Mary Beth de Goede

Mary Beth de Goede has exclusively represented school and community college districts in employment law, personnel and labor relations, and general public school law for over 30 years. She has served as the principal legal advisor to numerous California school districts on issues relating to the Ralph M. Brown Act; conflicts of interest; labor and employment, including all facets of labor-management relations; employee discipline and discharge; discrimination and harassment; as well as student rights and student discipline.

Ms. de Goede regularly represents many school districts before the Public Employment Relations Board and in employment discrimination cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the Office of Civil Rights.

Ms. de Goede has successfully prosecuted numerous permanent teacher dismissals before commissions on professional competence and the California Courts of Appeal. She has also successfully litigated many unfair practice cases at both the administrative and appellate court levels. Ms. de Goede has negotiated on behalf of school districts up through and including fact-finding, post-fact-finding negotiations, and unilateral implementation. Ms. de Goede has also served as a hearing officer in employee discipline matters and routinely investigated complaints of workplace harassment and discrimination for a number of cities, counties, and community college districts.

Prior to joining AALRR, she was a partner or shareholder at several law firms, serving as Managing Partner with Stroup & de Goede from 1989 until 2002.

Practice Areas