Court Opinion

ID: 9553168
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:24:32.649773+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:30:06.662934
License: Public Domain

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE ADAIR:
(specially concurring).
No public school official or board is above the laws of this state. None is clothed with arbitrary powers. All are answerable to the people and their laws. The dismissal of the teacher, Gladys Hovland, was in violation of her express contract with the district. It was brought about by the arbitrary action of the school superintendent.
Arbitrary action is un-American on any theory. There is nothing in the law which supports the arbitrary dismissal of a teacher. Neither the trustees nor the school superintendent may capriciously exercise arbitrary powers of dismissal in violation of a teacher’s contract rights.
Here the wronged teacher exhausted the remedies available to her under the school code. Failing to obtain justice she next took her controversy to the courts. There a district court jury heard the entire controversy and then gave her a verdict upon which was entered a money judgment. The verdict and judgment were just and proper under the facts in this case and I concur in their affirmance.