Jones v. Conneaut City Health Department

190 Ohio App. 3d 28
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 24, 2010
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 190 Ohio App. 3d 28 (Jones v. Conneaut City Health Department) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Conneaut City Health Department, 190 Ohio App. 3d 28 (Ohio Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

Timothy P. Cannon, Judge.

{¶ 1} This is an accelerated-calendar case, submitted to this court on the record and the briefs of the parties. Appellant, Conneaut City Health Department, appeals from the judgment entered by the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas. The trial court granted a motion for summary judgment filed by appellee, Patricia Jones.

{¶ 2} In 1987, Jones began working as a registrar with the Health Department. She continued working in this capacity until October 2008. At all relevant times, Sally Kennedy served as the health commissioner of the Health Department. In addition to Jones and Kennedy, there were two full-time and two part-time employees of the Health Department.

{¶ 3} On Wednesday, October 1, 2008, a predisciplinary hearing was scheduled to discuss an incident in which Jones copied pages of another employee’s personal desk calendar.

[30]*30{¶ 4} On Monday, October 6, 2008, Jones left work at 1:00 p.m. and used 3.5 hours of compensation time for this absence. Jones was off work on October 7 and 8, 2008, and used sick time for this absence. Finally, Jones was not at work on October 9 and 10, 2008, and used personal time for this absence.

{¶ 5} Jones was treated by Dr. Thomas Hunt. In a letter dated October 9, 2008, Dr. Hunt indicated he was placing Jones on medical leave and that he “strongly advised” her to consider retiring from her position at the Health Department.

{¶ 6} On October 9, 2008, Jones placed a letter on Kennedy’s desk indicating that she was retiring. In addition, the letter stated: “Due to medical reasons, I will be going on extended medical leave until my sick time is used and vacation time is also used. I am not asking for payout for my years of service.” Apparently, the Health Department sought clarification of Jones’s letter. In response, Jones’s attorney sent a letter to the Health Department stating that Jones had resigned her position effective October 9, 2008. In addition, the letter stated:

{¶ 7} “[Jones] is willing to attempt resolution with the City to avoid lump sum payment which will place a significant burden on the general fund of the City of Conneaut. In lieu of payment by the City of Conneaut to me of 3,469.29 hours of accrued sick time and accrued vacation leave, [Jones] is willing to discuss with the Board of Health representatives and Finance Director John Williams, an extension of the October 9, 2008 retirement date to allow Mrs. Jones the ability to use all of such sick and vacation time while continuing to be paid and receive benefits.”

{¶ 8} The city Board of Health, which governs the Health Department, had a meeting on October 8, 2008. At that meeting, the board voted to change the Health Department’s personnel policy. The prior version of the personnel policy provided that employees would receive a lump-sum payment for all accrued but unused vacation hours upon separation. The personnel policy limited payout of accrued but unused sick time to 1,100 hours. However, the Board of Health revised the policy to limit the payout for vacation time to 80 hours. The revised policy kept the 1,100-hour limit for paid sick-leave hours. Both versions of the personnel policy provided that employees must provide a ten-day notice of resignation or he or she would lose his or her accumulated vacation leave.

{¶ 9} In December 2008, the Health Department paid Jones for 1,100 hours of sick time and 80 hours of vacation time.

{¶ 10} Jones filed a complaint against the Health Department for breach of contract and promissory estoppel. Therein, Jones sought payment of her remaining 2,216.99 hours of vacation time. The Health Department filed an answer [31]*31to Jones’s complaint and a counterclaim seeking repayment of the 80 hours of vacation time it paid to Jones. Thereafter, Jones filed an answer to the Health Department’s counterclaim.

{¶ 11} Both parties filed motions for summary judgment. In addition, both parties filed briefs in opposition to the opposing party’s motion for summary judgment. Jones attached her affidavit to her motion for summary judgment. In addition, the depositions of Jones, Kennedy, and Board of Health President Carl Mischka were submitted for the trial court’s consideration. Several exhibits, including copies of the personnel policies, were attached to the depositions.

{¶ 12} On November 24, 2009, the trial court granted Jones’s motion for summary judgment. The trial court ruled that the Health Department could not retroactively reduce Jones’s accrued vacation and sick time. Also, in its judgment entry, the trial court stated:

{¶ 13} “It is more than a little ironic that a health department would expect an employee whose personal physician places her on medical leave, and strongly urges her to retire immediately, would suggest that she should be divested of her benefits because she didn’t give the ten-day notice. The ten-day rule should not trump [Jones’s] vested rights concerning her vacation and sick time.”

{¶ 14} A hearing was held on the issue of damages. Thereafter, on December 22, 2009, the trial court issued another judgment entry, awarding Jones $32,279.37, plus postjudgment interest from November 24, 2009.

{¶ 15} The Health Department has timely filed a notice of appeal from the trial court’s December 22, 2009 judgment entry. Upon motion of the Health Department, the trial court issued a stay of its judgment in this matter pending the appeal.

{¶ 16} The Health Department raises the following assignment of error:

{¶ 17} “The trial court erred when it awarded Plaintiff-Appellee payment for her accrued but unused vacation hours contrary to the Defendant-Appellant’s written personnel policy.”

{¶ 18} In order for a motion for summary judgment to be granted, the moving party must demonstrate:

{¶ 19} “(1) [N]o genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated, (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the nonmoving party, that conclusion is adverse to the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made.” Mootispaw v. Eckstein (1996), 76 Ohio St.3d 383, 385, 667 N.E.2d 1197.

[32]*32{¶ 20} Summary judgment will be granted “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, written admissions, affidavits, transcripts of evidence, and written stipulations of fact, if any, * * * show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact.” Civ.R. 56(C). Material facts are those that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law of the case. Turner v. Turner (1993), 67 Ohio St.3d 337, 340, 617 N.E.2d 1123, quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. (1986), 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202.

{¶ 21} If the moving party meets this burden, the nonmoving party must then provide evidence illustrating a genuine issue of material fact, pursuant to Civ.R. 56(E). Dresher v. Burt (1996), 75 Ohio St.3d 280, 293, 662 N.E.2d 264. Civ.R. 56(E) provides:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
190 Ohio App. 3d 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-conneaut-city-health-department-ohioctapp-2010.