Decisions / Trials

The attorneys at Langenkamp, Curtis, Price, Lindstrom & Chevedden have represented literally hundreds of employees in Administrative Hearings and in State and Federal Court. We have defended employees against layoff, discipline, and dismissal cases.  We have extensive experience with teacher dismissal.  We have affirmatively filed cases to vindicate employment rights in State and Federal Courts. We have practiced before California's Public Boards, including the State Personnel Board, the Public Employment Relations Board and the State Teachers Retirement System. We have represented employees in Superior Courts including in the following counties: Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba.

A sample of our more notable cases include:

  • Sacramento City Teachers Association v. Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Trustees (2021)  Obtained a judgment that a school district violated the Brown Act.  The Sacramento Superior Court denied the issuance of a Writ of Mandate but found that, "the District violated Section 54957 [of the California Government Code, i.e. the Brown Act] when it discussed the "release" of multiple administrators in closed session on February 21, 2019...."  Importantly, the Court found that Section 54957 (often called the "personnel exception" to the Brown Act's open meeting mandate) allows closed sessions to discuss singular employees but not groups of employees. 
  • Fernandez v. California Public Employees Retirement System (2020)  Obtained a Judgment in Superior Court granting a Petition for Writ of Mandate in part against CalPERS.  The Court found that that CalPERS had abused its discretion when it applied an unwritten rule to reduce the payrate of a former Superintendent to that of an Assistant Superintendent for purpose of retirement calculations. 
  • Sacramento City Teachers Association v. Sacramento City Unified School District (2020): Successfully enforced the right of child development teachers to have the District conduct any child development layoff in strict seniority order.  Obtained reinstatement for multiple impacted teachers. The Court rejected the District's interpretation of the Education Code and held that child development layoffs must proceed in seniority order, meaning those teachers with the least time served as a child development teachers in the District must be laid off first.
  • Glaviano v. Sacramento City Unified School Dist. (2018) Successfully defended as co-counsel rights of teachers who win dismissal cases to attorneys fees at fair market value, regardless of whether teachers are charged an actual reduced rate or whether cases are full or partial contingency fee cases.  Case ultimately argued and decided in the Third District Court of Appeal.
  • Camie Naso and Kristin Kircher v. Yuba City Unified School District (2017):  Successfully enforced the salary uniformity provision of the California Education Code and obtained back pay and movement on the salary schedule for teachers. 
  • In the Matter of the Reduction in Force against S.G. (before the Board of the Cascade Union Elementary School District) (2016)  Obtained a Proposed Decision from an Administrative Law Judge finding the proposed layoff of the teacher at issue to be without cause.  Teacher was reemployed following the decision.
  • Schell v. Oroville City Elementary School District (2015) Successfully defended the right of a teacher to not be placed on unpaid leave under California Education Code section 44940; obtained an award of attorneys fees under California Government Code section 800 based on a finding that the District had acted in an arbitrary and capricious matter.
  • Sacramento City Unified School District v. Commission on Professional Competence (Glaviano), (2014) Successfully defended appeal of an administrative decision. In the underlying administrative decision, we successfully defended a veteran 28 year physical education teacher against dismissal charges by the Sacramento City Unified School District. The District had moved for dismissal after Mr. Glaviano reasonably stepped in between two arguing students, to defend the smaller student and then later himself from the larger aggressor student's attack.
  • Achene v. Pierce Joint Unified School Dist., (2009) 176 Cal.App.4th 757. Successfully established the right of probationary teachers in California to not be dismissed mid-year for unsatisfactory performance without first being given notice of such unsatisfactory performance and a chance to remediate pursuant to California Education Code section 44938.
  • Chico Unified School District v. various Respondents (2008) Office of Administrative Hearings Case No. 2008030189; represented over 300 teachers in a California Education Code layoff hearing. Successfully established right of teachers to have counsel request hearing and file notice of defense for members who chose representation; case resulted in many jobs saved.
  • Davis Joint Unified School Dist. V. Jacobs (2002) Yolo County Superior Court Case No. CV99-1360. Successfully preserved the right of teachers to only have fitness for duty examinations conducted pursuant to the California Education Code, with all of the procedural protections of California Education Code section 44942, and not simply by the District's unilaterally chosen doctor. Awarded attorneys fees under the California Private Attorney General statute, with a multiplier of 2, for preserving an important public right.
  • Dees v. Orr and Lynch v. Orr, Lead counsel in successful federal district court companion class action sex discrimination lawsuits. Suit filed against the Air Force on behalf of 171 female instrument repair mechanics. Successfully negotiated a class remedy, including retroactive promotions and back pay.

We have also been fortunate enough to be able to practice before the California Court of Appeal. Our Third District Court of Appeal cases are:

  • Glaviano v. Sacramento City Unified School Dist. (2018) Successfully defended rights of teachers who win dismissal cases to attorneys fees at fair market value, regardless of whether teachers are charged an actual reduced rate or whether cases are full or partial contingency fee cases
  • Palermo Teachers Association v. Palermo Union School Dist. (2015) Settled after briefing complete, no appellate decision issued
  • Cann v. Oroville Union High School Dist., (2010) Not Reported in Cal.Rptr.3d, 2010 WL 2126455, Not Officially Published, Cal.App. 3 Dist., May 27, 2010 (NO. C060575)(unpublished)
  • Achene v. Pierce Joint Unified School Dist., (2009) 176 Cal.App.4th 757
  • Bledsoe v. Biggs Unified School Dist., (2008) 170 Cal.App.4th 127
  • Toor v. Wheatland Elementary School Dist., (2005) Not Reported in Cal.Rptr.3d, 2005 WL 428775, Not Officially Published, Cal.App. 3 Dist., February 24, 2005 (NO. C046523) (unpublished)
  • Reis v. Biggs Unified School Dist., (2005)126 Cal.App.4th 809