ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL ...

Interpersonal strife. Table 41 reveals a very important issue present in the employee
actions vein of the research. A key element that was discussed at length in the review of
literature was the interpersonal failures of school administrators that factored heavily in
employment actions. In this research project, this theme was classified as interpersonal strife,
which encompassed 21 cases (17% of the case sampling), with behaviors ranging from poor
communication to noted deficiencies working with others. Clearly this issue was closely
associated with failed leadership as one third of the cases listed in Table 29 were also identified
with interpersonal strife. Within the 21 cases briefed identifying interpersonal strife as a factor in
the litigation, the school system prevailed in court at least in part 85% of the time over a 30-year
period. These data indicate that the failure to get along well with others can be costly if an
administrator ever finds him/herself legally entangled.
Table 41
Interpersonal Strife with Litigative Claim
Case Year State Action PP Litigative Claim
Lomas v. Bd. of
School Dir. of
Northwestern
Lehigh School
Dist.
Alabama State
Tenure Comm. v.
Phenix City
Bd. of Educ.
Spurlock v. Bd.
of Trustees
1982 PA R S Lomas’ failed leadership was marked by extreme
faculty conflict and interpersonal strife over her
new reading program and claimed that her
reassignment was a demotion and violated her due
359
process protections.
1985 AL R S Carlisle alleged that his reassignment to a teaching
position for failed leadership and interpersonal
strife was not warranted or supported by evidence.
1985 WY T SPLIT Spurlock claimed tenure violations when his
administrative and teacher contracts were
terminated for failed leadership and interpersonal
strife due to his personal threats to a husband-wife
teacher pair.
(table continues)