ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL ...

Disposition: The trial court’s ruling was affirmed.
Citation: Pryor School District v. Superintendent of Public Instruction, 218 Mont. 73;
707 P.2d 1094, (1985 Mont.).
Key Facts: On December 14, 1982, Bruce Youngquist was confronted by the
superintendent of the Pryor School District Nos. 2 and 3 (the district) about gate receipts and
concession stand balances from the previous weekend’s games. That same day, Youngquist was
involved in a physical altercation with a student at an assembly. The superintendent promptly set
termination procedures in motion with the district board of trustees. The board immediately
suspended Youngquist at the superintendent’s behest and terminated his contract at a subsequent
hearing.
The suspension and termination were based on four separate causes: (1) Youngquist’s
insubordinate behavior and yelling obscenities at the superintendent in his meeting with the
superintendent on December 14, 1982, (2) Youngquist’s lack of discretion and composure in
using obscenities during a meeting with high school seniors on December 14, 1982, (3)
Youngquist’s lack of discretion and composure in striking a female student with a closed fist on
December 14, 1982, and (4) Youngquist’s lack of lack of discretion and composure in striking a
kindergartener during the 1981-1982 school year.
Youngquist requested an appeal hearing with the county level superintendent who was
substituted with a neighboring county superintendent for fairness and reasonability. During the
course of the hearing, each point was refuted in favor of Youngquist for either a lack of evidence
or evidence that explained the situation in Youngquist’s favor. Thus, the investigating
superintendent ruled that there was not sufficient cause for termination and ordered reinstatement
with back pay.
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