Discipline Policy A Discipline Policy Committee will be formed upon the request of the Association or the Board of Education. The committee will be comprised of members appointed by the Board and the Association. By the appropriate means determined by the Board, families will be informed of the District's policies regarding student behavior and discipline procedures. The foregoing committees, study groups, or faculty councils shall serve as advisory, consultative and fact-finding bodies only, and the Board shall not be required to adopt any of the recommendations submitted. The Board agrees, however, that the Association and the teachers shall have the right to submit recommendations and views on these subjects.
Discipline Disciplinary grievances will be initiated at the level at which the disputed action was taken.
DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL 27.01 The Employer may discipline, suspend or dismiss an employee for just cause only, except for the dismissal of a probationary Employee. Unsatisfactory conduct or performance by an Employee which is considered by the Employer to be serious enough to be entered on the Employee's record but not serious enough to warrant suspension or dismissal shall result in a written warning to the Employee and a copy to the Union within fifteen (15) days of the date the Employer first became aware of, or reasonably should have become aware of the occurrence of the act. The Union shall not deny a request by the Employer to extend the timelines due to availability of persons identified by the Employer to be interviewed. A written warning that is grieved and determined to be unjustified shall be removed from the Employee's record.
27.02 In the event an Employee is suspended or dismissed, the Employer shall provide written reasons for the suspension or dismissal to the Employee and the Union forthwith and in any event not later than five (5) days of the action being taken. The action or suspension or dismissal shall be within fifteen (15) days of the date the Employer first became aware of, or reasonably should have become aware of the occurrence of the act, giving rise to the suspension or dismissal. The Union shall not deny a request by the Employer to extend the timelines due to unavailability of persons identified by the Employer to be interviewed. When action involves a suspension, the notice shall specify the time period of the suspension.
27.03 An Employee who has been subject to disciplinary action may after two (2) years of continuous service from the date the disciplinary measure was invoked, request in writing that their personnel file be cleared of any record of the disciplinary action. Such request shall be granted provided the Employee's file does not contain any further record of disciplinary action during the two (2) year period of which the Employee is aware. The Employer shall confirm in writing to the Employee that such action has been effected.
27.04 The procedures stated in Articles 27.01, 27.02 and 27.03 do not prevent immediate suspension or dismissal for just cause.
(a) An Employee required by the Employer to attend an investigation meeting or a disciplinary discussion shall be paid at the applicable rate of pay for time spent in that meeting.
(b) Where circumstances permit, the Employer shall schedule a disciplinary discussion with the Employee by giving reasonable advance notice which shall not be less than twenty-four (24) hours. At such discussion an Employee may be accompanied by a representative of the Union.
27.06 In the event that an Employee is reported to their licensing body by the Employer, the Employee shall be so advised, and unless otherwise requested a written copy shall be forwarded to the Union forthwith. In the event, an Employee is reported to their licensing body, by someone other than the Employer, the Employee shall advise the Employer of such and the Employee may copy the Union on such notification.
27.07 An Employee absent for three (3) consecutive work days without good and proper reason and without notifying the Employer shall be considered to have terminated their Employment with the Employer.
27.08 For the purposes of this Article, periods of time referred to in days shall be deemed to mean consecutive calendar days exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and Named Holidays, which are specified in Article 19.
DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES The Employer agrees to provide the employee with written notification of a disciplinary document that is to be made a part of the employee’s personnel file. In instances where the Employer desires to conduct an investigatory interview with an employee, the employee shall be entitled upon request to have an Association representative present at the interview. A copy of all disciplinary actions involving suspension or discharge will also be provided to the Association, unless the employee requests that the matter be kept confidential.
Disciplinary Matters 2.6.1 Prior to the imposition of any disciplinary penalty, the Company shall hold a Disciplinary Interview, which shall replace Step 1 of the grievance process.
2.6.2 The Company shall provide the Union and any employees who may be disciplined three (3) days’ notice of the Interview.
2.6.3 The Interview shall take place between the Company, the Union and the accused individual.
2.6.4 The Company shall set out its allegations and except where the allegations could constitute a criminal offence, the Union or the individual(s) shall set out their version of the events. Minutes, but not a transcript, of the Interview setting out the substance of the discussion shall be taken.
2.6.5 The minutes of the meeting shall be provided to the Union and the accused individual(s) within seven (7) days of the Interview.
2.6.6 The Union and the accused individual(s) shall forward a written reply to the minutes, if any, within seven (7) days of receipt of the minutes.
2.6.7 Should the Company choose to impose discipline, the Union has ten (10) days to file a grievance commencing at Step 2.
2.6.8 Nothing in the disciplinary interview process is intended to interfere with the Company’s right to investigate matters.
Progressive Discipline Both parties endorse the principle of progressive discipline as applied to professionals.
Discipline Procedure 1. Disciplinary action may be imposed for violation of written rules and regulations as set forth by the Board, incompetence, inefficiency, dishonesty, drunkenness, immoral conduct, insubordination, discourteous treatment of the public, neglect of duty, misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, any other failure of good behavior, or conviction of a felony.
