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