STATE, EX REL. R. G. PITMAN
v.
GEORGE A. BARKER, ET AL., AS AND CONSTITUTING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION OF ORANGE COUNTY
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The Florida Supreme Court reversed the lower court's quashing of a mandamus writ and held that a Board of Public Instruction cannot reject a school principal nominee based on community disharmony unless it materially affects county school interests generally. The court clarified the respective powers of school trustees and school boards in personnel decisions.
The Board of Public Instruction did not reasonably and legally exercise its discretion. Community disharmony is not a proper ground for rejection unless it materially affects school interests of the county generally. When trustees nominate a legally and morally qualified teacher, questions of suitability to the community and adaptability are for the trustees to settle, not the Board of Public Instruction.
“Disharmony in the community is no ground whatever for the Board of Public Instruction to reject the nomination of the trustees of a special tax school district unless that disharmony materially affects the school interests of the county generally.”
Establishes the central legal principle that community disharmony is not a proper basis for rejection absent material effect on county school interests.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceR. G. Pittman, a man of high character and a teacher and school executive of pronounced ability, was nominated as principal of Ocoee Schools by the tr…
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Alternative writ of mandamus was issued in this cause on relation of appellant commanding the Board of Public Instruction of Orange County, appellees, to appoint or assign R. G. Pittman as principal of Ocoee Schools tor the term beginning in September, 1934, or to show cause why they do not comply with such command. A return to the alternative writ was duly entered, Hon. Warren B. Parks, to whom the cause was referred, was appointed referee, much testimony was taken, and on final hearing the referee quashed the alternative writ. To said judgment this writ of error was prosecuted.
In the outset it is contended by appellees that since no bill of exceptions was settled and brought up this Court cannot now assume to adjudicate and pass on all the questions raised. If there were a variance of view as to the findings of the referee on which his order quashing the alternative writ was predicated there would be substance to this contention, but the appellant accepts as correct the referee’s finding. He complains here of the rule of law as applied to the finding of fact. In this view of the case it was not necessary to settle and bring up a bill of exceptions. If this practice were followed more the labor and cost of appellate procedure would be much reduced.
Numerous questions are brought up for consideration, but we think the cause turns on one question, viz.: Under the facts in this case did the Board of Public Instruction of Orange County reasonably and legally exercise its discretion to reject the nomination of R. G. Pittman as principal of Ocoee Schools?
The record discloses that Pittman was a man of high character and a teacher and school executive of pronounced *382ability, that he possessed the legal and moral qualifications required to teach, but that his nomination was rejected because of some disharmony that existed in the community.
In State, ex rel. Pittman v. Barker, 113 Fla. 865, 152 Sou. 682, this Court held that the Board of Public Instruction may reject the nominee of the trustees of a special tax school district, but that such rejection must be properly predicated. It cannot be capriciously or unreasonably exercised.
In State, ex rel. Pittman v. Barker, supra, we reviewed in extenso the law defining the power and duty of both trustees of special tax school districts and Boards of Public Instruction in this State. On this point we can add nothing to what was said in that case. Sections Ten and Seventeen, Article Twelve, of the Constitution; Section 568, Revised General Statutes of 1920, Section 709, Compiled General Laws of 1927; Section 576, Revised General Statutes of 1920, Section 717, Compiled General Laws of 1927; and Section 570, Revised General Statutes of 1920, Section 711, Compiled General Laws of 1927, are the applicable law.
Under these provisions of the law when considered together there is a clear field of operation for the Board of Public Instruction and the trustees of special tax school districts. Boards of Public Instruction are given the general supervision and control of schools and school interests in the county and may for good- cause shown reject the nomination of the trustees of a special tax school district of a teacher to fill any position in the county.
Disharmony in the community is no ground whatever for the Board of Public Instruction to reject the nomination of the trustees of a special tax school district unless that disharmony materially affects the school interests of the county generally. When the trustees of a special tax school dis*383trict nominate a teacher who is legally and morally qualified the question of his suitability to the community and other qualities that go solely to his adaptability are questions for the trustees to settle and when done the Board of Public Instruction has no right to inquire into them.
In refusing to appoint or approve the nomination of Pittman on the grounds alleged the appellees were dealing with an affair that was not their function to determine. The judgment below is accordingly reversed with directions to grant the peremptory writ.
Reversed.
Ellis, P. J., and Buford, J., concur.
Whitfield, C. J., and Brown and Davis, J. J., concur in the opinion and judgment.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
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Cited By (11 total)
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State v. Holbrook, 129 Fla. 241 (Fla. 1937)…Instruction might reject such nominees, such rejection must be reasonably exercised and grounded on some dereliction in statutory Or other qualification. And in a subsequent proceeding between the same parties, in State, ex rel. Pittman, v. Barker, 118 Fla. 380, 160 Sou. Rep. 362, we held that Boards of Public In [*244] struction are given general supervision and control of schools and school interests in the county, and may for a good cause reject nominations of teachers made by the trustees of Special Ta…
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Bd. Pub. Instruction for Cty. of St. Lucie v. Connor, 148 Fla. 364 (Fla. 1941)…e foot ball of scheming politicians. See Robinson v. Keefe, 111 Fla. 701, *Page 370 149 So. 638; State ex rel. Pittman v. Barker, 113 Fla. 865,152 So. 682; State ex rel. Waldron v. Wilkinson, 117 Fla. 463,158 So. 703; State ex rel. Pitman v. Barker, 118 Fla. 380,160 So. 362; Revells v. State ex rel. Howard, 130 Fla. 242,177 So. 623; Graves v. State ex rel. Hampton, 134 Fla. 543,184 So. 112; Vassar v. State ex rel. Gleason, supra. The question presented for adjudication is whether or not the defendant is li…1 / 2
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Ozell von Stephens v. The Sch. Bd. OF Sarasota Cnty., 338 So. 2d 890 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976)…e to be nominated teachers. Fla.Stat. § 230.33(7)(d) (1941). The Board suggested that the school board has succeeded to the position once occupied by the trustees in the selection of personnel. The decisions in State ex rel. Pittman v. Barker, 1935, 118 Fla. 380, 160 So. 362, and Board of Public Instruction for St. Lucie County v. Connor, 1941, 148 Fla. 364, 4 So. 2d 382, indicate that the courts allow the trustees to weigh discretionary and intangible factors to determine whether to nominate a teacher reco…
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- State v. Barker, 113 Fla. 865 (Fla. 1934)