By ABBY BRAVO, News Editor
The College of Saint Rose won its appeal over the lawsuit filed by four tenured music professors who were terminated due to cost-cutting measures in 2020 when 33 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty were let go.
The court initially ruled against the school in December 2021, saying the school violated its faculty manual through the firings. The college is supposed to take into account tenure first, then seniority, and then rank when deciding retention, which was not the case according to Justice Peter Lynch, the original justice who ruled in favor of the professors.
The school appealed the decision which was heard on Sept. 7. On Thursday, the New York appellate court overturned the lower court’s decision saying the school did not violate its manual.
Justice Molly Reynolds Fitzgerald ruled that the school exhausted its options during retrenchment, writing, “the only mandate found within the manual… is that the College ‘should consider . . . all reasonable alternatives before resorting to program reductions and any concomitant reductions in personnel.’”
This reversal evoked feelings of frustration. “Naturally, I’m disappointed. I was prepared for any eventuality, but it is a sad day for our students, the College and our community,” said music professor Bruce Roter. “We represented the last in a group of 33 faculty that were terminated by the College.”
Roter is one of four faculty that filed the initial lawsuit. The others are Yvonne Chavez Hansbrough, Robert Hansbrough and Sherwood Wise.
Roter worries about the implications of the ruling. “The present decision puts into grave jeopardy the significance of our faculty manual as a legally binding document – not just on our campus, but on campuses throughout the country,” Roter said.
He also sees potential issues surrounding tenure. “What I sense is that this decision is another nail in the coffin of the tenure process,” he said.
Former music students expressed disappointment about the decision. “Both the professors and the music program at Saint rose deserved better than what they received,” said Olivia Montagno.
“Saint Rose’s reputation was known by many educators, even out here on Long Island,” said Brianna Moss, another former music education student now teaching music at the Levittown Public School District. “My education’s credibility was a subject in many interviews.”
Moss blames the administration at Saint Rose for a perceived lack of respect toward herw degree by employers. “The students and the faculty members are what MADE the program,” she said.
The college put out an official statement on the most recent ruling that reads, “we followed a process in the academic program reductions, and that process was affirmed by the courts. Those decisions were difficult, and the contributions of the faculty impacted will not be forgotten.”
Roter, along with Robert Hansbrough, both plan to accept an offer from the college to remain professors for the remainder of the Fall 2022 semester. “I will finish out the semester and concentrate on offering all my students my very best possible teaching efforts,” said Hansbrough. “Looking forward after that will be a challenge.”
Hansbrough has served the Saint Rose community for almost 25 years. “I have been promoted twice to the rank of Full Professor, I have served the department in several leadership positions,” wrote Hansbrough. Among other achievements, he was involved in the construction of the Massry Center for the Arts building as well as being the founder of the Saint Rose Summer Youth Music program.
Roter will finish his 25 year long contribution to the college after this semester and has no plans to stop advocating for the community. “I have every expectation that I will remain an active leader in our community and a strong advocate for quality education and ethical leadership,” he wrote in an email.
