Carpinteria Unified Sues State Commission over Order to Rehire Fired Teacher Jay Hotchner

Commission on Professional Competence Has Until End of March to Respond to Court Summon

Carpinteria Unified Superintendent Diana Rigby made good on her promise to challenge the Commission on Professional Competence’s decision in a court of law. | Credit: Paul Wellman File Photo

Last month, the Carpinteria Unified School District quietly filed its case against the state Commission on Professional Competence that ordered suspended Carpinteria Middle School teacher and union president Jay Hotchner be rehired. The district says the commission’s decision was wrong in every sense of the word.

Although the commission found that Hotchner “engaged in conduct that was inappropriate,” unprofessional, and made students “uncomfortable,” it concluded that Hotchner’s dismissal was not warranted, because the district failed to establish that Hotchner was unfit to teach or acted immorally.

The school district vehemently disagreed with this verdict. On March 1, the commission received its court summons, to which it must respond by the end of the month.