Davis v. Department of Veterans Affairs

4 F. App'x 779
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
DecidedJanuary 11, 2001
DocketNo. 00-3383
StatusPublished

This text of 4 F. App'x 779 (Davis v. Department of Veterans Affairs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Department of Veterans Affairs, 4 F. App'x 779 (Fed. Cir. 2001).

Opinion

DECISION

PER CURIAM.

Rickey L. Davis appeals from a final decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board (“MSPB”), docket no. PH-0752-99-0388-1-1, 86 M.S.P.R. 334, denying his petition for review of an initial decision by the MSPB that affirmed the decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“DVA”) to remove him from federal service. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

Davis was employed as a program support clerk in the radiology and nuclear medicine section of the DVA healthcare system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On June 2, 1999, the DVA sent Davis a notice of proposed removal based on a charge of conduct unbecoming a federal employee pursuant to 5 C.F.R. § 7345.203. The pro[781]*781posed removal was predicated on a decision by the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County on March 9, 1999, which placed Davis on probation for five years after he pled guilty to misdemeanors consisting of four counts of indecent assault, one count of endangering the welfare of children, and one count of corruption of minors.

Davis did not dispute the charges underlying the DVA’s proposed removal. In his June 17, 1999 response to the notice of proposed removal, Davis contended, inter alia, that removal was not warranted because: he is not a danger to himself or to patients at the DVA healthcare system in Pittsburgh; he had worked for the DVA for fourteen years without reprimand; and he maintained a good working relationship with some of the staff with whom he worked. On July 21, 1999, the deciding official, Dr. Ernest Urban, issued a final decision to remove Davis from federal service. Davis was removed from federal service on July 30,1999.

Davis appealed the DVA’s removal decision to the MSPB. On December 14, 1999, in an initial decision, Chief Administrative Judge Crawford affirmed the DVA’s removal decision. Davis petitioned the full MSPB for review of this initial decision. On June 1, 2000, Davis’ petition for review was denied. This appeal follows the aforementioned proceedings.

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

This court’s review of MSPB decisions is limited. See, e.g., Deweese v. Tennessee Valley Authority, 35 F.3d 538, 541 (Fed.Cir.1994). We may reverse a decision of the MSPB if it is: (1) arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law; (2) obtained without procedures required by law, or regulation having been followed; or (3) unsupported by substantial evidence. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(c) (1994 & Supp. IV 2000).

B. Nexus

To sustain the DVA’s removal decision, the MSPB must show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Davis’ conduct is “related to his job-related responsibilities so that [ ] removal promotes the efficiency of service.” Allred v. Dep’t of Health and Human Services, 786 F.2d 1128, 1130 (Fed.Cir.1986). See also 5 U.S.C. § 7701(c)(1)(B) and 5 U.S.C. § 7513(a) (1994 & Supp. IV 2000). To satisfy this requirement, the DVA must establish a nexus between Davis’ misconduct and the DVA’s performance of its functions. See, e.g., Brown v. Dep’t of the Navy, 229 F.3d 1356, 1358 (Fed.Cir.2000).

A presumption of satisfaction of the nexus requirement may arise in instances when an employee’s conduct is so egregious that “it speaks for itself.”1 Allred, 786 F.2d at 1130 (quoting Hayes v. Dep’t of the Navy, 727 F.2d 1535, 1539 (Fed.Cir.1984)). This court in Allred stated: “Courts have repeatedly held that where an employee’s misconduct is contrary to the agency’s mission, the agency need not present proof of a direct effect on the employee’s job performance.” 786 F.2d at 1131. Such holdings are warranted because such “misconduct [is] of a character likely to undermine public confidence in the agency, and thus impair the agency’s efficiency, although it might not affect the employee’s job performance.” Id. (quoting Wild v. United States Dep’t of Hous. And Urban Dev., 692 F.2d 1129, 1132 (7th Cir. 1982)).

The MSPB correctly recognized that the Federal Circuit has considered [782]*782off-duty sexual misconduct sufficiently egregious to raise a rebuttable presumption of satisfaction of the nexus requirement. See, e.g., Graybill v. U.S. Postal Serv., 782 F.2d 1567, 1574 (Fed.Cir.1986); Williams v. Gen. Servs. Admin., 22 M.S.P.R. 476, 478-79 (1984), aff'd, 770 F.2d 182 (Fed.Cir.1985); Allred, 786 F.2d at 1131. In Graybill, this court considered in its nexus analysis the contact an employee, removed for sexual misconduct with a minor, would have with children in the course of his employment. 782 F.2d at 1574. In this case, the MSPB similarly recognized the deciding official’s concern that Davis could possibly come into contact with minors in the hospital or at a nearby school. The MSPB’s decision that Davis’ four counts of indecent assault, one count of endangering the welfare of children, and one count of corruption of minors satisfies the egregious conduct standard necessary to presume satisfaction of the nexus requirement is supported by substantial evidence, is in accordance with law, and is not arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion.2

To comport with the requirements of due process, the presumption of satisfaction of the nexus requirement is rebut-table. Allred, 786 F.2d at 1131 (citing Heiner v. Donnan, 285 U.S. 312, 329, 52 S.Ct. 358, 76 L.Ed. 772 (1932)). The MSPB considered Davis’ testimony that he was remorseful, maintained a satisfactory work record, and would not commit similar misconduct in the future. Davis also provided the testimony of the abused minor’s adoptive father, Mr. Tim Perry, who is also Davis’ “spiritual father.” Perry testified that Davis was a good person, that he had spoken with Davis in religious-counseling sessions, and that he believed Davis would not commit similar misconduct. The MSPB, however, determined that Davis failed to rebut the presumption of satisfaction of the nexus requirement.

The MSPB’s determination that Davis failed to rebut the presumption of satisfaction of the nexus requirement is supported by substantial evidence, is in accordance with law, and is not arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion. The Allred

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Related

Heiner v. Donnan
285 U.S. 312 (Supreme Court, 1932)
Loyce E. Hayes v. Department of the Navy
727 F.2d 1535 (Federal Circuit, 1984)
Bobby H. Mitchum v. Tennessee Valley Authority
756 F.2d 82 (Federal Circuit, 1985)
Larry E. Graybill v. United States Postal Service
782 F.2d 1567 (Federal Circuit, 1986)
Richard A. Deweese v. Tennessee Valley Authority
35 F.3d 538 (Federal Circuit, 1994)
Michael J. Brown v. Department of the Navy
229 F.3d 1356 (Federal Circuit, 2000)

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4 F. App'x 779, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-department-of-veterans-affairs-cafc-2001.