Sec. 4.

(1) A teacher on continuing tenure may contest the controlling board's decision to proceed upon the charges against the teacher by filing a claim of appeal with the tenure commission and serving a copy of the claim of appeal on the controlling board not later than 20 days after receipt of the controlling board's decision. The controlling board shall file its answer with the tenure commission and serve a copy of the answer on the teacher not later than 10 days after service of the claim of appeal. If the teacher does not contest the controlling board's decision in the time and manner specified in this subsection, the discharge or demotion specified in the charges takes effect and the teacher shall be considered to have waived any right to contest the discharge or demotion under this act.

(2) An administrative law judge described in subsection (3) shall furnish to each party without undue delay a notice of hearing fixing the date and place of the hearing. The hearing date shall not be less than 10 days after the date the notice of hearing is furnished and shall not be more than 45 days after service of the controlling board's answer unless the tenure commission grants a delay for good cause shown by the teacher or controlling board.

(3) The hearing shall be conducted by an administrative law judge who is an attorney licensed to practice law in this state and is employed by the department of education. An administrative law judge who conducts hearings under this section shall not advise the tenure commission or otherwise participate in a tenure commission review of an administrative law judge's preliminary decision and order under this section.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the hearing shall be conducted in accordance with chapter 4 of the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.271 to 24.287, and in accordance with rules promulgated by the tenure commission.

(5) The hearing and tenure commission review shall be conducted in accordance with the following:

(a) The hearing shall be public or private at the option of the teacher.

(b) The hearing shall be held at a convenient place in the county in which all or a portion of the school district is located or, if mutually agreed by the parties, at the tenure commission offices in Lansing. The administrative law judge's necessary travel expenses associated with conducting the hearing outside Lansing shall be borne equally by the tenure commission and the controlling board.

(c) Both the teacher and the controlling board may be represented by legal counsel.

(d) Testimony at the hearing shall be on oath or affirmation.

(e) A stenographer shall make a full record of the proceedings of the hearing. The cost of employing the stenographer and of providing the record shall be borne equally by the tenure commission and the controlling board.

(f) The administrative law judge may subpoena witnesses and documentary evidence on his or her own motion, and shall do so at the request of the controlling board or the teacher. If a person refuses to appear and testify in answer to a subpoena issued by the administrative law judge, the party on whose behalf the subpoena was issued may file a petition in the circuit court for the county in which the hearing is held for an order requiring compliance. Failure to obey such an order of the court may be punished by the court as contempt.

(g) The hearing shall be concluded not later than 75 days after the teacher's claim of appeal was filed with the tenure commission.

(h) The administrative law judge shall make the necessary orders to ensure that the case is submitted for decision not later than 50 days after the hearing is concluded.

(i) Not later than 60 days after submission of the case for decision, the administrative law judge shall serve a preliminary decision and order in writing upon each party or the party's attorney and the tenure commission. The preliminary decision and order shall grant, deny, or modify the discharge or demotion specified in the charges.

(j) Not later than 20 days after service of the preliminary decision and order, a party may file with the tenure commission a statement of exceptions to the preliminary decision and order or to any part of the record or proceedings, including, but not limited to, rulings on motions or objections, along with a written brief in support of the exceptions. The party shall serve a copy of the statement of exceptions and brief upon each of the other parties within the time limit for filing the exceptions and brief. If there are no exceptions timely filed, the preliminary decision and order becomes the tenure commission's final decision and order.

(k) Not later than 10 days after being served with the other party's exceptions and brief, a party may file a statement of cross-exceptions responding to the other party's exceptions or a statement in support of the preliminary decision and order with the tenure commission, along with a written brief in support of the cross-exceptions or of the preliminary decision and order. The party shall serve a copy of the statement of cross-exceptions or of the statement in support of the preliminary decision and order and a copy of the brief on each of the other parties.

(l) A matter that is not included in a statement of exceptions filed under subdivision (j) or in a statement of cross-exceptions filed under subdivision (k) is considered waived and cannot be heard before the tenure commission or on appeal to the court of appeals.

(m) If exceptions are filed, the tenure commission, after review of the record and the exceptions, may adopt, modify, or reverse the preliminary decision and order. The tenure commission shall not hear any additional evidence and its review shall be limited to consideration of the issues raised in the exceptions based solely on the evidence contained in the record from the hearing. The tenure commission shall issue its final decision and order not later than 60 days after the exceptions are filed.

(6) After giving the party notice and an opportunity to comply, the administrative law judge or the tenure commission may dismiss an appeal or deny a discharge or demotion for a party's lack of progress or for a party's repeated failure to comply with the procedures specified in this section or the tenure commission's rules.

(7) A party aggrieved by a final decision and order of the tenure commission may appeal the decision and order to the court of appeals in accordance with the Michigan court rules within 20 days after the date of the decision and order.

History: 1937, Ex. Sess., Act 4, Eff. Sept. 1, 1937 ;-- CL 1948, 38.104 ;-- Am. 1993, Act 60, Eff. Oct. 1, 1993 ;-- Am. 2011, Act 101, Imd. Eff. July 19, 2011 Popular Name: Teachers' Tenure Act