Publication of the findings made, and penalty recommended, after a disciplinary hearing by a New York City Office of Trials and Hearings Administrative Law Judge

At the close of a §75 disciplinary hearing held before the New York City Office of Trials and Hearings, the employee, a correction officer, moved to prohibit publication of the OATH Administrative Law Judge's report of findings and recommendation with respect to the penalty to be imposed, citing to §50-a of the Civil Rights Law. The correction officer contended that §50-a requires personnel records under the control of the Department of Correction be kept confidential.

OATH Administrative Law Judge Kevin F. Casey denied the correction officer's motion as untimely.

In addition, Judge Casey explained that [1] because OATH, as an autonomous agency and independent tribunal, its records are not under the control of Department of Correction and [2] the correction officer failed to overcome the broad presumption under the First Amendment in favor of public access to OATH proceedings.

The ALJ's ruling cites Matter of Victor v New York City Off. of Trials & Hearings, 174 AD3d 455, in which the Appellate Division held that Victor's claim that a disciplinary report and recommendation issued as the result of an OATH disciplinary hearing is confidential under Civil Rights Law §50-a was moot, explaining that "[f]or several years, the report has been publicly available from multiple sources, including the OATH and LEXIS websites" and as the court "cannot afford petitioner any meaningful relief," it dismissed Victor's appeal.

The decision is posted on the Internet at: 
http://archive.citylaw.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/oath/19_cases/19-1663md.pdf.

______________

The Discipline Book

A concise guide to disciplinary actions involving public officers and employees in New York State. For more information click on http://booklocker.com/books/5215.html

______________

Human Rights Law as applied to independent contractors and immigrants.

Source: Jackson Lewis Newsletters 

New York City enacts legislation clarifying independent contractor protection under Human Rights Law

While courts have generally interpreted the New York City Human Rights Law as providing anti-discrimination protections to individuals performing services as independent contractors, effective in January 2020, amendments to the New York City Human Rights Law clarify such protections. Read full article ►

New York City issues new enforcement guidance on discrimination based on national origin, immigrant status

Continuing its pattern of issuing enforcement guidance on areas on which it focuses, the New York City Commission on Human Rights has released guidance reiterating the obligations of most employers, housing providers, and providers of public accommodations in New York City to avoid discrimination based on national origin and immigration status. Read full article ►

Dismissal during a probationary period

As a general rule, an individual appointed to a position on a permanent basis attains such status on the effective date of such "permanent appointment" but does not attain tenure in the position until [1] he or she satisfactorily completes his or her maximum period of probation or [2] by estoppel, acquisition, default, or otherwise by operation of law or [3] as the result of the appointing authority's lawfully truncating the individual's maximum period of probation. In addition, tenure may be acquired in consideration of certain military service performed during a probationary period or by other lawful process.

York v McGuire, 63 NY2d 760, sets out the basic rule concerning the dismissal of probationary employees as follows: “After completing his or her minimum period of probation and prior to completing his or her maximum period of probation, a probationary employee can be dismissed without a hearing and without a statement of reasons, as long as there is no proof that the dismissal was done for a constitutionally impermissible purpose, or in violation of statutory or decisional law, or the decision was made in bad faith.”

This limitation on summarily dismissing a probationary employee during the minimum probationary period is to provide the individual a minimum period of time to demonstrate his or her ability to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. In contrast, should the appointing authority elect to terminate a probationary employee before he or she has completed the required minimum period of probation, the individual is entitled to administrative due process, i.e., "notice and hearing," otherwise to be accorded a "tenured employee."

Supreme Court denied the petition the filed the Plaintiff seeking to annul her former employer's [Respondent] determination terminating her probationary employment for unsatisfactory performance of her duties effective June 27, 2016 and granted Respondents' cross motion to dismiss the proceeding brought pursuant to CPLR article 78. Plaintiff appealed the Supreme Court's decision.

Affirming the lower court's ruling, the Appellate Division explained that Plaintiff's Article 78 petition was untimely as she had been terminated effective June 27, 2016 and she had until  October 27, 2016 to challenge Respondents' determination, but did not commence her Article 78 proceeding until June 16, 2017.*

Citing Kahn v New York Dept. of Education, 18 NY3d 457, the Appellate Division rejected the Petitioner's argument that the statute of limitations applicable to initiating a CPLR Article 78 action "was tolled  until the criminal charges against her were dismissed" as unavailing. Further, opined the court, Petitioner's failure to timely notify her Employer of her arrest, a violation of Employer's regulations, constituted a good faith basis for terminating her employment.

* The Appellate Division noted that the record shows that Petitioner was dismissed due to an unsatisfactory performance rating and because of her failure to immediately notify her supervisor of her arrest rather than because of the arrest itself, as she claims.

The decision is posted on the Internet at:

http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2019/2019_07321.htm

___________________________

The Discipline Book 

A concise guide to disciplinary actions involving public officers and employees in New York State. For more information click on http://booklocker.com/books/5215.html

___________________________