Matter of the Application of Philomena Brennan v New York City Department of Education

Petitioner, a tenured teacher, started an Article 78 proceeding against the New York City Department of Education. She wanted her name to be removed from the DOE’s Ineligible/Inquiry List and for the DOE to allow her to withdraw her resignation.

In the spring of 2006, petitioner was working as a full-time teacher Frederick Douglas Academy in Brooklyn. At the end of the school year, the principal informed petitioner that she was receiving an unsatisfactory rating. Immediately after being informed of her “U” rating, petitioner formally resigned.

A few years later, petitioner began to take steps to with her resignation. In January 2009, she returned to the school to speck to the principal. Petitioner saw the principal and was escorted to her office and told to wait. Approximately ten minutes later, petitioner was “handcuffed and charged with misdemeanor of trespass and the violation of harassment.” She immediately informed the DOE of the arrest, as the rules are stated and she was placed on the DOE’s Ineligible/Inquiry List, which makes her ineligible for rehire or for a teaching assignment.

In June 2009, all criminal charges against the petitioner were dismissed. So, she requested the DOE remove her for the DOE’s Ineligible/ Inquiry List. The IA Deputy Chancellor Teaching and Learning signed an undated letter stating she has been approved to be removed for the list. However, due to no date on the letter, the court determined that the effective date would be June 11, 2009, when petitioner initially applied to have her name removed from the list. Now, petitioner sought to have her resignation withdrawn, but she had to wait for all paperwork regarding the list is completed. Therefore, the petition to withdraw he resignation is premature.

The petition was granted as it requests the removal of the name of Philomena Brennan, petitioner, from the Ineligible/Inquiry List maintained by respondent New York City Department of Education, effective June 11, 2009 and the court ordered that respondent’s cross-motion to dismiss petitioner’s claim regarding the withdrawal of her resignation as a teacher is granted, and that claim is dismissed without prejudice and without costs or disbursements to either party due to it prematurity.

Read more about this Article 78 case here.

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