Rhode Island § 16-13-5 - Teachers’ Tenure

§ 16-13-5. Suspension for cause — Payment for period suspended.

(a) Section 16-13-4 shall not prevent the suspension of a teacher for good and just cause. Prior to the suspension of a teacher as provided in this section, the school committee shall hold a pre-suspension hearing to determine if a suspension is warranted, and at the pre-suspension hearing, shall consider any available evidence and afford the teacher or his or her counsel an opportunity to respond to that evidence. In the event a teacher is suspended or otherwise not permitted to perform his or her duties prior to the presuspension hearing, then the teacher shall be paid his or her regular salary during that period.

(b) Whenever a teacher is suspended by a school committee, the school committee shall furnish the teacher with a complete statement of the cause(s) of the suspension and, upon request, shall afford the teacher a hearing and appeal pursuant to the procedure set forth in § 16-13-4. If the teacher shall be vindicated as a result of the hearing or any appeal the teacher shall be paid in full for the period of suspension, and provided further, that during the period of suspension, all medical and insurance benefits shall remain in full force and effect.

(c) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit or at any time to have prohibited a school committee in a municipality or regional school district with an elected school committee, or the chief executive officer in a municipality with an appointed school committee, from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the arbitration of disputes arising out of the suspension of a teacher pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.