Database Search Result Details

First Name Karen
Last Name Decker
Decision Date 8/19/2026
Docket Number 2025-0532-MrnED
ALJ JSF
Respondent Marion County Board of Education
Employment Type PROF
Job Title Principal / teacher
Topics job position reinstatement; back pay
Primary Issues Whether respondent can justify demoting Grievant based on the occurrence of the grieved incidents, paired with the non-grieved events, to prove that Grievant’s conduct was willful and non-correctable?
Outcome DENIED
Statutes W. VA. CODE ST. R. §126-142-1, W. VA. CODE ST. R. § 156-1-3 (2018), W. Va. Code §18A-5-1a, W. VA. CODE § 18A-2-8(a), W. Va.Code §61-7-11a(b), W. Va. Code § 18A-2-12a
Related Cases Leichliter v. Dep't of Health & Human Res., Docket No. 92-HHR-486 (May 17, 1993), aff’d, Pleasants Cnty. Cir. Ct. Civil Action No. 93-APC-1 (Dec. 2, 1994); Parham v. Raleigh County Bd. of Educ., 192 W. Va. 540, 453 S.E.2d 374 (1994); Syl. Pt. 3, Beverlin v. Bd. of Educ., 158 W. Va. 1067, 216 S.E.2d 554 (1975); Bell v. Kanawha County Bd. of Educ., Docket No. 91-20-005 (Apr. 16, 1991). Mason County Bd. of Educ. v. State Superintendent of Sch., 165 W. Va. 732, 739; 274 S.E.2d 435 (1980); Jones v. W. Va. Dept. of Health & Human Resources, Docket No. 96-HHR-371 (Oct. 30, 1996); See Stamper v. W. Va. Dept. of Health & Human Resources, Docket No. 95-HHR-144 (Mar. 20, 1996); Womack v. Dept. of Admin., Docket No. 93-ADMN-430 (Mar. 30, 1994). Perdue v. Dept. of Health & Human Resources, Docket No. 93-HHR-050 (Feb. 4, 1994).” Aglinsky v. Bd. of Trustees, Docket No. 97-BOT-256 (Oct. 27, 1997), aff’d, Monongalia Cnty. Cir. Ct. Docket No. 97-C-AP-96 (Dec. 7, 1999), appeal refused, W.Va. Sup Ct. App. Docket No. 001096 (July 6, 2000). HAROLD J. ASHER & WILLIAM C. JACKSON, REPRESENTING THE AGENCY BEFORE THE UNITED STATES MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD 152-153 (1984). Burchell v. Bd. of Trustees, Marshall Univ., Docket No. 97-BOT-011 (Aug. 29, 1997). Security National Bank & Trust Company v. First W. Va. Bancorp, Inc., 166 W.Va. 775, 277 S.E.2d 613 (W. Va. 1981).” Smith v. Bd. of Educ., Syl. Pt. 3, 176 W. Va. 65, 66, 341 S.E.2d 685, 686 (1985). Bierer v. Jefferson County Bd. of Educ., Docket No. 01-19-595 (May 17, 2002)." Waggoner v. Cabell County Bd. of Educ., Docket No. 2008-1570-CabED (Oct. 31, 2008). Butts v. Higher Educ. Interim Governing Bd./Shepherd Coll., 212 W. Va. 209, 212, 569 S.E.2d 456, 459 (2002) (per curiam). Sexton v. Marshall Univ., Docket No. BOR2-88-029-4 (May 25, 1988), aff'd, Sexton v. Marshall University, 182 W. Va. 294, 387 S.E.2d 529 (1989). State ex rel. Eads v. Duncil, 196 W. Va. 604, 474 S.E.2d 534 (1996) (citing Arlington Hosp. v. Schweiker, 547 F. Supp. 670 (E.D. Va. 1982)). See Bedford County Memorial Hosp. v. Health and Human Serv., 769 F.2d 1017 (4th Cir. 1985); Yokum v. W. Va. Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Docket No. 96-DOE-081 (Oct. 16, 1996).” Trimboli v. Dep’t of Health and Human Res., Docket No. 93-HHR-322 (June 27, 1997). W. VA. CODE § 6C-2-2(d).
Keywords annual employment leadership, professional conduct, annual evaluations, vote of “no confidence,” performance status, Corrective Action Plan (CAP), implementation period, WVDE Policy 5310, suspension, willful neglect of duty, WVDE Policy 1224.1, weapons, WVDE Policy 4373, Policy 2340, WVDE Policy 4373 & 2515, demotion arbitrarily or capriciously, Policy 5310, tenure, willful neglect of duty and insubordination
Intermediate Court of Appeals
Circuit Court
Supreme Court
Synopsis Respondent demoted Grievant to teacher and terminated her contract as principal after giving her multiple opportunities to improve performance. Over a three-year period, Grievant received a “no confidence” vote from staff, multiple years of poor evaluations, two focus support plans, two letters of reprimand, three disciplinary suspensions, and a five-month corrective action plan, none of which were grieved. Grievant also received extensive coaching and mentorship. The letter of demotion cited these prior non-grieved events and more recent incidents that were properly grieved. The grieved incidents include testing irregularities and failure to timely respond to student safety. Respondent proved the occurrence of the grieved incidents which, in conjunction with the non-grieved events, prove that Grievant’s conduct was willful and non-correctable, justifying demotion. Thus, this grievance is DENIED.

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