Opinion ID: 178097
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Watkins’s Termination

Text: On August 18, 2003, Cassell sent a memorandum to Barton in Human Resources documenting Watkins’s attendance issues. Cassell copied his supervisor, Carmen Curro. Cassell stated that Watkins had exhausted all of his sick and annual leave and was AWOL on August 10 through August 14 and again on August 17 and 18. Cassell had tried to contact Watkins on numerous occasions beginning August 10, to no avail. Cassell recommended that Watkins’s probationary employment be terminated. Barton testified that, after receiving Cassell’s memorandum, she would have contacted management, which would have included George Cruz and Bryant Chevalier. A similar August 22, 2003 memorandum from Cathy English, Watkins’s immediate supervisor, to George Cruz also documented Watkins’s absences. English’s memorandum attached a copy of the Operations Center’s attendance record for Watkins from July 22, 2003 to August 22, 2003, indicating Watkins was AWOL from August 12, 2003 onward. 3 Cassell denies speaking with Watkins any time after August 8 or calling Watkins’s doctor. 9 According to Bryant Chevalier, all termination decisions passed through his office. On August 29, 2003, Chevalier prepared a memorandum terminating Watkins’s employment. Chevalier’s memorandum stated: (1) “On October 18, 2002, January 14, February 28, March 29, May 4, 6, 16, & 17, June 8 & 15, July 9, 10, 11, 14, 22 & 23, [and] August 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7, 2003 you requested and were granted sick leave and annual leave in lieu of sick leave”; (2) Watkins was AWOL since August 8, 2003 and had not contacted TSA to request leave; (3) beginning on August 10, 2003, Watkins’s supervisor had made numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact him; and (4) Watkins’s extended AWOL was not compatible with employment with TSA. Chevalier terminated Watkins based on his failure to come to work for the month of August. During deposition testimony, Chevalier acknowledged that on July 29, 2003, he received and signed the Disciplinary Request Form approving Watkins’s probationary removal for being AWOL. Chevalier explained that while Watkins’s supervisors had already “detected a problem in attendance” and recommended termination as early as July 29, 2003, Watkins was not formally charged with being AWOL until August 8, 2003.