THE TERMINATED SCHOOL EMPLOYEE’S PETITION FOR REINSTATEMENT WAS PROPERLY DISMISSED FOR FAILURE TO TIMELY SERVE A NOTICE OF CLAIM AS REQUIRED BY THE EDUCATION LAW; ALTHOUGH PETITIONER NOTIFIED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WAS AWARE OF THE ACTION, FAILURE TO SERVE THE BOARD WAS A FATAL DEFECT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined the terminated school-district employee’s petition seeking reinstatement was properly dismissed because notice of the action was served on the school district’s superintendent, not the board of education as required by the Education Law:

… [T]he petitioner failed to present his purported notice of claim to the governing body, namely, the Board (see Education Law § 3813[1] …). The letter that the petitioner contends constituted his notice of claim was sent to the School District’s Superintendent, which did “not constitute service upon the Board” … . The petitioner did not submit an affidavit of service or any other evidence to demonstrate that he had in fact served or presented his letter to the governing body … . That the Board ultimately obtained actual knowledge of the letter from the Superintendent’s office was of no moment … . The petitioner’s failure to present his purported notice of claim to the governing body was “a fatal defect” … . Matter of Jovasevic v Mount Vernon City Sch. Dist., 2020 NY Slip Op 04839,  Second Dept 9-2-20