What is due process?

Due process generally means a fair procedure to resolve a disputed matter. It can take many forms, including fair notice; the right of a party to articulate his or her position; and a fair decision making procedure which sometimes (but not always) involves a neutral decision maker. But in order for due process to apply, the claim normally must involve a government agency and must involve a persons life, liberty or property (the phrase stems from constitutional language in the 14th Amendment stating that "nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"). In the context of a school administrator’s job, the question is whether the person has a legitimate right to continued employment in the same position.