Opinion ID: 1985534
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dashiell Case

Text: Charlene Ellen Dashiell commenced her employment with the State of Maryland on July 3, 1975 at the Holly Center, a facility of the State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene which serves developmentally disabled persons. At the time of her discharge, Dashiell was a Direct Care Assistant II. She was required by her job to care for disabled residents of the Holly Center by, among other things, lifting and positioning patients and providing for their personal hygiene and grooming. From 1975 through 1987, Dashiell's annual work evaluations were satisfactory. In 1981, her job performance was recognized with the Silver Medallion Exemplary Service Award. In 1988 and 1989, however, problems arose. Dashiell's annual evaluations for those two years rated her performance as unsatisfactory, citing attendance problems. Eighteen days after the Governor's Substance Abuse Policy took effect, Dashiell signed a form acknowledging receipt of a copy of the policy. On July 3, 1989, while off-duty, Dashiell was arrested and charged with several drunken driving offenses. On October 23, 1989, she was found guilty in the District Court of Maryland, sitting in Wicomico County, of driving while intoxicated in contravention of Maryland Code (1987, Repl. Vol., 1991 Cum.Supp.) § 21-902(a) of the Transportation Article. Thereafter, on January 17, 1990, the Personnel Director of the Holly Center issued a memorandum notifying Dashiell that her position had been classified as sensitive for purposes of the State's Substance Abuse Policy. Charges for her removal from State service were subsequently filed against her by the Department, it being alleged that she had violated paragraph B(11) of the State's Substance Abuse policy, as well as the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 06.01.01.47(M), viz., that her conduct tended to bring the State classified service into disrepute. [2] On March 27, 1990, a hearing was held before a State administrative law judge. He concluded that the agency did prove the charges filed against Ms. Dashiell, and therefore recommended to the Secretary of Personnel that she be separated from State service. The basis of his decision was that Dashiell occupied a job in a sensitive class, and as she was convicted of an offense involving alcohol, she had violated the Substance Abuse policy and termination of her employment was warranted. The administrative law judge made no specific mention of the charge that Dashiell's conduct tended to bring the State service into disrepute. Dashiell filed exceptions with the Secretary of Personnel, contending that it would be patently unfair to terminate her for an offense that occurred before her job was classified as sensitive. The Secretary found no merit in this argument, opining that because Dashiell received a copy of the Substance Abuse Policy, she was on notice of the definitional criteria underlying the classification of a position as sensitive. Consequently, according to the Secretary, Dashiell was aware that her job would, more likely than not, be classified as sensitive, and therefore the termination of her employment was ordered.