Schwartz Case

275 A.2d 666, 219 Pa. Super. 245, 1971 Pa. Super. LEXIS 1369
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 23, 1971
DocketAppeal, No. 812
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 275 A.2d 666 (Schwartz Case) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schwartz Case, 275 A.2d 666, 219 Pa. Super. 245, 1971 Pa. Super. LEXIS 1369 (Pa. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinions

Opinion by

Montgomery, J.,

The history of this case dates from June 8, 1963, when the appellee, Donald Schwartz, then occupying the position of Property Assessment Aide (Real) in the office of the Board of Revision of Taxes, took a civil service examination for promotion to the position of Real Property Assessor I. Having been certified as successfully passing the examination, his name was placed on the list of persons awaiting promotion for that position.

Later, on April 15, 1964, Louis Singer, a fellow employee who had taken the same examination at the [247]*247same time, complained to the Personnel Director, under whose supervision the examination had been given, that he had seen Schwartz cheating during the examination by copying answers from the paper of the man who had sat in front of him at that time. As a result of that complaint and pursuant to Civil Service Regulation No. 8.163, the Personnel Director commenced an investigation which involved taking testimony, granting Schwartz a hearing, and affording him an opportunity to take a re-examination. Schwartz rejected the offer of a re-examination, and sought an injunction to prevent the Personnel Director from taking this action, which effort was ultimately nullified by our Supreme Court. Schwartz v. Tate, 419 Pa. 593, 215 A. 2d 616 (1966). On March 3, 1966, the Personnel Director wrote a letter, quoted below,1 which was forwarded to Schwartz, along with a three-page report of his investigation, containing, inter alia, the statement, “Under the circumstances, the similarity of the examination papers, along with the sworn statement of an eyewitness that he saw the actual cheating, compel the Per[248]*248sonnel Director to conclude that the conscientious performance of his function requires that he find that Mr. Schwartz was guilty of the cheating on the civil service examination held on June 8, 1963. Such cheating by its very nature was willful. Under Sections 9.1611 and 9.1621 of the Civil Service Regulations, the Personnel Director has no alternative but to separate Mr. Schwartz from municipal service and to hold him ineligible therefrom for a period five years.” Thereafter an appeal was taken by Schwartz from that action to the Civil Service Commission, which affirmed it. Schwartz appealed to the Common Pleas Court from that order of affirmance; and, as a result of same, Hon. Stanley Greenberg, Judge, ordered and directed that the Civil Service Commission “. . . hold a new hearing on petitioner’s appeal to the Commission from his dismissal as a City employee.” No reason appears in the record for this action.

Following a complete rehearing the Commission again affirmed the dismissal and Schwartz again appealed to the Court of Common Pleas, which, again acting through Judge Greenberg, reversed and ordered Schwartz reinstated as of the date of his dismissal, with back pay and all rights and privileges pertaining to his employment. This action of the court below was based on the record as presented to it on appeal, without additional evidence; and the sole reason assigned by it in support of such action was that the Personnel Director lacked authority to dismiss Schwartz, since the appointing authority was the Board of Revision of Taxes. In support thereof the court cited Sections 7-2012 ***and 7-3033 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Char[249]*249ter. Neither the finding of the Personnel Director that Schwartz had cheated on the examination, nor the finding of the Commission that the Personnel Director had not abused his discretion in making that determination and dismissing Schwartz for that reason, were disturbed by the lower court. This appeal by the City followed.

The primary question, therefore, is whether the lower court, for the reason that the Personnel Director did not have the authority to dismiss Schwartz from [250]*250his position as Property Assessment Aide (Real) in the office of the Board of Tax Revision, erred in reversing the Board’s action.

The lower court assumed and both parties agree that the Board of Revision of Taxes is Schwartz’s appointing authority insofar as the applicable provisions of the Home Rule Charter are concerned. But based on that assumption, Schwartz argues that, since Ms appointing authority did not dismiss Mm, then no other authority, including the Personnel Director, has the power to do so.

We have no doubt that the argument advanced by Schwartz has considerable merit in the effectuation of the purposes of civil service commissions. Such systems usually have been established to separate the matters of determination of eligibility for appointment and appointment, itself, the former power being in the hands of a Personnel Director or similar officer and the latter power being exercised by the actual heads of departments or supervisors of the employees. Thus, ordinarily, the civil service commission, or personnel director, has no power to appoint to any position or office, the power to appoint being in the head of the department or office in which a position is listed under the Civil Service Act. 15 Am. Jur. 2d, Civil Service, §23. The power to appoint generally implies the power to dismiss. Since generally the power of dismissal of probationary civil service employees has been placed by statutes and rules in whole or in part in the appointing authority, the dismissal by an officer or other administrative agent who is not the appointing power is without authority. 15 Am. Jur. 2d, Civil Service, §35. It has been held that a charter provision vesting the removal power in the head of a department invalidates any rule attempting to delegate that power to some other, officer. The State of Washington, on the [251]*251Relation of Marie K. West v. The City of Seattle, 61 Wash. 2d 658, 379 P. 2d 925 (1963).

However, there can be no question but that the basic matter involved in this case, cheating on civil service examination, is exclusively within the sphere of the Personnel Director’s jurisdiction under the Home Rule Charter.

Under Art. VII of the Charter, a comprehensive plan of civil service is established placing in the Personnel Director plenary powers and responsibility for its administration subject to a review by an independent commission consisting of three members. Among those duties and responsibilities is that of maintaining a roster of all employees of the City with all pertinent data concerning them, of investigating the effectiveness of the civil service operations of the Charter and of reporting same to the Mayor and the Civil Service Commission. He is also directed to foster and develop programs for employee effectiveness and to prepare and rate tests for employees. The purpose of the Civil Service system is to establish a system of personnel administration based on merit principles and scientific methods governing the appointment, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, removal and discipline of City employees. Section 7-300.

Sections 7-400 and 401 provide for Civil Service Regulations to be prepared by the Personnel Director subject to approval by the Civil Service Commission and the Administrative Board in some instances; and it is specified that such regulations provide for, inter alia: “7-401 (g) The rejection of candidates or eligibles who fail to comply with reasonable requirements in regard to such factors as age, physical condition, training and experience, or who have attempted any deception or fraud in connection with an examination.”

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Related

Harrington v. Philadelphia Civil Service Commission
287 A.2d 912 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
275 A.2d 666, 219 Pa. Super. 245, 1971 Pa. Super. LEXIS 1369, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schwartz-case-pasuperct-1971.