Garvin v. Rousey

7 Am. Tribal Law 213
CourtHo-Chunk Nation Trial Court
DecidedOctober 19, 2007
DocketNo. CV 07-39
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 7 Am. Tribal Law 213 (Garvin v. Rousey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garvin v. Rousey, 7 Am. Tribal Law 213 (hochunkct 2007).

Opinion

[215]*215ORDER (Affirming)

TODD R. MATHA, Chief Judge.

INTRODUCTION

The Court must determine whether to uphold the decision of the Grievance Review Board (hereinafter GRB). The Court declines the petitioner’s invitation to abandon employing a deferential standard of review and accordingly affirms the agency decision. The analysis of the Court follows below.

[216]*216PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The petitioner, Steven E. Garvin, by and through Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice (hereinafter DOJ) Attorney Brian T. Stevens, filed his Petition for Administrative Review of Grievance Review Board, Decision on May 18, 2007. See Employment Relations Act of 2004 (hereinafter ERA), 6 HCC § 5.35c; see also Ho-Chunk Nation Rules of Ci vil Procedure (hereinafter HCN R. Civ. P.), Rule (53(A)(1)(a). On May 21, 2007, the Court entered the Scheduling Order, setting forth the time-lines and procedures to which the parties should adhere during the pendency of the appeal. In response, the petitioner submitted the administrative record on June 4, 2007.1 See HCN R. Civ. P. 63(D).

The petitioner next filed a timely Initial Brief on June 18, 2007. Id., Rule 63(E). The respondent, by and through Attorney James C. Ritland, filed a timely Reply [sic ] Brief on July 6, 2007.2 Id. The petitioner filed his timely Response [sic ] Brief on July 12, 2007. Id. Neither party requested the ability to present oral argument, prompting the Court to determine the matter on the documentary materials. Id., Rule 63(G); Scheduling Order at 3.

APPLICABLE LAW

CONSTITUTION OF THE HO-CHUNK NATION

Art. VI—Executive

Sec. 1. Composition of the Execut ive.

(b) The Executive Branch shall be composed of any administrative Departments created by the Legislature, including a Department of the Treasury, Justice, Administration, Housing, Business, Health and Social Services, Education, Labor, and Personnel, and other Departments deemed necessary by the Legislature. Each Department shall include an Executive Director, a Board of Directors, and necessary employees. The Executive Director of the Department of Justice shall be [217]*217called the Attorney General of the Ho-Chunk Nation. The Executive Director of the Department of Treasury shall be called the Treasurer of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Art. VII-Judiciary

Sec. 6. Po wers of the Tribal Court.

(a) The Trial Court shall have the power to make findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Trial Court shall have the power to issue all remedies in law and in equity including injunctive and declaratory relief and all writs including attachment and mandamus.

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS ACT OF 2004, 6 HCC § 5

Ch. V—Work Rules & Employee Conduct, Discipline, & Administrative Review

Subsec. 31. Employee Discipline.

a. Depending on the nature of the circumstances of an incident, discipline will normally be progressive and should bear a reasonable relationship to the violation. Based on the severity of the employee conduct, progressive discipline may not be applicable. Supervisors imposing discipline shall afford Due Process to the employee prior to suspending or terminating any employee. Types of discipline include:

(1) Suspension.
(2) Termination.

Subsec. 34. Administrative Review Process.

a. Policy.
(1) The Department of Personnel will take all reasonable steps to investigate any incident, which has resulted in disciplinary action. It is the policy of the Ho-Chunk Nation to afford all eligible employees who have been subject to suspension or termination a means of having the circumstances of such disciplinary action reviewed by an impartial and objective Grievance Review Board (Board).
(2) Employees are entitled to grieve suspensions or terminations to the Board. The Board will be selected from a set pool of employees and supervisors with grievance training, who will review a case and determine whether to uphold the discipline.
(3) Following a Board decision, the employee shall have the right to file an appeal with the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court (Court).

c. Notification of Disciplinary Action. At the time an employee is notified of disciplinary action, the employee shall be advised of his or her right to a hearing before the Grievance Review Board.

d. Request for a Hearing. An employee must request a hearing within five (5) business days of the date the disciplinary action was taken. At the time the employee requests a hearing, he or she must inform the Department of Personnel if he or she is to be represented by an attorney. If so, the attorney must also file for an appearance with Department of Personnel within five (5) days of the date the employee requested a hearing. Failure to request the hearing within this time frame will result i n the forfeiture of a hearing by the Board.

g. Proceedings of the Board. At the commencement of a hearing before the Grievance Board of Review [sic ], the Department of Personnel will discuss with the Board their responsibilities and obligations including, but not limited to, the following:

(5) The Board shall be responsible to make all relevancy determinations throughout the meeting. In making these determinations, the Board shall consider whether the proposed evidence (either witness testimony or documentary evidence) relates to the disciplinary [218]*218action and whether it will affect the Board’s recommendation. Only witnesses who have had direct involvement in the incident leading to the disciplinary action will be allowed to participate and all questions asked should directly relate to said disciplinary action.
(7) At the conclusion of the presentation of testimony and evidence, the Board will privately deliberate and make a decision within five (5) calendar days. No record of the Board’s deliberation will be made. The decision of the Board shall describe the facts of the case and determine whether the facts support a violation of the Employment Relations Act or applicable Unit Operating Rules.
(8) The Board shall have the authority to direct the Executive Director of Personnel to execute the appropriate remedy consistent with the determination of the Board.

Subsec. 35. Judicial Review.

e. Under this limited waiver of sovereign immunity, the Court shall review the Board’s decision based upon the record before the Board. Parties may request an opportunity to supplement the record in the Trial Court, either with evidence or statements of their position. The Trial Court shall not exercise de novo review of Board decisions. The Trial Court may only set aside or modify a Board decision if it was arbitrary or capricious.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ESTABLISHMENT & ORGANIZATION ACT OF 2001, 1 HCC § 8

Subsec. 4. Functions. The Department of Justice shall:

b.

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Related

Twin v. Ho-Chunk Nation Grievance Review Board Department of Administration
11 Am. Tribal Law 411 (Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
7 Am. Tribal Law 213, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garvin-v-rousey-hochunkct-2007.