In addition, the facts and procedural history of this dispute are set forth in several Connecticut Supreme Court opinions. See Lee v. Board of Education of the City of Bristol, 181 Conn. 69, 434 A.2d 333 (1980); Halpern v. Board of Education of the City of Bristol, 231 Conn. 308, 649 A.2d 534 (1994) "( Halpern I)"; Halpern v. Board of Education, 196 Conn. 647, 495 A.2d 264 (1985); Halpern v. Board of Education of the City of Bristol, 243 Conn. 435, 703 A.2d 1144 (1997), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 118 S.Ct. 1842, 140 L.Ed.2d 1092 (1998) ("Halpern II"). On August 21, 1974, the defendant Bristol Board of Education (hereinafter "the Board"), conducted a hearing pursuant to Conn.Gen.Stat. § 10-151(b) to determine whether to terminate the teaching contract of the plaintiff, Elinor Halpern, after eight years of teaching in the Bristol school system.
It would serve no useful purpose for us to repeat the discussion contained therein. See Halpern v. Board of Education, 243 Conn. 435, 438, 703 A.2d 1144 (1997); Molnar v. Administrator, Unemployment Compensation Act, 239 Conn. 233, 235, 685 A.2d 1107 (1996).
As the court in Transportation General, Inc. v. Dept. of Insurance, 236 Conn. 75, 76 (1996) stated: "To overcome the presumption of impartiality that attends administrative determinations, a plaintiff must demonstrate either actual bias or the existence of circumstances indicating `a probability of . . . bias too high to be constitutionally tolerable. . . .'" (Citations omitted.) See also Emonds v. Lumberman's Mutual Casualty Co., 49 Conn. App. 374, 377 (1998) (burden on plaintiff to show actual, not mere potential, bias); Halpern v. Board of Education, 45 Conn. Sup. 171, 191, aff'd, 243 Conn. 435 (1997) (requiring actual bias). In addition, General Statutes § 4-183 (j) requires the court to affirm the decision appealed from unless the court finds that "substantial rights of the person appealing have been prejudiced because the administrative findings . . . conclusions, or decisions are. (3) made upon unlawful procedure. . . .