The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Lynden Dorval found not guilty by Professional Conduct Committee

Provincial Executive Council has accepted a decision by the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Professional Conduct Committee to clear “no zero” teacher Lynden Dorval of three charges of unprofessional conduct.

PEC’s decision came at its Jan. 16 meeting at Barnett House. The Professional Conduct Committee had made its decision following a two-day hearing in December.

Dorval, a former science teacher at Edmonton’s Ross Shepard High School, had been suspended and then dismissed in 2012 following a highly publicized dispute over his refusal to implement the school’s new no-zero marking system.

The Association received complaints of unprofessional conduct against Dorval in 2012 and conducted an investigation into those complaints. A hearing before a hearing panel of the Professional Conduct Committee was ordered on three charges of unprofessional conduct — for refusing to implement the assessment policy mandated by his principal, for neglecting to return student exams and failing to remain off school property as directed by his principal, and for refusing to attend staff meetings as directed by his principal.

The Association is obligated to investigate every complaint of unprofessional conduct that it receives, and when an investigation determines that there is sufficient evidence to warrant a hearing, one is then held, said Jonathan Teghtmeyer, associate co-ordinator of communications. He also noted that Dorval’s hearing was held before a panel of two teacher members and one public member of the Association’s professional conduct committee.

The committee ruled in Dorval’s favour on all three charges.

In August, backed by ATA legal support, Dorval won a decision from the Board of Reference, which agreed that the 35-year veteran had been unfairly dismissed by Edmonton Public Schools. That decision awarded damages in Dorval’s favour. It is being appealed by the Edmonton Public School Board. ❚