Stewart Lee Karlin Law Group, PC continues to stand with educators in high-stakes disciplinary proceedings, moving to protect A tenured teacher with nearly two decades of service.

In O’Neill v. Newburgh Enlarged City School District, the petitioner, a tenured speech and pathology teacher with nineteen years of experience, sought to vacate or remand an arbitration award that terminated her employment following a § 3020-a hearing. Ms. O’Neill argued that the arbitration decision was flawed and should be reviewed under CPLR Articles 75 and 78.

The District, by contrast, cross-moved to dismiss the petition, relying on procedural and substantive defenses under CPLR §§ 404(a), 3211(a)(5), and 3211(a)(7). The Court carefully reviewed the petition, the cross-motion, and the underlying disciplinary record before issuing its ruling.

The case highlights the narrow but critical grounds under which courts may intervene to correct or vacate § 3020-a arbitration awards. Where a teacher’s decades of professional service are at stake, the law requires strict adherence to fairness, due process, and statutory protections.

This proceeding underscores our firm’s continued advocacy for educators facing career-ending penalties, ensuring that every disciplinary action is subject to meaningful judicial scrutiny.

Filed court documentation:
Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Orange