245 A.3d 276
N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div.2021Background
- Paterson Public School District notified counsel by email on May 20, 2019 that the board would meet in private on May 22 to consider whether there was probable cause to certify tenure charges against Marcella Simadiris.
- Simadiris' counsel objected to lack of Rice notice; district asserted N.J.S.A. 18A:6-11 required a closed session.
- The board met in private, certified the charges, suspended Simadiris without pay, and referred the matter to the Commissioner of Education.
- Simadiris sued, seeking a declaration that the certification was void for inadequate notice; the trial judge ruled for Simadiris on summary judgment.
- The narrow legal question on appeal: whether the Tenured Employees Hearing Law provision (N.J.S.A. 18A:6-11) barring public consideration of tenure charges overrides the Open Public Meetings Act provision (N.J.S.A. 10:4-12(b)(8)) that lets affected employees demand a public discussion.
- The Appellate Division reversed, holding N.J.S.A. 18A:6-11 unambiguously requires private consideration and therefore precludes a Rice notice entitlement at the probable-cause stage.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether a tenured BOE employee has a statutory right to demand public consideration of probable-cause tenure proceedings (triggering a Rice notice) under OPMA §10:4-12(b)(8) despite N.J.S.A. 18A:6-11’s bar on public consideration | Simadiris: Kean and Rice require notice and permit employees to demand public discussion; Cirangle should be rejected | Paterson: 18A:6-11 is specific and unambiguous; it creates an exception to OPMA and forbids public consideration of tenure charges | Court: 18A:6-11 controls; it unambiguously bars public consideration, so no Rice notice right exists at the probable-cause stage |
Key Cases Cited
- Rice v. Union County Reg'l High Sch. Bd. of Educ., 155 N.J. Super. 64 (App. Div. 1977) (established requirement of reasonable advanced notice—"Rice notice"—for employees whose rights may be affected)
- Cirangle v. Maywood Bd. of Educ., 164 N.J. Super. 595 (Law Div. 1979) (trial-court decision holding specific tenure statute controls over OPMA)
- Kean Fed. of Teachers v. Morell, 233 N.J. 566 (2018) (upheld Rice notice doctrine but cautioned it not be extended beyond its factual setting)
- S. Jersey Publ'g Co. v. N.J. Expressway Auth., 124 N.J. 478 (1991) (Supreme Court approval of Rice principles in related contexts)
- DiProspero v. Penn, 183 N.J. 477 (2005) (statutory-interpretation canon: ascertain legislative intent from plain statutory language)