Opinion ID: 494534
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Penalty of Removal Was Permissible.

Text: 14 The board affirmed the findings and conclusions of the agency both on the charge of sexual harassment and on the charge of unauthorized disclosure of information. Although Mazza does not dispute that removal is a permissible penalty for a charge of sexual harassment, Mazza, at oral argument, asserted that the charge of unauthorized disclosure of information cannot support a penalty of removal. This is wrong. Paragraph 157w of the Postal Police Officers Handbook provides that an officer can be removed for '[g]iving or allowing unauthorized persons access to privileged information or material belonging to the Postal Service.' Accordingly, we conclude that the penalty of removal sustained by the board was within the range of permissible penalties for Mazza's misconduct. 15