Mineola Union Free School District v. Mineola Teachers' Ass'n.
The petitioner, Mineóla Union Free School District, appealed an order from the Supreme Court, Nassau County, which had denied its motion to stay arbitration and granted the Mineóla Teachers’ Association's cross-motion to compel arbitration. The appellate court affirmed the lower court's decision, ruling that the dispute, related to article 24 of the collective bargaining agreement, was indeed subject to arbitration. The court rejected the District's argument that an arbitration award favoring the Association would violate public policy, emphasizing the narrow scope of the public policy exception in public employment cases. It concluded that no law prohibited such an award and that upholding article 24 would not force the District to hire unqualified candidates, thus not violating Education Law §§ 3012 (1) (a) and 1709 (16).