Attorney David Rome wins reinstatement for school teacher and bus driver

In two separate decisions handed down last month, Pyle Rome attorney David Rome obtained awards from labor arbitrators overturning the termination of employees in the public school context.

In the first case, Arbitrator Tammy Brynie reversed the decision of First Student in terminating a school bus driver whom it accused of engaging in gross misconduct when he responded to extreme verbal and physical provocation by three high students. In light of the employee's long record, his effort to alert the employer and school officials about the students' threatening behavior, and the restrained nature of his response, the Arbitrator found the Employer's response to be far too harsh.

In the second matter, Arbitrator James Litton found that the Springfield School Committee did not have just cause to discharge a special needs school teacher because it exaggerated his alleged wrongdoing, failed to provide him notice of its policy concerning restraint, and ignored corrective discipline.