontier Cty., 2 NCA 716, 724 (1993). The court then concluded that Drain had neglected her duty by taking an unreasonable amount of leave time. The Court of Appeals incorrectly held that Denson's testimony on the reasonableness of leave time was relevant, for reasons which we discuss below. The court then compounded the error by taking judicial notice of the amount of family death leave which it found is generally accepted in today's society. A judicially noticed fact must be one not subject to reasonable dispute in that it is either (a) generally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court or (b) capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned. Neb.Evid.R. 201(2), Neb.Rev.Stat. § 27-201(2) (Reissue 1989). The decision of the Court of Appeals does not reveal a source whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned regarding the subject matter of its judicially noticed fact. Moreover, because the amount of family death leave which Drain was entitled to take is governed by the terms of her teaching contract with the Board, any professional opinion of Denson's or any fact judicially noticed by the Court of Appeals is irrelevant. The leave policy in effect at the time of Drain's absence and termination is incorporated by reference into Drain's teacher contract. The second paragraph of that contract states: The Teacher hereby agrees to be governed by the policies of the Board of Education of the District.... The leave policy had been negotiated by the Maywood Education Association and the Board during the 1988-89 school year, and had been accepted by the teachers. Thus, the leave policy was a policy of the Board as referenced in Drain's contract. Except insofar as controlled by statute, the validity of a contract of employment of a teacher in the public schools is governed by rules relating to contracts generally. Greer v. Chelewski, 162 Neb. 450, 76 N.W.2d 438 (1956); Spence v. School District, 121 Neb. 64, 236 N.W. 145 (1931). A contract written in clear and unambiguous language is not subject to construction, and must be enforced according to its terms. Elson v. Pool, 235 Neb. 469, 455 N.W.2d 783 (1990). Ambiguity exists in an instrument when a word, phrase, or provision in the instrument has, or is susceptible of, at least two reasonable but conflicting interpretations or meanings. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Beaty, 242 Neb. 169, 493 N.W.2d 627 (1993). The leave policy is a two-page document with the heading LEAVE POLICY, with only one subheading entitled 1. SICK LEAVE. In spite of this characterization, the policy provides for leave for personal illness, illness or death in the immediate family, adoption of a child (including consultation and interviews with adoption agencies), childbirth, and doctor and dental appointments for the employee or the employee's children. The leave policy states in part: Employees shall be entitled to absence without loss of pay for personal illness or for illness or death in the immediate family. Sick leave shall be granted at the rate of 10 days per year. Employees will be permitted to carry a maximum of 60 days of unused sick leave forward which will permit a maximum of 70 days of sick leave per year. In order that employees may assist in the event of extreme circumstances, serious illness, or hospitalization of the immediate family, the sick leave shall apply. Immediate family shall be interpreted to mean the father or mother of the teacher or spouse.... .... In order to prevent possible abuse of the sick leave policy, employees absent due to illness and using sick leave may be required upon request of the Superintendent of Schools to provide a physicians's [sic] statement that they are unable to perform their duties at school, stating the nature of the illness, and the anticipated date of return to work. .... If an employee takes time off in excess of sick leave privileges, the sick leave time will be granted but without pay. (Emphasis supplied.) According to the plain terms of the leave policy, employees are entitled to carry forward 10 sick leave days per year, up to a maximum of 70 days of sick leave. Moreover, the policy states without qualification that employees are entitled to absence without loss of pay for death in the immediate family. Immediate family is defined in the policy to include mother of the teacher. The Board and the Maywood Education Association were free to negotiate particular restrictions on the sick leave policy if they chose to do so. For example, the policy restricts to 10 days the amount of sick leave which may be taken by a prospective adoptive parent for consultation, interviews by an adoption agency, and home acclimation following the adoption. The parties could have negotiated a similar limitation on the number of days available to an employee upon the death of a family member. This was not done, nor was there any requirement that the number of days be reasonable. The language of the leave policy is clear and unambiguous, and neither the Board nor the courts are free to place a reasonableness construction upon the policy as it is written. See Bedrosky v. Hiner, 230 Neb. 200, 430 N.W.2d 535 (1988). It is undisputed that Drain had accrued 70 days of paid sick leave at the time of her absence and that she used only 21½ days of leave time during this entire episode. The record shows that Drain, or someone acting on her behalf, repeatedly advised the school of her forthcoming absences in compliance with the teacher absence policy. That being the case, there is no evidence whatsoever to support the Board's decision to terminate Drain's teaching contract for neglect of duty for being absent an unreasonable amount of time. Drain was merely exercising her right to take paid leave under the negotiated leave policy of her contract with the Board. The decision to terminate this tenured teacher's employment contract was arbitrary and capricious at best, and reprehensible at worst. Drain is entitled to reinstatement of her teaching contract with backpay and benefits, subject, of course, to mitigation of any damages she has suffered.