2. No employee shall be disciplined without first having had the opportunity for a hearing, if the employee so requests, with an OAPSE representative of his/her choice present. The employee shall be given a written statement containing the charges and the time and place of the hearing. The written statement shall notify the employee of his/her rights to OAPSE representation. The employee must be given the opportunity to sign the statement acknowledging receipt of the statement and date received. Under emergency conditions as determined by the supervisor (including, but not limited to, health and/or safety of the employee or other employees; blatant insubordination; or refusal to work), the supervisor may immediately suspend an employee without pay for a period of up to three (3) work days without the formal hearing described above. An opportunity for a formal hearing with the supervisor must be provided within the suspension period. Failure to provide an opportunity for a hearing during the suspension period shall preclude the right of further discipline for the offense causing the initial suspension. Emergency suspensions will not be subject to Section 6 of this Article.
3. Disciplinary action of less than discharge should generally be progressive and corrective in nature.
A. Disciplinary actions shall be grievable. This Section shall supersede existing state law governing termination of employment (O.R.C. 3319.081).
B. In determining progressive and corrective action, just cause shall be construed and limited to the nature and seriousness of the offense, the effect the alleged conduct has on the Board’s operation, the discipline or lack thereof used in other similar situations known to the Board, and the appropriateness of the proposed penalty in view of the record and length of service of the charged employee. The enumeration of these factors is not intended to preclude either the exercise of good and sound business judgment or to minimize the importance of an employee’s property interest in his job.
Student Discipline 1. The parties recognize that part of the teacher's responsibility is to maintain control and discipline of students. The Board further recognizes its responsibility to give support and assistance to the teacher with respect to the maintenance of control and discipline in the classroom and school in accordance with established Board policies, administrative regulations, building procedures and state statutes; however, the Board shall not be obligated when any disciplinary actions employed by any teacher is contrary to law, Board policy, or administrative regulations.
2. The Board shall set all policies on matters of discipline. A team, minimally consisting of building administrators and teachers, shall develop disciplinary procedures for their respective buildings that are consistent with state statutes, Board policies, and administrative regulations. These disciplinary procedures shall be completed or updated and reviewed by each faculty prior to a date established by the principal. These shall be distributed to students, teachers, and parents no later than October 1 of each year, and it shall be the responsibility of the administration and teachers to enforce these policies, regulations, and procedures.
3. The District and Association shall work together to promote a safe work environment including the right to be free from violent behavior or threatening violent behavior. (2019) When an offense, persistent misbehavior, or the disruptive effect of misbehavior makes the continued presence of a student in the classroom intolerable, the student may be referred by the teacher to the principal or his/her designee for disciplinary action. In such case, an account of the problem or incident will be communicated as soon as feasibly possible, given instructional and safety responsibilities, by the teacher to the principal or his/her designee. The communication should include what previous corrective action, and/or parent communication if any, has been taken by the teacher. The principal or his/her designee shall communicate the disposition of the referral as soon as feasibly possible given administrative and safety responsibilities. In cases when the disruptive effect of the student’s behavior is so extreme as to preclude the instructional process, the teacher shall immediately communicate the need to remove the child temporarily from the classroom until such time as the student, teacher, and principal or other appropriate authority, resolves the situation. (2009)
STANDARDS OF DISCIPLINE 18.1 In order of severity, the usual types of disciplinary action are as follows: - oral reprimand, - written reprimand - suspension - demotion - termination of employment
18.2 When an employee is required to attend a meeting, the purpose of which is to investigate a disciplinary matter concerning the employee or to render a disciplinary decision concerning the employee, the employee is entitled to have, upon request, a representative of the Association attend the meeting. Where practicable, the employee shall receive a minimum of two (2) day’s notice of such a meeting and shall be informed of the reason for it.
18.3 When an employee is suspended from duty, demoted or terminated due to a disciplinary infraction, the Council shall notify the employee, in writing, of the reason(s) for the suspension, demotion or termination. The Council shall endeavour to provide this written notification at the time of the suspension, demotion or termination.
18.4 When an employee feels aggrieved by the application of any disciplinary action which was applied, or in the employee’s opinion was applied, to the employee by the Council, the employee may present a grievance in accordance with the Grievance Procedure Article of this Agreement.
18.5 Except in the case of an oral reprimand, the Council shall provide an employee with a written record of any disciplinary action taken by the Council against the employee after the date of signing of this Agreement, and such written record shall include the reason for the disciplinary action.
18.6 The Council agrees not to introduce as evidence in a hearing relating to disciplinary action any document from the file of an employee, the existence of which the employee was not aware at the time of filing or within a reasonable period thereafter.
18.7 The Council agrees not to introduce as evidence in an adjudication hearing any document from the file of an employee where the employee was not aware of its existence:
18.7.1 at the time of requesting the services of an adjudicator or
18.7.2 within a period of five (5) consecutive working days after the Council has been informed that the employee has requested the services of an adjudicator, whichever occurs later.
18.8 Notice of disciplinary action which may have been placed on the Council staff file of an employee following the date of signing of this Agreement shall be removed from the Council staff file of the employee after two (2) years have elapsed since the disciplinary action was taken provided that no further disciplinary action has been recorded during the two (2) year period. This two (2) year period will automatically be extended by the length of any period of leave without pay in excess of three (3) months.
Disciplinary Records Any disciplinary records, as well as letters of instruction or expectation, shall be removed from an employee's file after eighteen (18) months from the date of the offence, provided that there have been no similar warnings in that period, in which event the time for the application of this section shall be counted from the date of the succeeding warning. Absences of two (2) or more consecutive months will extend this period by the duration of the absence. It is understood that disciplinary records include any written records of verbal warnings, written warnings and letters of suspension.
