Court Opinion

ID: 9861001
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 23:38:56.80696+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:27:01.844424
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE GREEN specially concurring: I concur. The opinion of the majority well states the law. The precedents of City of Peoria and the decisions upon which it was based require a determination that defendant Pullen’s claim in regard to her salary for the 1982-83 school year and her claim in regard to the 1983-84 year are the same cause of action. However, I am troubled by the res judicata effect the operation of that theory imposes upon her. Had Pullen made no attempt to seek a credit on the salary schedule in regard to her pay for the 1982-83 year, she would not be barred from making a similar claim in regard to her salary for 1983-84. Because she did make an earlier attempt to raise that claim in regard to 1982-83 but was deemed to have initiated the grievance too late for that year, the res judicata doctrine prevents her from proceeding on a grievance which is timely for the year 1983-84. The result appears to be unfair. Significantly, the point which she seeks to raise and has never been able to present is one which could affect her compensation throughout her teaching career. The apparent unfairness arises from applying the rule of City of Peoria, whicK treats claims for compensation for different periods all arising under the terms of the same grant, franchise, contract or other document as one cause of action and then superimposing upon that rule the rule that the denial of a cause of action because it is brought untimely is a determination to which res judicata effect is to be given. Parties in the position of the plaintiff here would still be adequately protected if claims for successive periods could be treated as separate causes of action. One determination of the question as to whether a person in the position of Pullen was or was not entitled to credit on the salary schedule would still create a collateral estoppel and prevent relitigation.