Court Opinion

ID: 9965026
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-05-01 15:10:18.946372+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:24:39.536412
License: Public Domain

Moore v Board of Educ. of the City Sch. Dist. of the
                       City of N.Y.
               2024 NY Slip Op 31491(U)
                      April 25, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 160087/2020
                  Judge: Debra A. James
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
 Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York
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                       publication.
                                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 160087/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                                            RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/25/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. DEBRA A. JAMES                                              PART    59
                                                                                       Justice
            ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------X   INDEX NO.           160087/2020
             JOMANI MOORE,
                                                                                                  MOTION DATE         10/25/2023
                                                         Petitioner,
                                                                                                  MOTION SEQ. NO.         001
             For a Judgment pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil Practice
             Laws and Rules,

                                                 - V -

             BOARD OF EDUCATION of the CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT                                         DECISION + ORDER ON
             of the CITY OF NEW YORK, and RICHARD A. CARRANZA,                                            MOTION
             in his official capacity as CHANCELLOR of the CITY
             SCHOOL DISTRICT of the CITY OF NEW YORK,

                                                         Respondents.
            ------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15,
            16, 17, 18, 19,20,22,23,24,25,26,30,32,33,34,35
            were read on this motion to/for                                             ARTICLE 78 (BODY OR OFFICER)

                                                                            ORDER

                                 Upon the foregoing documents, it is

                                 ORDERED and ADJUDGED that the petition of JOMANI MOORE,

            pursuant to CPLR Article 78,                                     is GRANTED in part,                 to the extent

            that       petitioner                is      entitled             to     recover       23    days'      salary      from

            respondents;and it is further

                      ORDERED to the extent that the petition seeks attorneys' fees

            and interest, such application is denied and dismissed (see Bello

            v Roswell Park Cancer Institute,                                          5 NY3d 170         [2005]);     and it is

            further

             160087/2020 MOORE, JOMANI vs. CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE                                                Page 1 of4
             Motion No. 001

                                                                            1 of 4
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                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 160087/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/25/2024

                    ORDERED that this matter is remanded to respondents for the

            calculation of an award of 23 days'                          salary to petitioner,          which

            respondents shall pay petitioner, forthwith.

                                                        DECISION

                    Petitioner Jomani Moore                ("Moore") ,         a probationary teacher,

            commenced        this     proceeding         against         the    respondents      Board          of

            Education of the City School District of the City of New York, and

            Richard A. Carranza, in his official capacity as Chancellor of the

            City School District of the City of New York                             (collectively,            the

            "Board",) seeking an award of salary for 30 days due to the Board's

            violation of the 30-day requirement set forth in Education Law§

            3019.

                    "Education Law§ 3019-a requires school authorities to give

            probationary teachers written notice of termination at least 30

            days before the effective date of termination."                           Matter of Vetter

            v Bd. of Educ., 14 NY3d 7 2 9, 7 31                 ( 2010) .

                    On    June       22,     2 02 0,     the     Board,         by   its     District           75

            Superintendent, notified petitioner that

                           "This is to inform you that on June 22, 2020, I will
                           review   and consider whether    your   services  as  a
                           probationer be discontinued as of the close of business
                           July 22, 2020.
                           * * *
                           [Y]ou may submit a written response to the reasons no
                           later than seven ( 7) days prior to the date of my
                           consideration    and final   determination  of   your
                           Discontinuance."

             160087/2020 MOORE, JOMANI vs. CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE                           Page 2 of 4
             Motion No. 001

                                                           2 of 4
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                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 160087/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/25/2024

                     Then,     by    letter      dated     July     15,    2 02 0,   the   Board,    by        its

            District 75 Superintendent, wrote petitioner that:

                       "This is to inform you that after reviewing written
                       response received on July 15, 2 02 0. ( sic) I reaffirm
                       your Discontinuance of Probationary service effective
                       close of business July 22, 2020."
              (NYSCEF Document Number 003).

                   The employment and payment records submitted by the Board

            establish that Moore remained on the Board's payroll until

            September 1, 2020           (NYSCEF Document Numbers 014-016).                    This court

            finds that the letter dated June 20, 2022 was equivocal whether

           Moore's probationary teaching services would be discontinued

            effective July 22, 2020, which renders such letter ineffective

            to give petitioner the requisite thirty days-notice.                              Such

            equivocation is compounded by the Board's providing that

            petitioner "may submit a written response to the reasons no

            later than seven days before the date of my consideration and

            final determination of your Discontinuance" unless the

            Superintendent's consideration of same was illusory.

                   The letter dated July 15,                   2020       letter provided Moore only

            days- notice of his termination,                      a 23 days short of the 30-day

            requirement        set    forth     in Education Law             §   3019.     See Matter of

            Vetter , 1 4 NY 3 d at 7 3 1 ( 2 0 1 0 ) .

                   The Board argues that even if it was deficient on providing

            notice of the discontinuance, Moore suffered no lost compensation,

            as the Board paid him an additional 48 days of salary, as remained

             160087/2020 MOORE, JOMANI vs. CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE                           Page 3 of 4
             Motion No. 001

                                                           3 of 4
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                                                                                                            INDEX NO. 160087/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                             RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/25/2024

            on the Board's payroll until September 1, 2020.                               Nor is the Board's

            argument that petitioner suffered no losses due to his receipt of

            pro-rated summer vacation pay of any moment.                           See Matter of Vetter,

            supra, at p. 731.

                                                                           P- ~ .A - } ~
                                                                         20240425162708DJAMESF2685A892C75496C8D8091E929805324

                    4/25/2024
                      DATE                                                        DEBRA A. JAMES, J.S.C.
             CHECK ONE:                                                  NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                                                                                          □
                                                                         GRANTED IN PART                        OTHER

             APPLICATION:                                                SUBMIT ORDER

                                                                                                          □
             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:                                       FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT                  REFERENCE

             160087/2020 MOORE, JOMANI vs. CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE                                       Page4 of 4
             Motion No. 001

                                                           4 of 4
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