Opinion ID: 2301794
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Cain's Performance Evaluation

Text: On November 9, 2007, almost two weeks after Reinoso had asked personnel to prepare her termination papers, Reinoso gave Cain her first formal performance evaluation. [31] According to Cain's affidavit, she left the evaluation meeting with no sense that her performance was anything but commensurate with [her] position and responsibilities. As to the results, however, the record shows that Cain had the lowest scores in the office. Her evaluation showed a number of threes, rather than the higher ranking fours and fives. Reinoso testified on deposition that he had given Cain threes because she [m]et expectations. A five meant one exceed[ed] expectations. By contrast, the younger woman who received the education strategy position that Cain sought, Abigail Smith (aged thirty-seven), received mostly fours and fives. Reinoso had several concerns about Cain's performance, including her relationships within the office. As to teamwork, her evaluation (scored a three) stated that she need[ed] to improve in this area by working well with all team players. Specifically, Reinoso stressed on deposition that Cain had worked well with some members of the team but not others. He identified tensions between Cain and another staff member with whom she was working on a project, and he explained how he had to counsel each on how to work more effectively together to ensure that the team could move forward on its work. Furthermore, Cain's evaluation stated (again, scored a three) that she need[ed] to improve on her ability to work on projects with less supervision. In advocating for her qualifications, Cain has emphasized that she drafted a well-received Business Plan for the new Ombudsman's Office that was posted on the Mayor's website in April 2007 and was still a fixture there. In commenting on Cain's development of that plan, however, Reinoso noted that Cain's initial efforts did not have clarity and structure. Reinoso himself had to undertake research, provide business plan templates, show Cain how to adapt them to a government setting, and become more involved than [he] should have been as a manager.