LEGAL ASSISTANCE

If you face criminal or civil charges as a result of disciplinary actions taken against a pupil while you were doing your job, the DOE will provide you with legal representation. You should immediately contact your district representative or your UFT borough office for assistance in getting a DOE attorney.
To protect your right to representation, you must provide two agencies with copies of any legal papers with which you have been served (such as a criminal summons or a civil complaint). The first is the DOE’s Office of Legal Services (1-212-374-6888); the second is the city’s Corporation Counsel (100 Church St., New York NY 10007; phone 1-212-788-0303). You must give each agency copies of the paperwork within 10 days of being served, although the UFT recommends doing this within five days.
There’s one additional step worth taking. At the same time you contact the DOE and Corporation Counsel, ask your UFT borough office for an application for the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) – our statewide affiliate – Legal Defense Fund. If you are fully exonerated of all charges, this fund will reimburse you for up to $25,000 in legal fees.