Barrall v. The Board of Trustees of John A. Logan Community College

This case presents question as to whether trial court properly dismissed plaintiffs-laid-off tenured faculty members’ mandamus petition, alleging that defendant violated Public Community College Act (PCCA) by hiring adjunct instructors to teach many courses previously taught by plaintiffs. While trial court found that adjunct instructors were not “employees with less seniority” as defined under PCCA, and thus defendant could hire instant adjunct instructors without giving plaintiffs bumping rights, Appellate Court, in reversing trial court, found that plaintiffs had potential bumping rights under section 3B-5 of PCCA, where plaintiffs alleged that defendant effectively eliminated teaching positions to which they could have been reappointed by assigning their courses to adjunct instructors. In its petition for leave to appeal, defendant asserted that Appellate Court’s decision conflicted with Biggiam, 154 Ill.App.3d 627. (Dissent filed.)