Opinion ID: 566008
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Southbury Incident

Text: 28 At a meeting during a sales training conference in Southbury, Connecticut, in June 1988 words were exchanged between Botta and Billet. Botta subsequently sent a memo to his supervisor, Parry, which described this interruption, explaining that Billet entered the meeting in an intoxicated condition carrying liquor, and acted in an insubordinate way by yelling at Botta and insulting him. Witnesses at the trial testified that there was a disruption at the meeting, though none verified that Billet was intoxicated or insubordinate. Billet testified that the incident occurred and that he interrupted Botta and the two had words, although he denied yelling or being intoxicated. Billet did, however, acknowledge having a decanter of wine but stated that he had not consumed more than two or three glasses of wine. 29 Botta did not seek to terminate Billet over this incident, although he had the approval of Connecticut General's human resources department to do so. Parry testified that both human resources and James Grigsby, the sales head, sought to terminate Billet over this incident, but that he interceded on Billet's behalf because a misconduct dismissal would have precluded Billet from receiving all benefits to which he would be entitled in a few months' time when he turned 55. In particular, Parry pointed out that if terminated for misconduct in 1988 Billet would have lost about $200,000 in severance pay, health benefits other than having his coverage converted to an individual policy, and vacation day pay. In addition, a misconduct termination would have resulted in Billet's pension being reduced from that ultimately awarded. Parry explained that because of the very significant financial burden which would have flowed from a misconduct discharge in light of his extensive employment record with us [we did] not terminate him. Instead, Billet was placed on misconduct probation. 30 Billet's misconduct probation attributable to the automobile requisition and Southbury incidents was unrelated to, and independent of, the performance warning Billet was given pursuant to his July 1988 interim evaluation. The misconduct probation was to last for the duration of [Billet's] employment with Connecticut General, and thus he was warned that if either of these two situations or any misconduct situation occurs again, you will be terminated. Billet signed a statement that he understood the terms of the probation.