Opinion ID: 2155919
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Appeal to OEA

Text: On December 28, 1993, the District filed a petition for review of Judge Lattimer's decision. Since the TAP had been dissolved, as of November 30, 1993, Mr. King's case was transferred to OEA. In its March 18, 1994 decision reversing Judge Lattimer's order and upholding DPAH's termination of Mr. King, OEA stated, in part: [I]n order for [Mr. King's] position to be in the same competitive level as the other Special Assistants, the qualifications for each position would have to be sufficiently alike so that the incumbent of any position would be automatically qualified to perform the official duties and responsibilities of [Mr. King's] position. Since none of the other Special Assistant positions require drug enforcement knowledge or contain major duties involving drug policy, these positions were properly excluded from Employee's competitive level. Therefore, we find that [the DPAH] produced adequate evidence to prove that [Mr. King's] competitive level was properly constructed and that [the DPAH] properly applied RIF procedures in releasing [Mr. King] from his competitive level. In reaching this conclusion, the OEA first observed that the competitive level is based on the official position description. Second, the OEA found Ms. Qawiyy's testimony, that [Mr. King's] position did not require drug enforcement knowledge, to be in conflict with the official position description, which emphasized drug functions, whereas those for other special assistants did not contain duties in the drug or drug-related area. In accordance with D.C.Code § 1-606.3(d), Mr. King filed a petition for review of the DPAH decision to the Superior Court, on April 15, 1994. [5] After delay, caused by (1) a default judgment which later was vacated; (2) unsuccessful efforts to settle the case; and (3) the lack of a transcript of the agency hearing, the Honorable Stephen G. Milliken ordered the OEA to reconstruct the transcript by rehearing testimony, as originally presented. [6] Subsequently, Judge Milliken reversed the OEA's decision and reinstated Judge Lattimer's decision. In essence, Judge Milliken determined that the OEA did not review Judge Lattimer's decision under the proper standard. Judge Milliken recognized that the OEA ignored significant factual findings of Judge Lattimer: Based on record facts, TAP Judge Lattimer found that Mr. King's competitive level was improperly constructed. The OEA decision finds the determinative fact to be a point in the official position description that requires a knowledge of drug laws. Judge Lattimer found, based on a cogent distillation of facts, that four knowledge requirements preceded the knowledge of drug enforcement laws. Knowledge of drug enforcement was not as paramount to the position description as the [DPAH] argues, and TAP Judge Lattimer refused to elevate the form of the position description over the substance of the job, as found, and not erroneously[,] on record facts. The District filed a timely appeal.