Section 36-26-115 Direct appeal by certain employees denied hearing before local board of education.

Section 36-26-115

Direct appeal by certain employees denied hearing before local board of education.

An employee who has attained nonprobationary status and has been denied a hearing before the local board of education as required by Section 36-26-102, 36-26-105, 36-26-108, or 36-26-111 shall have the right to appeal directly to the Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Office of Administrative Hearings, Division of Administrative Law Judges, Office of the Attorney General for relief. The Chief Administrative Law Judge shall appoint an administrative law judge to address the issue raised in the appeal. The appeal shall state facts sufficient to allow the judge to determine tentatively whether or not the local board of education has complied with Section 36-26-102, 36-26-105, 36-26-108, or 36-26-111. The local board may answer or deny in writing the facts set out in the employee appeal and, if it fails to so deny, the facts set out in the appeal must be taken as true. The judge shall review the employee's request and the local board's answer or denial and shall determine, with or without a hearing, whether or not the local board of education has complied with Section 36-26-102, 36-26-105, 36-26-108, or 36-26-111. Based upon its findings, the judge shall do one of the following: (1) Order a hearing before the local board, (2) determine that the employee has been transferred, suspended, or dismissed in violation of the law and rescind the action taken by the local board, or (3) sustain the action taken by the local board. Action taken by the Administrative Law Judge under this section shall be final.

(Act 2004-567, §2.)