Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY NERAL OF TEXAS 35 AUSTIN GROVER SELLERS *rrORNFI GENERIL Honorable V. A. Colllnnr, Prerident Board OS Regents, State Teacherr' College8 of Texa8 Living8 ton, Texa8 Dear Sir8 OpLnloa lio. O-i& Ye acknovle recent date, reading 'SCM trouble b88 State Teach for the cument 18 my opinkul that rdinate to Dr. Hill 2hi8 bring8 Up hLnk your Ibpwtment .,. '2ndr Could they collect their raiarr for the current 8onth vhen they are dir- mi888d during the month? “3rd: In view of their contract vhlch end8 in 1947, vould dianissal nov avoid payment of their monthly salarie8 fol- loving diSmis8al? * #oaorable V. A. Colllna, pade 2 A 8bilar que8t!on va8 ansvered by our prevlour OPlD- iOn HO. 0-1735, dated 18 December, 1939, ~addressed to the Hon- orable Jaw38 ci. Ulrcler, at that time President of tfi8 5oard OS Regent6 OS tke State Tea&err’ College8 of Tcaar. bl 8UCh opinion ve oonsldered the authority of the 86id Board of’ Regent8 to db8168 a teacher ewlo~ed by verbal contract by one or the State Teacbarn' College8, the gzwnds for di86ii8861 being stated es ‘dlsloyalt~ to tke admtnistzwtive head of that in- stltutlon’; end further coneld,erI.ag t.!.e liablllty of the Etate ihr the salary of eucf. dlsui:saeC te&(;i4i. Icr the balance of tte year ren?aLnm et the time his employnent vos terminated. t, copy of such oplnlon IS sttnched for your convenience. Your first question asks vbetber tbs Prssldsnt(of the Ve8t Texas State %3aCktrs * College) i.8 authorized to dlrruiss an employee on ground8 of insubordination. A reference to Section 1, Article 26I7, V. A. C. S., dL88loae8 that the authoorlty for enploylng end dische.rglng em- ployees of the State Teachore * College8 18 vested in ttc Board of Rf+gentr,, ratber than thhs Zndlvidual President8 of 8UCh in- 8cttUtiOli8, that Section reading a8 fO11Oli8, 0 &N'd Of Be Wit8 Of the st.StO TeacheX'8' (. &I.&& zLar*Ed lil&l Lblllty OP the general control and Lge&f”?‘?:l 5 late Yea&era 1 Colleges for vhlte per8on8 and m~ erect, equip and mpalr build-a; purchase libraPies, fumittwe, ep- paratsw, fiel and other necerlrary supplier; emplot and dlsckutrge pra8identr or urine 16, teacher6s, tp8artmtr8 and other 6mPlOY88; an lx the salerles Of th9 DW60n6 80 f?UDiO38a. The principal of es& State Tea he I College rhell nominate l nnUally to the bOardcOfr``eat8 8UCh prOf0sSOP8, te8 cbers , of- flcials and assistants a8 in bls opinmion vi11 promote the best Interests of the lnetltution.’ (Emphasis supplied) We have been unable to find any autkorlty in tke stat- utes Pelating t.o the state ‘I’eechers* College8, eapo~erln~ the Fresidents of such institutions to employ or disarisa teachers sod other employesr of such lnst.itutlcno. As et&ted in tl:e , 269 Hmorable V. A. Colll.ne, pago 3 Artlcl?, the ?rf.@pal (or Praefdeat) of ruch inetl- tut1onr 18 8mpwer8a only tQ -afmllaat~ annually to the Board OS Regente euch pc0f~e0~8, teacbr8 , offlclole or aeelstante a8 in Me oplx.iion rlll prmote th* best lntereete of the lnetltu- t1oA. Your fleet pueetloaemuat nsceeearily, tbar8fore, be 5.nt.wered In the negative: the Preeldeat that of the West Texas State Teacher-e’ College iie no authority to disa2se em- ployees of that Laotftution for any reaeon. Hovever, the Board of Resents of the Stat8 Teacherr~ Collegoe, having author1t.y by viPtu8 of Article 2647 (supre) to employ or dlechoPge euplgyeer of luch lnetltutioae, does Mu8 the power to discharge euch em- ployeee, for f(ood cause* under the general ruler of law relating to pereonal service ocmt*Ote. For further diecueelon of thlm qui3etloo please refer to OUT previous opinion Ho. O-1735, and to the authorltlee cited thewin. As noted In that oplnlon, tbe f'aet 88 to Vhetherr or not the “lnsubordtitlou” of th8 aald , employwe legally conetltut88 “good caua8,* for vhlch the em- ployeee 8ay be dlsaleeed, 0381be within the urisdiction of the Board of Reg%nte and prW8nt8 an leaue chic i! l?e cannot undertake to pare upon, ‘Itwareoacnd and third quwtiom aray ale0 bo anrvored “by refwsnca to our afor8mentloned oplnlon Ho, O~lT55, page 2 ttianof. Ye held in that oplnl8n that 68 to 8mp1Oys8B of Stat.0 Teaohere’ Colleges dlsnlseed for good caus8, the State vould be U&W A0 lirbllfty for their Salary for Vbat8vbr baknC8 l%- lined rt th0 tim the esplayment ~18 temalnated. mrOrOretn you are edvlwa that the State vould not bo liable, r8gnrdless of employment contmets, for. the salaries of the employees men- tioned Ln your letter, from the dak of the tepinatlon of their emploglwnt, if luah tkwdaatlcu vae for good cauee. Trusty that YO have eetiefaetorlly ansvar8d your queetione, ~8 r8Ptaln, Very truly your8 ATTORRtir GEEiRAL OF TIC’AS liBB/JCP Rncroeur8--1