5DCA Oral Argument - 2026/05/12 - May 12, 2026
argument5DCA Oral Argument - 2026/05/12
California Fifth District Court of Appeal
5h 33m
8 chapters
transcribed 9 days ago
official recording ↗
Transcript
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What is the case and who are the parties in the Sandals vs. Commission on Teacher Credentialing oral argument?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good morning, gentlemen, on the video. We are in session now on case number F089140, Sandals versus California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Would you state your appearances for the record?
Good morning, Your Honors. Matthew Harrison for Appellant Dr. David Sandals.
Good morning, Your Honors. Deputy Attorney General Matthew King for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Thank you, Mr. Harrison. You've requested 15 minutes. How much time do you wish to reserve for your reply?
About three minutes, Your Honor.
All right. Go ahead, sir. Thank you,
Your Honor. And may it please the court. Dr. Singles is an award-winning teacher, 25 years of service, no prior discipline, and an exemplary director of helping vulnerable actresses. On his mission on teacher credential, he revoked his credential for one thing, a 15-day medical leave with Bakersfield City School District Physician, authorized in writing by his physician, on the form provided by the district. Dr. Sandel's leave was based on physical symptoms he suffered as a result of hostile workplace conditions perpetuated against him by the BCSD superintendent and principal in retaliation for his public criticism of their policies. The symptoms in retaliation were corroborated by witness testimony.
concluding that the superintendent who reported Dr. Sandals had previously corrected his, quote, friends at the commission to revoke Dr. Sandals' credential in retaliation for his public criticism. While Dr. Sandals was on leave, he taught a college class at Al State Baker to be able to support his family. Under the applicable legal standard, these facts cannot support credential revocation.
Reversal is not only
necessary due to the trial court's failure to apply the proclamation, but
because the proper legal
standard does not authorize revocation under these unconscious facts. First and foremost, the trial court failed to apply independent judgment. This standard requires it to reach its own independent conclusion on both findings and the penalties. It did not do so, instead focusing on the similarities of the respective orders. The trial court even admitted it had a, quote, preference for the ALJ's one-year suspension, but deferred to the commission's revocation order because of an erroneous perception that it required That is the wrong standard and irreversible error. As this very court held in Alberta v. Florida retirement, the trial court's deferential language demonstrates the failure to substantively apply independent judgment irrespective of the label, which required reversal as a matter of law.
Additionally, the trial court was obligated to apply independent judgment as to the Morrison factors, especially considering that the differences in the proposed penalties between the orders were based on the differences in the respective application of the Morrison factors, The trial board
did not
do so, and this failure requires a person. Second, substantively, there is no justification for revocation under the Morse factors. While
the
commission
and ALJ,
unlike the trial board, actually did apply the Morse factors,
the commission and
ALJ both improperly applied them in a way which is foreclosed under applicable regulation in case law. These errors are clear as a first, fourth, and seventh Morse factor. Start with the first Morse factor. evaluating the adverse effect on students and the degree to which this effect was anticipated by the school district. Both the ALJ and the commission erred by omitting the latter half of this factor and failing to analyze the extent to which the adverse effect was anticipated by the district. As Dr. Sandoz observed on page 37 of his brief, quoting the Sandy Eapito case at 287, quote, the school system assumes a teacher will on occasion be absent and provides for competent substitutes. Thus, a teacher's two-week absence is clearly anticipated.
And thus, the district containing substitutes means there was no adverse effect sufficient to warrant discipline, let alone revocation.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the case and who are the parties in the Sandals vs. Commission on Teacher Credentialing oral argument?
4:58–28:11
2
How does the appellant argue that the trial court failed to apply the independent‑judgment standard and the Morrison factors?
28:11–41:16
3
What are the key issues in the DMV traffic‑stop case and how does the prosecution assert reasonable suspicion?
41:16–52:58
4
How does the defense challenge the classification of the officer’s use of white scene lights as a lawful stop?
52:58–1:03:13
5
What constitutional claim does the appellant raise regarding equal‑protection in the juvenile dependency proceedings?
1:03:13–1:11:47
6
How does the appellant demonstrate selective denial of notice and information to grandparents compared with other relatives?
1:11:47–1:25:32
7
What legal standards govern a class‑of‑one equal‑protection claim in California courts?
1:25:32–4:51:39
8
What are the final requests and anticipated outcomes for each of the three cases presented?
4:51:39–5:28:39