Opinion ID: 2641219
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Conflict with Management

Text: In June 2008, Bentley began investigating numerous complaints involving personnel in District V. As part of this investigation, she interviewed Lobato and sent him a list of follow-up questions. Some of the questions focused on the problems Lobato said he was having with Lundstrom. Others focused on Lobato’s request to be reimbursed for a hotel stay when he had also turned in a receipt for a breakfast purchased that next morning 300 miles from the hotel. In a series of emails and phone calls, Lobato repeatedly promised to answer Bentley’s questions, but he never did—even after Bentley and Carlos Romero repeatedly asked for his cooperation. When Bentley concluded her investigation into Lobato’s complaints against Lundstrom and Lobato’s fraudulent reimbursement request, she told Lobato, “I consider you non-compliant with my request for information regarding your complaints[;] therefore[,] I have concluded my investigation without your information and forwarded it to management.” Id. at 440. She further noted, “I also consider you non-compliant with the investigation into complaints against you[,] and I have also completed that investigation and forwarded it to management.” Id. There is no evidence of any further communication between Bentley and Lobato about his reimbursement request, nor is there evidence that Lobato ever responded to Bentley’s questionnaire or to Bentley’s concerns about his failure to cooperate. -5- Following the investigation, Carlos Romero and Bentley formally reprimanded Lundstrom for his management style and the way he interacted with Lobato and others in the Farmington office. Lobato reimbursed the State for the hotel room under protest, and no further action was taken against him at that time.