Christian Stevens, CSC Docket No. 2022-691, 2022-700
NJ Civil Service Commission decision of June 15, 2022, CSC Docket No. 2022-691: discipline, penalty upheld. Christian Stevens, Fire Fighter, Asbury Park, Fire Department, seven working day suspension and removal, effective October 20, 2020, on charges of incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perf
Commission decisions · Meeting of June 15, 2022
Christian Stevens, Fire Fighter, Asbury Park, Fire Department, seven working day suspension and removal, effective October 20, 2020, on charges of incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perform duties, insubordination, inability to perform duties, chronic or excessive absenteeism or lateness, neglect of duty and other sufficient cause.
- Matter
- Discipline
- Decided
- June 15, 2022, item A-6
- Outcome
- Penalty upheld
- ALJ's recommendation
- Uphold the removal.
- What the Commission did with it
- Adopted the ALJ's recommendation
- Penalty appealed
- 7 working day suspension
- Title
- FIRE FIGHTER
- Employer
- Asbury Park City
- Chair at the time
- Deirdre L. Webster Cobb, Chairperson
- Official decision
- Published by CSC in its monthly archive bundle (A006 STEVENS CHRISTIAN.PDF)
Action recorded in the minutes: The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge to uphold the removal and also upheld the seven working day suspension.
The decision
CSC published this decision as a scanned image. The text below was recognized by OCR, read twice and checked against the meeting minutes, but OCR can misread a word. The official document is the record.
BackgroundThe appeal of Christian Stevens, Fire Fighter, Asbury Park, Fire Department, seven working day suspension and removal, effective October 20, 2020, on charges, was heard by Administrative Law Judge Carl V. Buck, III (ALJ), who rendered his initial decision on April 21, 2022. Exceptions were filed by the appellant, pro se, and a reply to exceptions was filed on behalf of the appointing authority.
AnalysisHaving considered the record and the ALdJ’s initial decision, including a thorough review of the exceptions and reply, and having made an independent evaluation of the record, the Civil Service Commission (Commission), at its meeting of June 15, 2022, accepted and adopted the Findings of Fact and Conclusion as contained in the attached ALJ’s initial decision. However, it is noted that while the ALJ upheld the charges underlying both the suspension and removal, he did not indicate whether the penalty underlying the suspension should be upheld. Upon its review, the Commission agrees with the ALJ regarding the charges underlying the suspension, and finds that the penalty imposed was appropriate. Accordingly, along with upholding the removal, the Commission upholds the seven working day suspension.
ORDER
The Civil Service Commission finds that the action of the appointing authority in suspending and removing the appellant was justified. The Commission therefore affirms those actions and dismisses the appeals of Christian Stevens.
ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.
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