The New Hampshire Supreme Court affirmed the District Court of New Hampshire's ruling that the College did not violate theater professor Mara Sabinson's contract in a written opinion issued Wednesday. Sabinson, who initially filed suit in 2005 for discrimination and breach of contract, was offered a severance package after the College became concerned with her behavior as a member of the theater department, The Dartmouth previously reported. After Sabinson declined this offer, the College limited her class schedule, which Sabinson alleged violated her contract. In her appeal to the state Supreme Court, Sabinson attested the District Court's ruling that the College was "not required to comply with certain procedural requirements" before implementing changes in her schedule, according to the written opinion. The state Supreme Court agreed with the trial court that Sabinson's altered course load did not represent a "major change" and that the College was not required to follow set procedures for "disciplinary action," according to the opinion. The court also dismissed Sabinson's allegation that the trial court followed incorrect procedure by applying the "wrong burden of proof" and ignoring "certain statements and evidence," the opinion stated. "We're pleased that the N.H. Supreme Court has upheld the Superior Court's decision in this case," Kevin O'Leary, associate general counsel for the College said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "The Court is the fourth court to issue a decision confirming that Dartmouth did not violate any of [Sabinson's] rights."
More than half of the colleges that consider students' criminal histories before making admissions decisions lack institutionalized guidelines outlining how the information should be assessed, according to a survey by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The unpublished survey, which was presented at the National Association of College and University Attorneys' annual meeting on Wednesday, found that over 60 percent of colleges consider students' criminal pasts when evaluating applications. Due to increased concerns regarding student safety on campuses across the country, colleges may require criminal background checks on all students, according to Darby Dickerson, dean of Stetson University College of Law. Dickerson advised colleges to establish uniform policies to ensure that applicants' criminal pasts are evaluated fairly and to train administrators with the assistance of legal and mental-health experts, according to The Chronicle.
