Hastings v. Bonner

COWEN, Senior Judge: Appellants are three former school teachers in the Wakulla County, Florida school system. Appellant Gail Hazlett taught at Sopchoppy Elementary School under Principal Gleney Bonner. Appellants Nancy Hastings and Diana Sullivan taught at Crawfordville Elementary School under Principal Arthur Johnson. At the end of the 1973-74 school year none of the three were tenured teachers under Florida law. See Fla.Stat.Ann. § 231.36(3)(a). Appellants Hazlett and Sullivan were eligible for continuing contracts (tenure) for the next school year (1974-75). Appellant Hastings was eligible only for another annual contract. None of the three teachers, however, received contract renewals for the 1974-75 school year. The Superintendent of Wakulla County Schools, William Payne, wrote to each appellant that he was not renewing her contract, because he wished to improve the instructional program at her school by replacing her with a more qualified teacher.