In a decisive Article 78 victory, Stewart Lee Karlin Law Group, PC secured reinstatement, tenure, and back pay for a New York teacher after the Court ruled the District’s actions were arbitrary and capricious.

In Ulffe v. Hempstead Union Free School District, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Nassau County, issued a decisive ruling in favor of our client, a high school math teacher who challenged the District’s attempt to terminate his probationary appointment and deny him tenure. The Court found that the District’s actions—placing the teacher on administrative leave just before his tenure date in order to avoid tenure by estoppel—were arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to the purpose of New York’s Education Law.

By granting our client’s petition under CPLR Article 78 and denying the District’s motion to dismiss, the Court ordered that he be reinstated retroactively as a tenured teacher effective January 20, 2024. The Court further directed that he be awarded back pay, lost benefits, and additional damages including reasonable attorney’s fees, costs, and disbursements.

This ruling highlights the critical importance of careful statutory interpretation, disciplined preparation, and strategic advocacy in education law disputes. Through our client’s perseverance and our firm’s commitment to protecting the rights of educators, the decision affirms that tenure protections cannot be circumvented by administrative maneuvers. For our client, the outcome restores not only his professional status but also the security and benefits he rightfully earned.

Filed court documentation can be viewed here:

Supreme Court of the State of New York, Nassau County