Opinion ID: 1085775
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Violation of Reemployment Rights

Text: The ALJ’s finding that Bradberry had been discharged due to a disagreement about military leave presents the need to consider Section 4312 as well. After Bradberry couched much of his argument in terms of discrimination under Section 4311, the County responded in terms of Bradberry’s being absent without leave and failure to document, which raise facts relevant to Section 4312 reemployment. The County used those reasons to explain why he would have been terminated anyway – a defense to Section 4311 discrimination. Though we have held that the finding of a disagreement about military leave is not sufficient to prove motivation under Section 4311, a discriminatory 17 Case: 12-41040 Document: 00512412336 Page: 18 Date Filed: 10/17/2013 No. 12-41040 intent does not need to be shown under Section 4312. 20 C.F.R. § 1002.33. If Bradberry complied with his USERRA obligations in order to be reemployed after two weeks of military duty, then the possibility that the County had no discriminatory intent would not matter. We do not analyze the possible collateral estoppel effects of the ALJ’s decision on a Section 4312 claim because no one has briefed it. We note, though, that a requirement for collateral estoppel is that the same legal standard be used in both proceedings to assess the facts on any issue considered to be identical. Pace, 403 F.3d at 290. The legal standards under USERRA include that the servicemember give “notice as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances,” which usually would be at least 30 days. 20 C.F.R. § 1002.85(d); see also 38 U.S.C. § 4312(a)(1). Military necessity and impossibility may excuse the notice. 38 U.S.C. § 4312(b). Documentation depends on its availability and the length of service. § 4312(f). These USERRA standards were not discussed by the ALJ nor briefed by the parties, and no one has tried to compare them to standards the ALJ may have used in making these three findings.