Opinion ID: 202865
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Attempts at Reinstatement

Text: Following her transfer, Rodriguez-Garcia sent a letter to Human Resources dated March 3, 2000, requesting a written explanation for her transfer. [4] Her attorney, Eladio Cartagena, followed up on this first letter with three additional letters. The first of these, dated March 8, was directed to the mayor. This letter requested Rodriguez-Garcia's reinstatement to Public Works and suggested that her transfer was motivated by the Ethics Office investigation. Cartagena received a reply from Human Resources dated March 27 that began, The Hon. William Miranda Marín, Mayor, has referred to us your letter dated March 8, 2000 concerning the transfer of Mrs. [Rodriguez-Garcia], and stated that: (1) the transfer had been made at Rodriguez-Garcia's request because of differences she had with her direct supervisor; (2) it was considered a temporary transfer; and (3) that we would have no inconvenience in newly reinstating Mrs. [Rodriguez-Garcia] to her former position. Cartagena sent a second letter to the mayor on April 10, requesting the offered reinstatement. [5] Receiving no response, he penned a third letter on May 31 informing the mayor that, on the basis of the offered reinstatement, Rodriguez-Garcia had met with the interim Human Resources director and the director of Public Works and that they had refused to reinstate her. The May 31 letter also notified the mayor of Rodriguez-Garcia's intention to file a civil action based on Mayor Marin's failure to reinstate her. [6] Sometime thereafter, Rodriguez-Garcia happened upon the mayor in a public square, where she approached him and asked about the resolution of her complaint. According to Rodriguez-Garcia's testimony, she grabbed him strongly and asked about her case. He responded what was my case, what was happening? Before she could elaborate, she was escorted back to her office by his assistants. Finally, on June 21, 2001, Rodriguez-Garcia wrote to the mayor again, complaining that she lacked significant work responsibilities and was depressed; she entreated him to resolve her complaint and reinstate her to her former position. Rodriguez-Garcia was never reinstated to her position at Public Works. [7] In his testimony as part of the defendants' case, Vice Mayor Puig maintained that he was never informed that Rodriguez-Garcia opposed her transfer after their initial meeting, where he says she requested the change. He was asked: there are many documents stating that Ms. Rodriguez did not want the transfer, did you know that? He replied: They never came to my attention, none of them, stating that she did not want to go. Armando Melendez, an executive in Human Resources who had met with Rodriguez-Garcia at Vice Mayor Puig's behest, testified that Rodriguez-Garcia expressed her desire not to be transferred during their meeting; however, she called later that same day and said she did want the transfer. Melendez's written report on this meeting, dated February 22, 2000, and submitted as evidence at the trial, supports his testimony. [8] Finally, Heriberto Martinez, who was director of the Legal Advisor's Office at the time of the transfer, testified that, upon Rodriguez-Garcia's request, he contacted Human Resources to look into her case. In a conversation with Melendez, Martinez was led to believe that Rodriguez-Garcia would be reinstated to her position. Martinez also spoke directly with Vice Mayor Puig, who reiterated that Rodriguez-Garcia had requested her initial transfer. When Martinez reported to Rodriguez-Garcia what he had been told, she reiterated that she wanted to return to Public Works. Rodriguez-Garcia's counsel pressed Martinez on whether Rodriguez-Garcia had said that she did not request the initial transfer, but Martinez would testify only to her statement that she wanted to return to Public Works. Thus, there is a direct conflict between Rodriguez-Garcia's testimony and the account of the defendants. According to her, she never requested a transfer, and the transfer that was imposed upon her, to an office where she had no responsibilities, was in retaliation for her complaint to the Ethics Office. According to Vice Mayor Puig, Rodriguez-Garcia requested a transfer, supposedly because of her conflict with Flores, and that was the last he heard of her employment predicament. According to Melendez, Rodriguez-Garcia initially requested not to be transferred but later called and requested a transfer. Furthermore, according to her supervisor at Federal Funds, Rodriguez-Garcia joined a busy office that was short-staffed at the time of her transfer and where there was plenty of work to keep her busy.