Nebraska Statutes 79-832. Formal due process hearing; employee’s rights; how conducted; school board decision
(1) A formal due process hearing for the purposes of sections 79-827 and 79-829 means a hearing procedure adopted by the school board which contains at least the following: (a) Notification to the certificated employee in writing at least five days prior to the hearing of the grounds alleged for action, cancellation, termination, or nonrenewal of the teacher‘s contract; (b) upon request of the certificated employee a notification, at least five days prior to the hearing, of the names of any witnesses who will be called to testify against the certificated employee and an opportunity to examine any documents that will be presented at the hearing; (c) the right to be represented; and (d) an opportunity to cross-examine all witnesses and to examine all documents and to present evidence material to the issues.
Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 79-832
- Action: shall include any proceeding in any court of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Process: shall mean a summons, subpoena, or notice to appear issued out of a court in the course of judicial proceedings. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- School: means a school under the jurisdiction of a school board authorized by Nebraska Statutes 79-101
- School board: means the governing body of any school district. See Nebraska Statutes 79-101
- Teacher: means any certified employee who is regularly employed for the instruction of pupils in the public schools. See Nebraska Statutes 79-101
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
(2) Due and proper notice of the hearing shall be given in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. Upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the school board‘s members present and voting and upon specific request of the certificated employee or the certificated employee’s representative, the hearing shall be conducted in a closed session, but the formal action of the school board shall be taken in open session.
(3) A majority of the members of the school board shall render the decision to amend, cancel, terminate, or not renew a certificated employee’s contract, based solely upon the evidence produced at the hearing, shall reduce its findings and determinations to writing, and shall deliver a written copy thereof to the certificated employee.