Court Opinion

ID: 9581148
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:12:03.447782+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:44.390257
License: Public Domain

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE
dissenting:
I must respectfully dissent. In my view, the Legislature set up a statutory scheme wherein all persons employed by “employers” as defined in the Colorado Antidiscrimination Act, 1969 Perm. Supp., C.R.S. 1963, Chapter 80-21-1, et seq, were entitled to have their claims of improper discrimination in their employment determined by a body with expertise in that field. “Employer” is defined in the Act as including school districts, id., 80-21-2(5). There is no constitutional bar to such inclusion, as was present in State of Colorado et al. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission in re McAllister, 185 Colo. *17542, 521 P.2d 908, announced April 29, 1974. Under such circumstances, I do not believe the Legislature intended, nor does the common law require, that a statutory teacher tenure panel, none of whom are required to be persons with expertise in the area of unlawful discrimination, should deprive the complaining teacher of his right to a hearing by the Civil Rights Commission on the specific issue of such unlawful discrimination in employment by his school district.
I, therefore, agree with the decision of the Court of Appeals.