Court Opinion

ID: 9954337
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-25 21:11:44.475242+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:12:03.384303
License: Public Domain

Abraham v Tisch
               2024 NY Slip Op 30876(U)
                     March 18, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 160335/2023
                  Judge: Arlene P. Bluth
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
 Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York
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  York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service.
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                       publication.
                                                                                                                          INDEX NO. 160335/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                                                RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/18/2024

            $$$$               SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                         NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:           HON. ARLENE P. BLUTH                                                    PART               14
                                                                                       Justice
            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

             Abraham, Sydney                                                                            INDEX NO.         160335/2023
                                                         Petitioner,

                                                -v-
                                                                                                     DECISION AND ORDER ON MOTION
             JESSICA TISCH, as Commissioner of the New York City
             Department of Sanitation, THE NEW YORK CITY
                                                                                                     MS001 and MS002
             DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION, and THE CITY OF
             NEW YORK,                                Respondents
            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X
            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 1-28, 35
            were read on this motion to/for                                                           ARTICLE 78                   .

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 002) 29-34
            were read on this motion to/for                                                          EXTEND TIME                   .

                      Motion Sequence Numbers 001 and 002 are consolidated for disposition. The cross-

            motion to dismiss the petition (MS001) to reinstate petitioner to his position as a sanitation

            worker for respondent the New York City Department of Sanitation (“Sanitation”) is granted.

            Respondents’ motion (MS002) to extend its time to respond to the petition is granted.

            Background

                      Petitioner contends that he was appointed to work as a sanitation worker on July 11,

            2021. His probationary period was therefore supposed to end on January 11, 2023. Petitioner

            admits that during his first 18 months on the job, he “had several minor complaints” filed against

            him. He explains that the first two incidents involved calling out because his son was sick.

            According to petitioner, his supervisor rejected the second requested absence and insisted

            petitioner had violated a Sanitation rule about calling out for an emergency.

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                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 160335/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                           RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/18/2024

                      Petitioner points out that the next complaint was on January 21, 2022, where he reversed

               a Sanitation truck into another vehicle. On October 26, 2022, petitioner received another

               complaint related to the upkeep of his assigned Sanitation truck. He explains that the

               regeneration light and alarm activated. Petitioner insists that respondents incorrectly filed a

               complaint against him and that he was not responsible for the truck’s repairs.

                      Petitioner alleges that as a result of these complaints, his probationary period was

               extended to July 11, 2023. He claims that on June 13, 2023 he was marked as absent without

               leave at a roll call because he was suffering from a stomach virus and went to use the bathroom.

               Petitioner insists he was subsequently terminated despite the fact that the was actually present at

               work on June 13, 2023 and therefore should not have been marked absent.

                      Respondents cross-move to dismiss on the ground that they had the authority to terminate

               petitioner, a probationary employee, as long as it was not in bad faith. They insist that petitioner

               failed to abide by safety regulations, failed to provide adequate excuses for not reporting to work

               and failed to ensure that his truck had sufficient fuel. With respect to the June 13, 2023 roll call

               incident, respondents argue that petitioner did not show up for an 8 a.m. roll call and was last

               seen at 6 a.m. that morning.

                      In reply, petitioner observes that on June 13, 2023 he was assigned to a 12 a.m. to 8 a.m.

               shift and had been suffering from a stomach virus for the last few days. He claims he told a

               supervisor he was not feeling well right before the 8 a.m. roll call and reported by 8:13 a.m.

               Petitioner complains that he was marked as absent despite attempting to explain his brief delay.

               Discussion

                      In an Article 78 proceeding, “the issue is whether the action taken had a rational basis

               and was not arbitrary and capricious” (Ward v City of Long Beach, 20 NY3d 1042, 1043, 962

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   160335/2023 ABRAHAM, SYDNEY vs. JESSICA TISCH, AS COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION
                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 160335/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                          RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/18/2024

               NYS2d 587 [2013] [internal quotations and citation omitted]). “An action is arbitrary and

               capricious when it is taken without sound basis in reason or regard to the facts” (id.). “If the

               determination has a rational basis, it will be sustained, even if a different result would not be

               unreasonable” (id.). “Arbitrary action is without sound basis in reason and is generally taken

               without regard to the facts” (Matter of Pell v Board of Educ. of Union Free Sch. Dist. No. 1 of

               Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 NY2d 222, 231, 356 NYS2d 833

               [1974]).

                      “A court's review of a determination to terminate a probationary employee is limited to

               consideration of whether the dismissal was in bad faith, in violation of statutory or decisional

               law, or for unconstitutional or illegal reasons” (Matter of Cooke v County of Suffolk, 11 AD3d

               610, 611, 783 NYS2d 392 [2d Dept 2004]).

                      The Court grants respondents’ cross-motion and dismisses the petition. There is no

               dispute that petitioner received multiple complaints that resulted in an extension of his

               probationary period. And petitioner failed to meet his burden to show that his termination was in

               bad faith. Petitioner’s extensive disciplinary history combined with the June 13, 2023 incident

               provides ample grounds to terminate petitioner. The Court recognizes that petitioner offers a

               different take about what happened on June 13, 2023 but respondents were entitled to fire

               petitioner for any reason as long as it wasn’t in bad faith. That petitioner disagrees with

               respondents’ version of events is not a basis for reinstatement.

                      To be sure, some of the individual incidents, standing alone, would raise serious

               questions about a bad faith allegation. For instance, the fact that petitioner was told he could not

               call out in order to take care of a sick child for a second consecutive day despite purportedly

               handing over medical documentation is concerning, to say the least. But that was not the only

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   160335/2023 ABRAHAM, SYDNEY vs. JESSICA TISCH, AS COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION
                                                                                                          INDEX NO. 160335/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 37                                                                                RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/18/2024

               incident in petitioner’s disciplinary file nor was it the sole basis for his termination. Among

               other things, petitioner hit another vehicle while backing up a Sanitation truck without having a

               co-worker assist him and he also received a complaint related to the maintenance of the truck.

                       Taken together, these incidents meet the low threshold required to justify the termination

               of a probationary employee. It is not this Court’s role to second-guess respondents’ decision

               where, as here, there is no basis to find that respondents acted in bad faith.

                       Accordingly, it is hereby

                       ORDERED that respondents’ cross-motion to dismiss is granted; and it is further

                       ORDERED that respondents’ motion (MS002) for leave to file a reply to their cross-

               motion is granted and the Court considered that filing, NYSCEF Doc. No. 35; and it is further

                       ADJUDGED that the petition is denied and this proceeding is dismissed without costs or

               disbursements and the clerk is directed to enter judgment accordingly upon presentation of

               proper papers therefor.

                      3/18/2024                                                             $SIG$
                         DATE                                                       ARLENE P. BLUTH, J.S.C.
                CHECK ONE:               X   CASE DISPOSED                  NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                                                                                        □
                                             GRANTED             DENIED     GRANTED IN PART              X   OTHER

                APPLICATION:                 SETTLE ORDER                   SUBMIT ORDER

                                                                                                        □
                CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:        INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN     FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT            REFERENCE

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   160335/2023 ABRAHAM, SYDNEY vs. JESSICA TISCH, AS COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION