Morciglio v. New York City Fire Department

628 F. Supp. 134, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29420
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 11, 1986
DocketNo. 83 CV 3762
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 628 F. Supp. 134 (Morciglio v. New York City Fire Department) 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
Morciglio v. New York City Fire Department, 628 F. Supp. 134, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29420 (E.D.N.Y. 1986).

Opinion

ORDER

McLAUGHLIN, District Judge.

The annexed Report and Recommendation of United States Magistrate A. Simon Chrein is hereby adopted as the Opinion of this Court. No objections were filed within the time permitted. Accordingly, defendant’s motion for summary judgment is denied.

SO ORDERED.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

A. SIMON CHREIN, United States Magistrate.

This is an action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claiming a violation of due process and equal protection, under Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., for a discriminatory demotion, and under the New York State Constitution for a violation of human rights. N.Y. Const., art. 1, §§ 6, 11. This court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1343(a)(3), (4) and under pendent jurisdiction. The plaintiff alleges that she was disciplined without due process and in violation of equal protection when she was removed from a noncivil service, in-house title for racial reasons and without notice and an opportunity to be heard.

BACKGROUND

The plaintiff began working for the Office of the Inspector General of the New York City Fire Department on October 6, 1980. Defendant’s Statement of Material Facts at ¶ 1, Aug. 8, 1984. She worked in the noncompetitive, nontenured civil service position of Confidential Investigator Level I until December 1,1981. Id. at ¶ 2. As of December 1, 1981, Ms. Morciglio was promoted to the noncompetitive, nontenured civil service position of Confidential Investigator Level II. Id. at 113.

In January 1982, the plaintiff was given the noncivil service, in-house title of Chief Investigator. Id. at ¶ 4. As of March 1, 1983, she was promoted to the provisional civil service title of Principal Investigator, a position she continued to hold until her termination on May 17, 1984. Affidavit in Opposition to Application for Preliminary Injunction at 1J 2, Aug. 29, 1983; Affidavit in Support of Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment at ¶ 9, Aug. 7, 1984. Defendant’s Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Application for a Preliminary Injunction at 2, Sept. 23, 1983 [hereinafter cited as “Memorandum in Opposition to Preliminary Injunction”]; Affidavit of Libertad E. Morciglio at 1118, Dec. 21,1984.

As Chief Investigator, Ms. Morciglio was given supervisory duties in addition to her investigative duties. Her promotion in civil service status to Principal Investigator was intended to provide her accordingly with a salary increase to compensate her for these additional duties. Defendant’s Statement of Material Facts at § 5. This salary increase was retroactive to January 1982, the date she actually began her supervisory duties. Affidavit in Support of Preliminary Injunction at ¶ 4, Aug. 30, 1983.

The plaintiff was suspended from her in-house title of Chief Investigator on August 11, 1983 and, although retaining her civil service position as Principal Investigator, was relieved of her supervisory duties. Defendant’s Statement of Material Facts at U 6; Complaint at ¶[¶ 5, 7, 8. The plaintiff brought this action on August 25, 1983 challenging the removal of her title of Chief Investigator.

Nine months after this action was brought, the plaintiff’s employment with [136]*136the New York City Fire Department was terminated. Affidavit of Libertad E. Morciglio at ¶ 18, Dec. 21, 1984.

The plaintiff alleges in her first claim that her suspension as Chief Investigator violated her due process and equal protection rights in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 since she was suspended with no notice or hearing and for racially discriminatory reasons. Complaint at 111115-18, 20. In her second claim, the plaintiff alleges a denial of equal employment opportunity in violation of Title VII since she was suspended for racial reasons. Id. at fl 21. The plaintiff also alleges a violation of her due process and equal protection rights under the New York State Constitution as a pendent claim. Id. at 11 22.

The plaintiff seeks damages, equitable relief, and attorney’s fees. Id. at 4-5.

While the defendant has moved for summary judgment of this action, it challenges only the claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The question articulated by the defendant in its motion for summary judgment, i.e., whether or not the plaintiff’s position as Chief Investigator is entitled to the protections of New York Civil Service law, pertains solely to the first cause of action and does not affect the basis for her other claims. See Defendant’s Statement of Material Facts at H 13. See also Defendant’s Memorandum of Law in Support of its Motion for Summary Judgment at 3, Aug. 15, 1984 [hereinafter cited as “Memorandum in Support”] (defendant argues that the plaintiff alleges no protected property or liberty interest in her position as Chief Investigator and, therefore, has no due process right to notice and a hearing before suspension).

For this reason, it is my opinion that this motion should be treated as one for partial summary judgment, i.e., summary judgment on the plaintiff’s cause of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Discussion

The plaintiff raises a claim that she was denied procedural due process in her suspension as Chief Investigator. Procedural due process is required only where there was a “deprivation of interests encompassed by the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection of liberty and property.” Bd of Regents v. Roth, 408 U.S. 564, 569, 92 S.Ct. 2701, 2705, 33 L.Ed.2d 548 (1972). The plaintiff has alleged no protected property interest but does raise a valid deprivation of liberty claim.

The plaintiff alleges that she is entitled to the protections of New York Civil Service Law since she was a permanent civil servant at the time of her supervision. Complaint at If 13. In fact, the plaintiff’s position as Chief Investigator was not a civil service position and as such, enjoyed no civil service protections. It was merely an in-house title from which she could be removed at will by the Inspector General. A public employee does not have a constitutionally-protected property interest in employment unless state law or an implied contract establishes a legitimate entitlement to continued employment. Bishop v. Wood, 426 U.S. 341, 344, 96 S.Ct. 2074, 2077, 48 L.Ed.2d 684 (1976), citing Perry v. Sindermann, 408 U.S. 593, 601, 92 S.Ct. 2694, 2699, 33 L.Ed.2d 570 (1972) and Board of Regents v. Roth, 408 U.S. 564, 577, 92 S.Ct. 2701, 2709, 33 L.Ed.2d 548 (1972).

Ms.

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Bluebook (online)
628 F. Supp. 134, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29420, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morciglio-v-new-york-city-fire-department-nyed-1986.