Title: Walden v. IND. STATE PER. BD.
Citation: 235 N.E.2d 191, 250 Ind. 93
Docket Number: 30,844
State: Indiana
Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court
Date: April 1, 1968

250 Ind. 93 (1968)
235 N.E.2d 191
WALDEN
v.
INDIANA STATE PERSONEL BOARD.
No. 30,844.

Supreme Court of Indiana.
Filed April 1, 1968.
Robert M. Brown, Charles S. Brown, Jr., of New Castle, and William S. McMaster, of Indianapolis, for appellant.
John J. Dillon, Attorney General, John F. Davis, and Dennis J. Dewey, Deputies Attorney General, for appellee.
JACKSON, J.
This is an appeal from the judgment of the Henry Circuit Court in a proceeding for judicial review of the action of appellee, by which judgment the trial court sustained the dismissal of appellant from her employment as an Attendant II, New Castle State Hospital.
*94 In order to keep in proper perspective and clearly delineate the issues here to be determined we deem it advisable to set out in chronological order the various steps taken by the parties hereto. In so doing it will be necessary to set up a short history of matters preceding the discharge of the appellant.
Appellant was first employed at New Castle State Hospital on July 19, 1951. She had completed eleven years and was a permanent employee when she was notified on July 2, 1962 she was discharged effective August 1, 1962.
In 1961 appellant received a letter from Dr. Murray, dated June 28, 1961, being Board's Exhibit 8, reading in pertinent part as follows:
"According to absentee reports, you have been sick or absent the following number of days each year:
It is quite apparent that during the latter part of the time that appellant worked there was friction over not only her absences but over the fact that at times she called in to advise she would not be able to report for work only a short time before she was to go on duty. On one occasion she went on a vacation to Florida and was some three or four days late in *95 returning to her work as she was unable to get a seat on a plane until after the time she was due back at work.
On July 2, 1962, by letter of that date from Dr. Murray, being Board's Exhibit 7, appellant was notified as follows:
"You are hereby dismissed and discharged effective July 12, 1962 from your position as Attendant II (256) at the New Castle State Hospital for the following reason:
Thereafter appellant received another letter dated July 2, 1962, signed by Howard May, Personnel Officer, New Castle State Hospital, being Board's Exhibit 6, and reading as follows:
Thereafter, on July 17, 1962, pursuant to Acts 1941, ch. 139, § 36, p. 386, as amended, being § 60-1336 Burns', appellant, by counsel, requested a hearing before the Indiana State Personnel Board to appeal the decision of William Ellsworth Murray, M.D., Superintendent, New Castle State Hospital, in suspending her from duties pending dismissal, on July 2, 1962.
Thereafter on December 14, 1962, a hearing was had at the offices of the Board at which appellant was present in person and by counsel.
*96 On the 21st day of January, 1963, appellant was notified by letter of the Board's finding of facts and order. Said finding of facts and order reads as follows:
Thereafter, pursuant to the provisions of Acts 1947, ch. 365, § 14, p. 1451, as amended, being § 63-3014 Burns' 1961 Repl., appellant filed her petition for judicial review in the Henry Circuit Court. She also filed her Praecipe for Transcript of the proceedings before the Board for the use of the Henry Circuit Court. Receipt of a copy of the Praecipe was acknowledged February 4, 1963, by the Secretary of the Board.
Appellant filed an amended petition for judicial review; and thereafter filed her Third Amended Petition for Judicial Review.
The pertinent parts of appellant's third amended petition, which formed the issues, reads as follows, to-wit:
Thereafter on January 28, 1965, appellee filed its answer to appellant's third amended petition for a judicial review as follows:
On July 1, 1965, the Henry Circuit Court filed its findings of fact, conclusions of law and judgment, which, omitting formal parts, reads as follows, to-wit:
The above caption, cause of action, was submitted to the court pursuant to the provision of the acts of 1947, Ch. 365, Sec. 14-18, as amended, and after an examination of the transcript submitted on judicial review, the court now enters the following `Finding of Fact on Conclusions of Law and Judgment.'
The determination of the Indiana State Personnel Board is affirmed and the petition of Sarah Walden is hereby denied."
*102 Thereafter, on July 14, 1965, appellant filed her notice in the Henry Circuit Court of her intention to appeal said cause to this Court. On the same day appellant filed in said court her appeal bond in the sum of $200.00, being the amount fixed by the court, which bond was approved by the court.
Appellant's Assignment of Errors, omitting formal parts thereof, reads as follows:
One of the controlling statutes governing judicial review is § 63-3014, supra, which provides inter alia:
*103 Review by the trial court of the actions of an administrative board pursuant to the Administrative Judicial Review Act is not a trial de novo, but is based solely upon the records of the board's proceedings. Acts 1947, ch. 365, § 18, p. 1451, being § 63-3018 Burns', 1961 Repl. The board, not the court, determines the issues of fact. The court cannot weight conflicting evidence which appears in the record of the board's hearing for the purpose of determining for whom it preponderates. Indiana Board of Pharmacy v. Horner (1961), 241 Ind. 326, 172 N.E.2d 62.
If there is any substantial evidence to support the finding of the board, the court may not disturb the board's decision. Board of Medical Registration and Examination v. Armington (1961), 242 Ind. 436, 178 N.E.2d 741.
After careful examination of the record before the Indiana Personnel Board and the trial court, we conclude there was sufficient evidence to support the judgment. We are unable to find any errors in the proceedings below.
The judgment is affirmed.
Lewis, C.J. and Arterburn, Hunter and Mote, JJ. concur.
NOTE.  Reported in 235 N.E.2d 191.