White v. Day

7 Am. Tribal Law 246
CourtHo-Chunk Nation Trial Court
DecidedJanuary 14, 2008
DocketNo. CV 07-54
StatusPublished

This text of 7 Am. Tribal Law 246 (White v. Day) 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
White v. Day, 7 Am. Tribal Law 246 (hochunkct 2008).

Opinion

ORDER

(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 finds that the petitioner failed to exhaust her administrative remedies and accordingly affirms the agency action. The analysis of the Court follows below.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The petitioner, Gale S. White, filed her Petition for Administrative Review (hereinafter Petition) on July 13, 2007. See Employment Relations Act of 2004 (hereinafter ERA), 6 HCC § 5.35c; see also Ho-Chunk Nation Rules of Civil Procedure (hereinafter HCN R. Civ. P.), Rule 63(A)(1)(a). On July 17, 2007, the Court entered the Scheduling Order, setting forth the timelines and procedures to which the parties should adhere during the pendency of the appeal. In response, the respondent submitted the administrative record on August 1, 2007. See HCN R. Civ. P. 63(D).

On August 8, 2007, the petitioner sought an extension of time to file the Initial Brief, which the Court subsequently granted on August 10, 2007.1 Id., Rule 63(J). The petitioner filed a timely Initial Brief on September 10, 2007. Id., Rule 63(E). The respondent, by and through Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice (hereinafter DOJ) Attorney Brian T. Stevens, filed the timely Respondent’s [sic ] [247]*247Brief on October 10, 2007.2 Id. The petitioner filed her timely Petitioner’s Response [sic ] on October 18, 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 Executive.

(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 called 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. Powers 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.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS & COMMENCEMENT OF CLAIMS ACT, 2 HCC § 14

Subsec. 4. Civil Action and Time Limitation. Civil actions may be commenced only within the periods as prescribed here:

e. All employment actions must be filed in the Trial Court within 30 calendar days of the final administrative grievance review decision by the Grievance Review Board.

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS ACT OF 2004, 6 HCC § 5

Ch. I—General Provisions

Subsec. 5. Employment Clause.

a. Equal Employment Opportunity. With the exception of Ho-Chunk Preference in Employment as set forth in paragraph (b), below, it will be a violation of this Act to discriminate based on an individual’s sex, race, religion, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability.

Subsec. 6. Employee Rights.

d. Harassment.
(1) Harassment (both overt and subtle) is a form of employee misconduct that both demeans another person and undermines the integrity of the employment relationship by creating an unreasonably intimidating, hostile, and objectively offensive working environment.

[248]*248Ch. IY—Employee Benefits

Subsec. 27. Unpaid Leave of Absence. An employee with more than twelve (12) months of continuous services [sic ] full time service may be eligible for an Unpaid Leave of Absence for a period not to exceed three (3) months. All requests must be approved by the Department of Personnel.

a. An Unpaid Leave of Absence may be granted for the following reasons:

(1) Continued illness or personal reasons, which extend in' time beyond available annual, sick, or FML. During an Unpaid Leave of Absence for medical reasons, health benefits will continue for up to ninety (90) days;
(2) Advanced training, higher education, or research, which will increase employability and job skills that are in the best interests of the Ho-Chunk Nation. Employees will be responsible for maintaining or discontinuing any employment related discretionary insurance benefits with the Nation.

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

Subsec. 29. General Hours of Work and Attendance.

e. Abandonment of Employment. An employee who is absent from his or her assigned work location without authorized leave for three (3) consecutive days or five (5) days in a twelve (12) month period shall be considered absent without authorized leave, and as having abandoned his or her employment. The employee shall be automatically terminated, unless the employee can provide the Nation with acceptable and verifiable evidence of extenuating circumstances justifying the absence(s).

Subsec. 33. Grievances.

a. Employees may seek administrative and judicial review only for alleged discrimination and harassment.

Subsec. 34. Administrative Review Process.

a. Policy.
(3)Following a Board decision, the employee shall have the right to file an appeal with the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court (Court).

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 in the forfeiture of a hearing by the Board.

e. Witnesses and Evidence.

(1) Ten (10) days prior to the hearing, the employee and supervisor shall each provide the Department of Personnel with a list of all witnesses they intend to call at the hearing. They shall also present copies of any documentary evidence that they would like to submit to the Board.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
7 Am. Tribal Law 246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-day-hochunkct-2008.