Stephen M. Sedor

Stephen M. Sedor is the chair of Pullman & Comley’s School Law Practice Group. For more than twenty years, Stephen has represented school districts in a multitude of areas falling under the heading of education law and labor law.  He has also represented local municipalities in a wide range of labor disputes involving multiple collective bargaining units.

In particular, Stephen represents school districts in matters including student discipline, teacher termination and non-renewals, student privacy issues, budget matters, FOIC issues and employee discipline cases.  Stephen’s focus on labor disputes while representing school districts and municipalities includes a wide range of service.  He serves as the chief spokesperson at collective bargaining negotiations and binding interest arbitrations.  He defends schools and towns against employee grievances, prohibited practice charges, wage and hour disputes and other charges that require him to appear before the Connecticut Department of Labor, the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration, and other administrative tribunals.

With his experience in labor and employment matters, Stephen is also called upon to conduct investigations of alleged employee misconduct.  Examples of some of the investigations that Stephen has handled include allegations of hostile work environments, student grade changes, discrimination, and general employee misconduct.

Stephen has also defended public and private sector clients in state and federal court against countless civil actions alleging various claims of discrimination, wage and hour violations, whistleblower complaints, retaliation and wrongful discharge.  Stephen is admitted to practice in Connecticut state and federal courts and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.  He has also argued before the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Office

Professional Affiliations

Connecticut Bar Association

Greater Bridgeport Bar Association

Honors & Recognitions

Named Stamford "Lawyer of the Year" by The Best Lawyers in America in the area of employment law -  management in 2022 and labor law management for 2023

Named a Moffly Media Top Lawyer in Fairfield County, 2021, 2023 and 2024 - Education

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Employment and Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment since 2015; Listed in the area of Education Law since 2019

Stamford Area’s “Lawyer of the Year” in Best Lawyers-2016, 2018 and 2020

• Collectively bargained contracts with unions representing teachers and administrators unions, paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries, public works, town hall, police, library and dispatchers.
• Substantial experience in advising public sector clients through changes in their insurance plan designs and negotiating the same with employee bargaining units.
• Successfully defended a grievance at arbitration against a union seeking approximately one million dollars that alleged the school district improperly calculated the employees’ premium cost share for insurance benefits.
• Defended a prohibited practice charge by a teachers union over a new requirement that students’ Individual Education Plans be prepared electronically.
• Prevailed in a prohibited practice charge alleging that the school district’s implementation of a bonus based on the number of students who received passing grades in Advanced Placement classes constituted a repudiation of the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
• Successfully defended grievances brought to arbitration involving case of termination, employee discipline, denials of transfers or promotions, alleged denials of overtime and others.
• Represented school administration in many cases of student expulsion hearings, residency and transportation matters.
• Prevailed on summary judgment while defending a school district against a civil action alleging an employee was discriminated against for “blowing the whistle” on the district’s alleged failure to provide textbooks.

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Press Releases

Blog Posts