October 11, 2013
By Mitchel Wilson
In DuPage County Sherriff, 13 LA 1131 (Wolff 2013), the arbitrator sustained the Union’s grievance based on the assertion that the County was preventing deputies from taking vacation in violation of the CBA terms.
Filed Under: Contract Interpretation
October 11, 2013
By Jim Cline
As we all know, "social media" are becoming prevalent. The ubiquity of the Internet and the rapid expansion of other social media such as Twitter and social media pages such as Facebook, create opportunities for communication of astonishing proportions. With that ability to communicate on a larger stage comes one very directly associated problem — the ability to say something incredibly stupid to a much greater number of people on that "larger stage." Or as one law enforcement blogger described the problem — police agencies now need to develop policies to address the problems associated with "when stupid strikes."
Filed Under: Constitutional Rights, Legal Rights
October 10, 2013
By David Worley
In Maraschiello v. City of Buffalo Police Dep’t, 117 FEP Cases 665 (2d Cir. 2013), the Federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that summary judgment was proper when a white Buffalo Police captain was denied a promotion after he refused to take the new aptitude test, which he claimed was implemented to give an unfair advantage to minorities. The court found that because the employer instituted the new aptitude test in a racially neutral manner, and the new test was designed to eliminate previous racial bias, the new test could not be considered to have an adverse racial impact.
Filed Under: Discrimination, Legal Rights, Race Discrimination
October 10, 2013
By David Worley
In Lee v. District of Columbia, 27 AD Cases 895 (D.D.C. 2013), a District of Columbia Federal District Court found that a diabetic corrections worker had valid claim under the ADA when he was fired for falling asleep on the job, but had been denied a regular meal break and therefore could not manage the symptoms of the disease. These symptoms included dizziness, fainting or sudden fatigue resulting in falling asleep. The court found that because an employer accommodation was necessary for Lee to be able to perform the essential functions of the job, he was in fact disabled in the meaning of the ADA.
Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination, Legal Rights
October 10, 2013
By David Worley
In Moore v. Maryland Dep’t of Public Safety & Correctional Services, 27 AD Cases 849 (D. Md. 2013), a Maryland Federal District Court found no claim could be made under the ADA when Arlene Moore, a corrections officer recovering from breast cancer, was terminated following an extended period of sick leave and there was no indication that she would be able to return to work. The Officer had 8 months of leave and her doctor indicated that she either “would” or “might” be able to return after an additional 7 months of leave. The court concluded that this prolonged leave especially in the absence of a certain return date was not a reasonable accommodation.
Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
October 10, 2013
By David Worley
In Benavides v. Oklahoma City, 20 WH Cases 2d 331 (10th Cir. 2013), the Court upheld summary judgment on ADA and FMLA claims by a former detective when there was no retaliatory action, the employer suitably responded to alleged harassment, the paid administrative leave was standard for an employee being investigated for a crime, the paid leave did not adversely affect the plaintiff, and there was no showing that the City’s reason was pretextual. The court had little trouble in affirming the lower court’s granting of summary judgment as the plaintiff had utterly failed in indicating any violation of either the ADA or FMLA had occurred.
Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination, Legal Rights
October 9, 2013
By David Worley
In City of Chicago, 131 LA 902 (Goldstein, 2013), the arbitrator found no violation of the CBA occurred when the Chicago Police department did not elevate a Captain to position of Commander when the current Commander was temporarily absent even though the CBA specified that an available Captain (the grievant), would be elevated to that position when it became vacant.
Filed Under: Contract Interpretation
October 9, 2013
By David Worley
In Town of Canton, 131 LA 876 (Gnocchi 2013), the arbitrator found that because the overtime provisions of the CBA did not reference “Private Duty” work, and there was a separate provision detailing the compensation for private duty work, the grievant was not entitled to the overtime rate of pay for that private duty work. The arbitrator found the lack of applicable language in the overtime provision determinative, and considered private duty work, although assigned by the department and done in uniform, to be essentially work performed for a third party.
Filed Under: Contract Interpretation
August 28, 2013
By Anthony Rice
In Pubentz, an FBI linguist’s First Amendment retaliation claim failed because the linguist’s comments, made during a work presentation at the Chicago FBI Office, were not made as a citizen on a matter of public concern. Moreover, even if the speech was made as a citizen and on a matter of public concern, the court held the government’s interest would outweigh the linguist’s in this scenario.
Filed Under: Constitutional Rights, Free Speech Rights, Legal Rights
August 22, 2013
By Mitchel Wilson
In Hamner v. Ann Arundel Cnty., 117 FEP Cases 1672 (2013), the court permitted the claims of a county employee who had been transferred to the police department against the county for retaliatory failure to hire and a hostile work environment. She had been transferred, but the county claimed to only a provisional position.
