Kistler

The trial court, in a summary judgment proceeding, concluded Redwoods Community College District (District) improperly denied Kathleen Kistler, Allen Keppner, and Gary Peterson (respondents), certain of its outgoing administrators, their accrued vacation pay. The District had reassigned respondents to work as faculty members, but ordered them off the premises in order to use up their accrued vacation pay immediately before the change, rather than allowing them to serve out the remainder of their annual terms as administrators. The trial court ruled for respondents and also granted respondents their attorney fees.

We affirm in part, reverse in part, and modify the judgment accordingly. We affirm the trial court’s ruling that respondents were wrongfully deprived of accrued vacation pay; we order payment to them of the amounts in issue. We reverse the order granting attorney fees, finding no authority for such an award in this case.

I. Facts and Procedural History

There are no relevant factual issues in dispute. We summarize the facts here simply as background to the legal issues.

In 1990, respondents had been employed for several years as administrators for District,…