Sterling v. Klamath Forest Protective Ass'n

528 P.2d 574, 19 Or. App. 383, 1974 Ore. App. LEXIS 771, 9 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9879, 16 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1193
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedNovember 18, 1974
StatusPublished

This text of 528 P.2d 574 (Sterling v. Klamath Forest Protective Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sterling v. Klamath Forest Protective Ass'n, 528 P.2d 574, 19 Or. App. 383, 1974 Ore. App. LEXIS 771, 9 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9879, 16 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1193 (Or. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

FORT, J.

This matter comes before us on a petition for judicial review of a final order of the Commissioner of Labor adjudging respondents below, Klamath Forest Protective Association, hereinafter referred to as KFPA, and George Wardell, its manager, guilty of discrimination in employment against complainant, William Sterling, and imposing, inter alia, a variety of orders of an “affirmative action” nature on KFPA.

William Sterling, a college student, applied for seasonal employment as a fire station guard with KFPA in July 1969. He was recommended for the position after he had tried out for the job by work[386]*386ing a few days at one of the KFPA guard stations. The man in charge of that station, an Indian, recommended Mr. Sterling and sent him into the KFPA headquarters to file a job application. There was a vacancy at that time at that particular guard station for the position for which Mr. Sterling applied.

The application was rejected and shortly thereafter an apparently less qualified person was hired to fill the job. Mr. Sterling is a black man — the man hired was white.

The fire danger season drew to its close during October, and the seasonal employes were accordingly terminated. It was not until November 21, 1969, that Mr. Sterling filed a complaint with the Civil Rights Division of the Oregon Bureau of Labor. Thus, at the time these proceedings were commenced, the seasonal job denied him no longer existed. The order ultimately entered therefore did not direct that Mr. Sterling be placed in the position.

The Civil Rights Division began its investigation in early 1970. In July 1971, some two years after the incident which led to the complaint, the Attorney General filed the specific charges of discrimination here asserted against KFPA. A tribunal appointed by the Commissioner promptly conducted the fact-finding hearing on August 11 and 12, 1971. Findings were filed by it with the Commissioner on March 15, 1972. On February 28, 1974, nearly five years after the act charged, the Commissioner issued his Conclusions of Law and Cease and Desist Order.

The record discloses no explanation for the inordinate delay by the Commissioner, after the com[387]*387plaint was filed, totaling well over four years, in pursuing this matter to his final determination.

We also note that KFPA, in 1972, agreed to and did thereafter pay Mr. Sterling, as a part of the conciliation process mandated by OES 659.022 (3), $1,139, which included $1,000 for humiliation. He is, so far as the record reveals, currently an Assistant Dean of Students at Oregon State University and has had no further contact with KFPA as a job applicant since 1969.

We discussed the scope of appellate review in cases of this nature in Williams v. Joyce, 4 Or App 482, 479 P2d 513, 40 ALR3d 1272, Sup Ct review denied (1971), and said:

“Except in certain statutorily-specified instances, judicial review of the findings of administrative agencies does not confer upon the reviewing court the right to try the cause de novo.
“ * * [T]he reviewing court is not granted the power to weigh the evidence and substitute its judgment as to the preponderance thereof for that of the agency. The extent to which a reviewing court should review the action of an administrative agency has been expressed by this court, as follows:
“ ‘ “* * * Generally, they go no further than to determine whether the agency (1) acted impartially; (2) performed faithfully the duties delineated in the legislative acts which conferred jurisdiction upon it; (3) stayed within its jurisdiction; (4) committed no error of law; (5) exercised discretion judiciously and not capriciously; and (6) arrived at no conclusion which was clearly wrong.” * * Bay v. State Board of Education, 233 Or 601, 605, 378 P2d 558 (1963).” 4 Or App at 487.

[388]*388KFPA first contends the evidence is insufficient to support a factual finding that KFPA and George Wardell, its manager, discriminated against the complainant on account of his race in violation of the Oregon Civil Eights Act. OES 659.010-659.115. Specifically, the Commissioner determined that KFPA failed and refused to hire Sterling because of his race, and thus committed an unlawful employment practice in violation of OES 659.080 (1) and (5). Our review of a factual issue is governed by OES 183.480 (7) (b), which precludes reversal or remand on such ground unless

“[o]n review of a contested case, the order is not supported by reliable, probative and substantial evidence in the whole record. * * *” OES 183.480 (7)(d).

There can be no question on this record but that the Commissioner’s finding of racial discrimination in employment against William Sterling by both KFPA arid George Wardell is amply supported. Under the foregoing rule, we see no need to set forth that evidence. This assignment is without merit.

The next contention is that since the Commissioner has failed to adopt rules pursuant to OES 659.103, he lacked authority to issue the Cease and Desist Order here.

In Sun Ray Dairy v. OLCC, 16 Or App 63, 517 P2d 289 (1973), relied on by KFPA, we discussed at length the circumstances and conditions under which appropriate rules should be promulgated by an administrative agency, and the rationale for such requirements. We see no need to repeat them here. In that case, we found an order of the agency to be invalid because of OLCC’s failure to promulgate rules defining what acts, conditions or omissions [389]*389might be found by it to come with the statutory phrase “demanded by the public convenience and necessity.”

In contrast here, the statute involved, ORS 659.030 (1) and (5), provides:

“For the purposes of ORS 659.010 to 659.110 and 659.400 to 659.435, it is an unlawful employment practice:
“(1) For an employer, because of the race, religion, color, sex or national origin of any individual or of any other person with whom the individual associates, to refuse to hire or employ or to bar or discharge from employment such individual or to discriminate against such individual in compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment. However, discrimination is not an unlawful employment practice if such discrimination results from a bona fide occupational requirement reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the employer’s business, including, but not limited to, discrimination due to the physical requirements of the employment, lack of adequate facilities to accommodate both sexes or special environmental conditions justifying such employment.
“(5) For any person, whether an employer or an employe, to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any of the acts forbidden under ORS 659.010 to 659.110 and 659.400 to 659.435 or to attempt to do so.”

The statute itself expressly forbade what the evidence clearly shows KFPA did — namely, it refused to hire Mr. Sterling because of his race.

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528 P.2d 574, 19 Or. App. 383, 1974 Ore. App. LEXIS 771, 9 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9879, 16 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sterling-v-klamath-forest-protective-assn-orctapp-1974.