| First Name | Jennifer |
| Last Name | Hoback |
| Decision Date | 3/7/2019 |
| Docket Number | 2019-0264-CONS |
| ALJ | CHL |
| Respondent | Department of Health and Human Resources/Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital |
| Employment Type | STATE |
| Job Title | Registered Nurse |
| Topics | Termination; Dismissal |
| Primary Issues | Whether Respondent proved by a preponderance of the evidence that Grievant engaged in misconduct constituting good cause for Grievant’s dismissal. |
| Outcome | Granted |
| Statutes | W.Va. Code St. R. § 156-1-3 (2018); W.Va. Code St. R. § 64-59-3.13; W.Va. Code St. R. § 64-59-3.17; W.VA. CODE § 6C-2-3(h); W.Va. Code § 6C-2-2(o) |
| Related Cases | Leichliter v. Dep't of Health & Human Res., Docket No. 92-HHR-486 (May 17, 1993), aff’d, Pleasants Cnty. Cir. Ct. Civil Action No. 93-APC-1 (Dec. 2, 1994); Oakes v. W. Va. Dep’t of Finance and Admin., 164 W. Va. 384, 264 S.E.2d 151 (1980); Guine v. Civil Serv. Comm’n, 149 W. Va. 461, 141 S.E.2d 364 (1965); Jones v. W. Va. Dep’t of Health & Human Res., Docket No. 96-HHR-371 (Oct. 30, 1996); Young v. Div. of Natural Res., Docket No. 2009-0540-DOC (Nov. 13, 2009); Clarke v. W. Va. Bd. of Regents, 166 W. Va. 702, 279 S.E.2d 169 (1981); Burchell v. Bd. of Trustees, Marshall Univ., Docket No. 97-BOT-011 (Aug. 29, 1997); Garner v. Dep’t of Health & Human Res./Jackie Withrow Hospital, Docket No. 2016-0883-DHHR (June 8, 2016); Myers v. Dep’t of Health & Human Res./Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital, Docket No. 2017-2498-CONS (May 9, 2018); Davis v. Dep’t of Health & Human Res./Jackie Withrow Hospital, Docket No. 2016-1597-CONS (Nov. 17, 2016); Chidester v. Dep’t of Health & Human Res./William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital, Docket No. 2017-2225-CONS (Nov. 14, 2018); Gunnells v. Logan County Bd. of Educ., Docket No. 97-23-055 (Dec. 9, 1997); Sinsel v. Harrison County Bd. of Educ., Docket No. 96-17-219 (Dec. 31, 1996); Seddon v. W. Va. Dep't of Health/Kanawha-Charleston Health Dep't, Docket No. 90-H-115 (June 8, 1990) |
| Keywords | Termination; Dismissal; Physical Abuse; Verbal Abuse; Patient; Misconduct; Retaliation; Investigation; Complaint; EEO; Investigator; Investigative Report; APS; Injured; Security Camera Recording; Unsubstantiated |
| Intermediate Court of Appeals | |
| Circuit Court | |
| Supreme Court | |
| Synopsis | Grievant was employed by Respondent as a Registered Nurse at Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital. Respondent dismissed Grievant charging her as having engaged in physical and verbal abuse of a patient. Grievant denies Respondent’s claims, arguing that she was accused of this misconduct and dismissed in retaliation for making complaints about her supervisor’s behavior. Respondent failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Grievant engaged in physical abuse of a patient or verbal abuse of a patient. Respondent failed to prove that there was good cause for Grievant’s dismissal. Therefore, the grievance is GRANTED. |