In the case of Thomas v. Dayton Pub. Schools Bd. of Edn., 2018-Ohio-4231, an Ohio appellate court determined that a school board had good and just cause to terminate a teacher when she failed to input final grades.
This case began when a public school teacher failed to input the final third quarter grades for her students. The school board moved to terminate the teacher and the matter proceeded to a hearing before a referee. During the hearing, the teacher submitted evidence indicating that the school board never trained her how to input grades into the computer grading system. The school board responded that the teacher had been given training and had worked for several months without requesting additional support on how to input grades.
The referee determined that the failure to ensure that the final third quarter grades was entered into the computer grading system was a serious matter and that such failure constituted good and just cause to terminate the teacher’s contract. The school board accepted this recommendation and terminated the teacher’s contract.
The teacher appealed the termination, arguing that the school board could not terminate her for failing to input final grades when she did not know how to. The Ohio appellate court disagreed. Specifically, the Ohio appellate court stated that the teacher had more than enough time to request additional training on inputting grades if she felt she needed it, and that the teacher should have known the importance of inputting final grades.
Therefore, a failure to input final grades is good and just cause to terminate a teacher, provided she is trained or has time to be trained on how to input the final grades.
To read this case, click here.
Authors: Matthew John Markling and the McGown & Markling Team.
Note: This blog entry does not constitute – nor does it contain – legal advice. Legal jurisprudence is like the always changing Midwestern weather. As a result, this single blog entry cannot substitute for consultation with a McGown & Markling attorney. If legal advice is needed with respect to a specific factual situation, please feel free to contact a McGown & Markling attorney.