Stapleton v. Huff’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

30 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 30 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Appellant earnestly contends that the written contract which he held at the close of the 1944-45 school term was renewed by operation of law, for the reason that the notice and hearing required by the act are so inextricably inter-related and mutually dependent one upon the other, that the failure to afford appellant a hearing rendered the notice void and an absolute nullity in law. With this contention we do not agree. If the legislature had intended that failure to afford the teacher a proper hearing should operate automatically to renew the contract of employment, as in the case of failure to serve notice of the local board’s desire with reverence to continuance or discontinuance of the services of such teacher, it would have been a very simple matter to make known this intention by merely inserting the language ‘or afford such hearing’ after the phrase ‘failure to serve such notice,’ followed by the declaration that the omission should be construed as a renewal of the contract of employment for the ensuing year. This it did not do and we should not perform the legislative function of supplying the omission. The petition was entitled to a fair a^d legal hearing and to know all of the evidence upon which the State Board of Education based its findings and decision. The plain dictates of justice required it to disclose the facts it knew, if it intended to consider them, also to permit appellant to present his side of the case and to cross-examine witnesses testifying agains”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Duncan v. Reorganized School District No. R-1

2. “The effect of the amendment is to further protect the employment status of teachers. Of greater significance, however, is the time and circumstance of the amendment. The Legislature of 1941 doubtless sensed the need to get in step with the march of progress toward a greater security to those who have become equipped through education and training to assume positions in our school system. What is known as Teachers’ Tenure Acts have been adopted in most of the states of our union, the objects of which are to encourage men and women to make a lifetime profession of teaching and to stimulate them to seek positions in the school system requiring the qualifications of teachers, and to protect them in their employment from the whims of those possibly politically minded, and to insure their continuance in such employment.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Aguilera v. Board of Education of the Hatch Valley Schools

3. ““The legislature has recognized the sound public policy of retaining in the public school system teachers who have become increasingly valuable by reason of their experience and has, by statute, assured these public servants an indefinite tenure of position during satisfactory performance of their duties. Ortega et al. v. Otero, 48 N.M. 588 , 154 P.2d 252 ; * *”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Hensley v. State Board of Education