Court Opinion

ID: 9727648
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:46:04.175784+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:41.227023
License: Public Domain

MACK, Associate Judge,
concurring:
While I agree with the majority’s analysis in Section II, I write separately to clarify that in reversing the decision of the District of Columbia Office of Employee Appeals (“OEA”), this court is not engaging in credibility determinations properly left to the hearing examiner. In ruling against the hospital, OEA found that, viewing the record as a whole, the hospital had failed to prove dishonesty by a preponderance of the evidence. While professing to rely upon the correct legal standard, OEA actually placed a much higher burden of proof on the hospital. This is clear from the hearing examiner’s discussion of the shortcomings of the hospital’s case.
Here, the hospital presented a prima fa-cie case of dishonest conduct by Gaines; Gaines cashed a money order which did not belong to her. Gaines then failed to rebut this showing. Her explanation as to how she came to possess the check was wholly incredible, and in fact, tended to reinforce the hospital’s case. As a matter of law, therefore, we can say that the hospital should have prevailed.