Court Opinion

ID: 9687162
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 16:17:40.51245+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:24.624555
License: Public Domain

POPOVICH, Justice
(concurring in part; dissenting in part).
While I concur in that portion of the majority opinion relating to the McDonnell Douglas analysis, holding that Sterling failed to establish a prima facie case of employment discrimination, I respectfully dissent from that portion of the opinion holding the appointment of a hearing examiner was not warranted.
1. I believe this court should extend the trend in Minnesota toward the increasing use of hearing examiners and would affirm the court of appeals’ advice that a hearing examiner should have been appointed. Even the dissent in that court saw the potential unfairness when a reviewing body acts as prosecutor, judge and jury; in fact, it went further than the majority, saying, *242“[T]he facts of this case require that the Commission appoint an independent hearing examiner.” Minneapolis Police Dept. v. Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights, 402 N.W.2d 125, 134 (Minn.App.1987) (Foley, J., dissenting; emphasis added).
2. In Kroll v. Independent School District No. 593, 304 N.W.2d 338, 345 (Minn.1981); Ganyo v. Independent School District No. 832, 311 N.W.2d 497, 499 (Minn.1981); and Liffrig v. Independent School District No. 442, 292 N.W.2d 726, 730 (Minn.1980), we were critical of school boards sitting in judgment on their own actions and recommended the use of hearing examiners. In Swanson v. City of Bloomington, 421 N.W.2d 307, 312 (Minn.1988), we noted with approval a city’s hiring a state hearing examiner in a complex zoning matter. The court of appeals followed our lead in Pinkney v. Independent School District No. 691, 366 N.W.2d 362, 365 (Minn.App.1985), and in Schmidt v. Independent School District No. 1, 349 N.W.2d 563, 567 (Minn.App.1984). The appearance of unfairness should be avoided in adjudicatory proceedings. See, e.g., Safeco Insurance Company v. Stariha, 346 N.W.2d 663, 666 (Minn.App.1984).
3. The MCCR is not a judicial body. Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Sec. 141.40 defines its mission in part as follows:
(1) Seek to prevent and eliminate bias and discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, affectional preference, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance, by means of education, persuasion, conciliation and enforcement, and utilize all of the powers at its disposal to carry into execution the provisions of this title.
Like a school board, this body has responsibilities that potentially conflict with its concurrent duty to hold impartial, quasi-judicial hearings.
4. The Minneapolis Police Department timely requested a hearing examiner. MCCR could have followed the procedures in Minn.Stat. § 363.05, subd. 1(18) (1984), regarding the appointment of a hearing examiner as is required of the State Department of Human Rights. See also Minn.Stat. § 363.06, subd. 4(3) (1986).
5. Dissenting from a decision relating to liquor license revocation, Justice Scott (joined by Justices Todd and Yetka) stated the point well:
An impartial hearing examiner is necessary in order to insure a fair hearing. A proceeding characterized by bitter neighborhood complaints, a possibly less than neutral city council, and a presiding council member who is not well-acquainted with evidentiary rules — all facets of the present license revocation proceeding — hardly seems impartial. Procedural fairness in the decision-making process was not possible in this case without separating the decision-making functions from those of investigation and advocacy.
Hymanson & Lucky Lanes, Inc., v. City of St. Paul, 329 N.W.2d 324, 329 (Minn.1983) (emphasis supplied). Chief Justice Amdahl, in a special concurring opinion, added, “For future cases, barring some unforeseen and unusual circumstances, I would support the view of the minority.” Id. at 328. The same reasoning should apply in this matter.
6. Wherever possible, in my view, “[j]udging should be separated from functions that are incompatible with judging.” 3 K. Davis, Administrative Law § 18.1 at 340 (2d ed. 1980). Thus, I believe the decision-making process of the MCCR should be separated from advocacy and its other functions — by having a neutral hearing examiner conduct an impartial hearing and make findings of fact and conclusions of law as recommendations to the MCCR for its final disposition. I think this is the better practice, and I would strongly recommend it in the future. Because it appeals to a common sense of fairness, this practice might also reduce recourse to the court system by parties who feel administrative procedure did not afford them a fair hearing.