Feldstein v. New York State Office of Mental Health, Bronx Psychiatric Center

846 F. Supp. 1089, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3225, 1994 WL 90599
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMarch 16, 1994
DocketNo. CV-91-3376
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 846 F. Supp. 1089 (Feldstein v. New York State Office of Mental Health, Bronx Psychiatric Center) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Feldstein v. New York State Office of Mental Health, Bronx Psychiatric Center, 846 F. Supp. 1089, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3225, 1994 WL 90599 (E.D.N.Y. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

GLASSER, Senior District Judge:

This is a motion by defendant the New York State Office of Mental Health (“OMH”) and its Bronx Psychiatric Center (“BPC”), for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on the ground that an adverse determination for plaintiff in an Article 78 proceeding precludes this Title VII action. For the following. reasons, defendant’s motion is granted.

FACTS

A. Feldstein’s Employment with the BPC

From on or about January 14, 1988’, to on or about February 11, 1989, Feldstein was employed by the OMH and worked as an orderly (a “Secure Care Treatment Aide I”) at the BPC. Amended Complaint ¶¶ 8, 12; Def.’s 3(g) Statement, ¶ 1. Affidavit of Stephen M. Jacoby, October 5, 1993 (“Jacoby Affd”), Ex. 4.

On or about January 9, 1989, the BPC Senior Personnel Administrator approved the extension of Feldstein’s probationary period of employment with the BPC pursuant to Civil Service Regulation Section 4.5(f) because of his accumulated absences.1 Jacoby Affd, Ex. 2. On January 11, 1989, Feldstein sent a memorandum to a Norma Hardy, a supervisor at the Secure Care Unit, protesting these evaluations. See Jacoby Affd, Ex. 3 at 1 (“I have maintained for 52 weeks a perfect attendance record, clearly quite an accomplishment in a facility that rewards employees for maintaining a perfect attendance record for even a month.”) (emphasis in original). Nevertheless, in a letter dated January 13, 1989, Feldstein was informed that his probationary period was being extended for a total of 21 work days to February 11, 1989. Jacoby Affd, Ex. 4. On or, about January 27, 1989, Feldstein.grievanced the extension of his probationary period and sought “[rjecission [sic] of letter extending probationary period and execution of a notice of Tenure Status.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 5. However, the Director of Personnel at the BPC, in a letter dated February 1, 1989, informed Feldstein that BPC was “terminating [his] probationary, services as a Secure Care Treatment Aide I, effective Thursday, February 9,1989, close of business.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 6.

In a memorandum dated February 2,1989, Feldstein wrote again to Norma Hardy and stated, among other things, that “I wrote to you on 1-13-89 [sic] in part for the purpose of formally protesting the rating I was given by you in my probationary evaluation, but more importantly in the hope that you would realize how unfairly and illegally I have been treated by yourself and some of my co-workers[.]” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 7. In this memorandum, Feldstein complained of “racial bigotry” by a co-worker; Ms. Jiggetts, and wrote [1091]*1091that “[Ms. Jiggetts] admitted to me that I have not been treated equally, but warned me that I would not be able to prove it because everyone will back her up.”2

In a memorandum to the personnel department at the BPC, dated February 6, 1989, Feldstein wrote that “I request that this facility recind [sic] my termination of services on the grounds that such termination is not in the facility’s best interests, is arbitrary and capricious, is in breach of both the Labor-Management Contract as' well as my personal contract with the facility, - and' is a violation of my Human Rights.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 8. In this memorandum Feldstein objected to his termination based on, among other things, the allegation that “[m]y termi-' nation was arbitrary and capricious because its’ [sic] purpose was not the legitimate agency goal of retaining competent employees, but rather to placate other employees whom I was socially incompatible with due to my being white, male, [J]ewish and educated.” Feldstein complained that his allegations of mistreatment by his co-workers were not being handled properly by the facility and threatened to “seek remedy from the Courts, Union, and Division of Human [R]ights[.]” In a memorandum to Ms. Marlene Lopez (“Lopez”), the Executive Director of the BPC, dated February 7, 1989, Feldstein requested that Ms. Lopez “re-review, my case and allow the affirmative action officer to investigate without allowing irreparable harm [to] occur to me in the meanwhile.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 9 at 3. In this memorandum Feldstein again suggested that his termination was a retaliation by the facility for his complaints of mistreatment by co-workers: “Ms. Hardy’s summation is the least honest portion of her letter. The reason she seeks my termination is to placate certain coworkers who hold discriminatory hostility towards me.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 9 at 2.

In a letter dated February 8,1989, Horace A. Von Eeden (“Von Eeden”), Director of Personnel at the BPC, informed Feldstein that “after a review of your case, it has been decided to rescind the termination. of your probationary services as a Secure Care Treatment Aide I[.]” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 10. However, the BPC also informed Feldstein that he would be required to “serve a second probationary period of twenty-six (26) weeks” and will be assigned to the day shift. Feldstein grievanced the switch to the day shift on or about February -9, 1989, and requested a “restoration to night shift assignment.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 11. Feldstein also protested his reassignment to Von Eeden on February 9, 1989, on. the ground that his reassignment was proeedurally defective, Jacoby Affd, Ex. 12, and to Lopez on the same day, Jacoby Áffd, Ex. 13 (“Unless this facility withdraws its’ [sic] intention to involuntarily switch my shift, I am forced to request á one-year leave of absence[.]”). Because Feldstein was unwilling to accept a second probationary term, Von Eeden informed Feldstein'in a letter dated February 9, 1989, that BPC “must now process the probationary termination of your service[.]” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 14. In a letter dated February 11, 1989, Feldstein wrote to the New York State Department of Civil Service “appealing]” the termination of his services and the extension of his probationary period. Jacoby Affd, Ex. 16. In a letter dated February 13,1989, Von Eeden wrote to Feldstein to inform him that “there is no change in management’s position [regarding termination].” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 17.

In a “Facility • Exit Interview Questionnaire” dated February 16, 1989, Feldstein wrote that he was leaving the facility because he had been “terminated as a result of race and sex discrimination and for complaining about same.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 15. He also wrote that “[t]he work with the patients was rewarding but the experience of being victimized by racial and sexual discrimination was extremely unpleasant.” On the same day he filed a grievance and requested “restoration to service with back pay” and “return to exact same assignment.”' Jacoby Affd, Ex. 18. The BPC. refused to consider Feldstein’s February 16, 1989 grievance in letters dated February 16, 1989, and February 21, 1989, because, it stated, “matters pertaining to [1092]*1092probationary extensions and terminations are not reviewable [under the contract between the union and the State of New York].” Jacoby Affd, Exs. 19 and 20. Feldstein wrote to Von Eeden on February 17, 1989, “requesting] that you reconsider your decision not to excuse my absences, and review the nature of my absences and their effect on my supervisor’s ability to make a probationary assessment.” Jacoby Affd, Ex. 21.

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Bluebook (online)
846 F. Supp. 1089, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3225, 1994 WL 90599, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/feldstein-v-new-york-state-office-of-mental-health-bronx-psychiatric-nyed-1994.