(a) This section applies only to dismissal or suspension proceedings initiated pursuant to Section 44934.
(b) Upon the filing of written charges, duly signed and verified by the person filing them with the governing board of a school district, or upon a written statement of charges formulated by the governing board of a school district, charging a permanent employee of the school district with immoral conduct, conviction of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude, with incompetency due to mental disability, with willful refusal to perform regular assignments without reasonable cause, as prescribed by reasonable rules and regulations of the employing school district, or with violation of Section 51530, the governing board of the school district may, if it deems that action necessary, immediately suspend the employee from his or her duties and give notice to him or her of his or her suspension, and that 30 days after service of the notice of dismissal, he or she will be dismissed, unless he or she demands a hearing.
(c) (1) An employee who has been placed on suspension pursuant to this section may serve and file with the Office of Administrative Hearings a motion for immediate reversal of suspension. Review of a motion filed pursuant to this section shall be limited to a determination as to whether the facts as alleged in the statement of charges, if true, are sufficient to constitute a basis for immediate suspension under this section. The motion shall include a memorandum of points and authorities setting forth law and argument supporting the employee’s contention that the statement of charges does not set forth a sufficient basis for immediate suspension.
(2) The motion shall be served upon the governing board of the school district and filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings within 30 days after service upon the employee of the initial pleading in the matter. The governing board of the school district has the right to serve and file a written response to the motion before or at the time of hearing.
(3) The hearing on the motion for immediate reversal of suspension shall be held no later than 30 days after the motion is filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings.
(4) The administrative law judge shall, no later than 15 days after the hearing, issue an order denying or granting the motion. The order shall be in writing, and a copy of the order shall be served by the Office of Administrative Hearings upon the parties. The grant or denial of the motion shall be without prejudice to consideration by the Commission on Professional Competence, based upon the full evidentiary record before it, of the validity of the grounds for dismissal. The ruling shall not be considered by the commission in determining the validity of the grounds for dismissal, and shall not have any bearing on the commission’s determination regarding the grounds for dismissal.
(5) An order granting a motion for immediate reversal of suspension shall become effective within five days of service of the order. The school district shall make the employee whole for any lost wages, benefits, and compensation within 14 days after service of an order granting the motion.
(6) A motion made pursuant to this section shall be the exclusive means of obtaining interlocutory review of suspension pending dismissal. The grant or denial of the motion is not subject to interlocutory judicial review.
(d) A motion for immediate reversal of suspension pursuant to this section does not affect the authority of a governing board of a school district to determine the physical placement and assignment of an employee who is suspended or placed on administrative leave during the review of the motion or while dismissal charges are pending.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 303, Sec. 87. (AB 731) Effective January 1, 2016.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018