Hiring below minimum requirements

[danielapetersen]

Our school district, in Illinois, just posted a position of a school nurse. In the posting it stated minimum requirements of, "a bachelors degree (4 year) in nursing, or higher, and a registered nurse certification in the state." They interviewed and hired someone with an associates degree (2 year) in nursing when there were heavily qualified, recommended, and referred candidates who applied.
Since the school is a government organization who must legally post jobs and their requirements, don't they have to hire within the minimum requirements stated in the publc job posting if there were qualified candidates who applied? Isn't this similar to a public bid or RFP put out by the government were they have specifications?
I ask because I beleive there was nepatism involved and illegal hiring because they intentionally went below the minumum requirements.
Thanks for your help.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[pattytx]

Illinois is not my state, but the only possible violations I can see here are of either the city or school board charter or the board's civil service commission requirements. The school board or the board's attorney may be able to answer her questions.

Having said that, are you just curious or did YOU apply for the job and not get it?

 

[danielapetersen]

Thanks Pattytx

My wife applied for the position and did not get it.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the #2 rated Nursing School in the nation. She has been the primary school nurse substitute for the district over the last 2+ years, and comes with incredible recommendations from teachers, staff and parents in that school. She comes with outstanding references from other local school district's, far bigger than ours, top administrators. She has more than twice as much experience than the candidate selected. What's more is that she meets the "MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS" publically posted for education.
Our city government has no jurisdicition over the schools. Our school board was duped on this.
If a government organization MUST publically post an opening and their minimum expectations, then why post them if they have the latitude to hire a anyone to fill the position? I guess this is why we have so much nepatism and insider hiring in our government and schools.
I believe they, also, cheated posible other candidates (who may have had less than the minimum requirements posted) from applying.

 

[pattytx]

My prior advice still applies then. This is something that can only be answered within "the system". There are no general employment laws that prohibit this situation.

 

[ecmst12]

I didn't think a public school was considered a government job...is that wrong?

 

[pattytx]

I didn't think a public school was considered a government job...is that wrong?

Probably. "Public" normally implies "government", as in taxpayer funded.

 

[alishalove]

She has more than twice as much experience than the candidate selected.

Maybe they felt your wife was "overqualified" for the job....

Why one person is hired over another some of us never end up knowing. Even whether its a friend of someones on the "inside". It's the Company's decision and if they want to hire someone who doesn't meet all the "technical" minimum requirements as stated then that's there choice. They just better hope there is no adverse affect on protected classes who were qualified for the job but overturned for someone less qualified. Good luck to employer and employee I say if they prefer to hire less "technically" qualified candidates.