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Board debates proposed statutory changes on dismissal hearings and pay during investigations
Summary
Trustees reviewed WSPA-recommended changes to state hearing timelines and a provision allowing districts to withhold pay during extended dismissal hearings for serious charges. Members voiced due-process concerns, questioned the scope (felony vs. other offenses), and suggested tightening local policy rather than broad state mandates.
Sheridan County School District #3 trustees reviewed a set of delegate-assembly items concerning the timeline and conduct of teacher dismissal hearings and whether districts may withhold pay when an employee faces criminal charges.
What was proposed: Speaker 2 summarized a WSPA request to modify state statute language that sets timing for dismissal hearings. The proposal would add limits on how long hearings can be delayed (discussion referenced a 45-day requirement to start a hearing and a recommendation for a time-certain cap such as 100 days) and would allow withholding pay in certain cases while the board proceeds with dismissal hearings for employees charged with serious crimes.
Board concerns: Members repeatedly questioned due-process implications. Speaker 3 said, "Innocent till proven guilty," and argued withholding pay while investigations proceed risks punishing employees before final adjudication. Other members raised operational questions — for example whether a charged employee could still perform job duties and whether leave or PTO would apply — and noted gray areas between job-related misconduct and off-duty offenses. Speaker 2 said some districts had tried local fixes after difficult incidents and that legislation sometimes followed local high-profile cases.
Outcome and direction: The board did not vote to lobby for a statutory change in the recorded segment. Several members said they were hesitant to support statewide mandates without clearer language or limits and suggested addressing some issues through tightened local policy if feasible.
