Matter of Cheeseboro v Board of Educ. of Port Chester-Rye Union Free School Dist. |
2011 NY Slip Op 01654 [82 AD3d 760] |
March 1, 2011 |
Appellate Division, Second Department |
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. |
In the Matter of Vernell Cheeseboro, Petitioner, v Board of Education of Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District et al., Respondents. |
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Barbara Martensson, North Salem, N.Y. (Sisca and Sisca, P.C. [Frank Sisca], of counsel), for respondents.
Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 to review a determination of the Board of Education of the Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District, dated October 16, 2009, which, after a hearing pursuant to Civil Service Law § 75, found the petitioner guilty of charges of misconduct and incompetence, and terminated her employment.
Adjudged that the determination is confirmed, the petition is denied, and the proceeding is dismissed on the merits, with costs.
Contrary to the petitioner's contention, the determination that she was guilty of misconduct and incompetence was supported by substantial evidence in the record, including, inter alia, eyewitness testimony regarding an incident in which the petitioner instructed a student to convey a threat and profanity to another student (see 300 Gramatan Ave. Assoc. v State Div. of Human Rights, 45 NY2d 176, 179-180 [1978]; Matter of Overton v Board of Educ. of the Yonkers City School Dist., 72 AD3d 1094 [2010]; Matter of Cardenas v Board of Educ. of Yonkers City School Dist., 298 AD2d 390 [2002]; see also Matter of Pell v Board of Educ. of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 NY2d 222, 230 [1974]).
Moreover, the penalty of termination was not so disproportionate to the offense as to be shocking to one's sense of fairness, thus constituting an abuse of discretion as a matter of law (see Matter of Kreisler v New York City Tr. Auth., 2 NY3d 775 [2004]; Matter of Kelly v Safir, 96 NY2d 32, 38 [2001]; Matter of Pell v Board of Educ. of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 NY2d at 237; Matter of Overton v Board of Educ. of the Yonkers City School Dist., 72 AD3d 1094 [2010]).
The petitioner's remaining contentions are without merit. Dillon, J.P., Florio, Dickerson and Cohen, JJ., concur.