Petitioner was served with a notice of discipline setting out six charges of misconduct alleging violations of the agency's rules, regulations and code of conduct. Petitioner denied the charges and demanded a hearing pursuant to Civil Service Law §75. The Employer withdrew one of the six charges after the §75 disciplinary hearing. The Hearing Officer subsequently found Petitioner guilty of the five remaining charges and recommended that the Petitioner be terminated from his position. The Appointing Authority reviewed the record and Hearing Officer's recommendation, found Petitioner guilty of the five remaining charges of misconduct and terminated his employment. Petitioner appealed the Appointing Authority's decision.
The Appellate Division, opining that the five charges were supported by substantial evidence, explained:
1. New York State's Civil Service Law §75(1) provides an employee in the classified service of a public employer covered by the statute "shall not be removed or otherwise subjected to any disciplinary penalty except for incompetency or misconduct shown after a hearing upon stated charges"; and
2. "The standard of review of such a determination made after a disciplinary hearing is whether it is supported by substantial evidence."
Turning to Petitioner's challenging the penalty imposed, of termination of his employment, as "excessive", the Appellate Division said in determining whether an imposed disciplinary penalty is excessive, "this Court must consider whether, in light of all the relevant circumstances, the penalty is so disproportionate to the charged offenses as to shock one's sense of fairness",* citing Matter of Scuderi-Hunter v County of Delaware, 202 AD3d at 1317.
The court, recognizing that Petitioner had been employed by the Appointing Authority "for nearly 25 years with no prior disciplinary issues and that he submitted 15 letters by individuals acclaiming their belief in his good character," said "sexual harassment in the work place is among the most offensive and demeaning torments an employee can undergo.'"
Noting that the record "establishes numerous incidents of sexual harassment" by Petitioner, the Appellate Division said: it "cannot conclude that the penalty of termination was so disproportionate to the offense, in the light of all the circumstances, as to be shocking to one's sense of fairness".
* A Reasonable Disciplinary Penalty Under the Circumstances. The text of this NYPPL e-book focuses on court decisions addressing disciplinary penalties imposed on employees in the public service in instances where the individual has been found guilty of misconduct and, or, incompetence. For more information click HERE.
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