Wilson v. Askew

568 S.W.3d 375
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedJanuary 25, 2019
DocketNO. 2017-CA-000551-MR
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 568 S.W.3d 375 (Wilson v. Askew) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. Askew, 568 S.W.3d 375 (Ky. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

LAMBERT, J., JUDGE:

This matter is a second administrative appeal arising from the dismissal of Willis Wilson's employment as an Attorney Senior with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Wilson has appealed from the February 13, 2017, order of the Fayette Circuit Court affirming the CSC's findings of fact and conclusions of law upholding his dismissal on remand as well as from the March 12, 2017, order *378denying his Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (CR) 59.05 motion to alter, amend, or vacate. Finding no error, we affirm.

We shall rely upon the statement of the facts and procedural history as set forth in the opinion this Court rendered in Wilson's first appeal in Action No. 10-CI-00313:

Willis L. Wilson appeals the circuit court's order affirming the Civil Service Commission's order sustaining his dismissal from employment with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG). Because the Civil Service Commission (CSC) failed to make factual findings supporting its decision, we reverse and remand.
Wilson was originally employed as a contract specialist by the LFUCG's Division of Risk Management located in the Department of Law. Employees within the Division of Risk Management were aware that this division was to be divided into two parts. Wilson asked that his position be reclassified as an Attorney Senior position; he received this classification and began receiving assignments from the Department of Law. Later, when the Division of Risk Management was divided, the portion of the division involved with litigation was absorbed by the Department of Law while the other portion of the division was absorbed by the Department of Finance and Administration. The parties were in a dispute as to whether Wilson continued to be employed by the portion of the Division of Risk Management absorbed by the Department of Finance and Administration or by the Department of Law.
On July 27, 2009, LFUCG, Department of Law, brought charges against Wilson before the LFUCG Civil Service Commission alleging inefficiency and insubordination in violation of Sections 8a and 8d of the Uniform Discipline Code within the meaning of Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 67A.280 and Section 21-44 of the Lexington-Fayette County Code of Ordinances, and requested that Wilson be dismissed from his position. The Department of Law alleged inefficiency and insubordination as follows: Count I: failing to timely and adequately prepare a motion for discretionary review in January of 2009; Count II: failing to timely and adequately prepare a brief that was due on February 13, 2009; Count III: failing to timely and adequately prepare a response to a cross-motion for discretionary review on May 18, 2009; Count IV: failing to follow his supervisor's directions to request an extension to file a position statement before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in May of 2009; and Count V: repeatedly failing to demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of an Attorney Senior and failing to follow his supervisor's instructions. Each legal document was alleged to have been untimely and inadequately prepared because it was late, had numerous drafting and grammatical errors, required redrafting by another attorney to meet the filing deadline, and in some of these documents Wilson was alleged to have relied on improper legal arguments.
At Wilson's hearing before the CSC, testimony was provided by Logan Askew, Commissioner of Law of the LFUCG; Leslye Bowman, Director of Litigation in the Department of Law of the LFUCG; Attorney Senior Rochelle Boland and Wilson. The testimony by Askew, Bowman and Boland supported the Department of Law's position that Wilson was employed by the Department of Law and violated LFUCG's Uniform Discipline Code as to inefficiency and insubordination. These witnesses testified as follows: Wilson requested *379and was reassigned to the Department of Law, his office was moved into the Department's space and all assignments he received, support personnel assisting him, and salary he drew were from the Department of Law. Bowman offered extensive training to Wilson to help him transition from his former position. Wilson knew of the policy that pleadings due to be filed within thirty days must be submitted in final draft five days before the due date and pleadings due sooner must be submitted three days before the due date (the five/three policy). Wilson repeatedly submitted deficient and untimely work that had to be substantially rewritten by other attorneys at the last minute in order to meet the filing deadlines. Bowman repeatedly instructed Wilson to get an extension of time to file a position statement with the EEOC, but the extension was not obtained until after her fourth request. Wilson was repeatedly advised that his work needed to improve, but Wilson was unable to develop the skills needed to perform adequately as an Attorney Senior.
Wilson testified he was reclassified as an Attorney Senior while still working for the Division of Risk Management, when he was "borrowed" by Department of Law, but he continued to be employed by the Division of Risk Management under the Department of Finance and Administration. He acknowledged being overwhelmed with the amount of work he was assigned by the Department of Law and having to work with other attorneys on every legal document referenced in the charges. He was unaware of the five/three policy but asserted he timely submitted his work. Wilson claimed he promptly followed Bowman's request to get an extension of time to file a position statement with the EEOC. Wilson claimed that although Bowman and Askew told him they had problems with his work performance, instead they had a problem with his salary following his reclassification.
On December 17, 2009, the CSC issued a one-paragraph opinion which stated:
On December 16, 2009, at the request of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Civil Service Commission heard a request for termination of W.L. Wilson, Attorney Sr.-Department of Law. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and the Defendant provided testimony, witnesses and exhibits. The Commission found in favor of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and unanimously sustains the termination of W.L. Wilson.
Wilson timely filed an appeal with the circuit court against Askew in his individual and official capacities, Bowman in her individual and official capacities, and the LFUCG (appellees); he also filed additional claims against Askew and Bowman. Wilson appealed his dismissal on the ground that the CSC acted in an arbitrary manner. The appeal was bifurcated from the other claims, which were stayed pending the outcome of the appeal.
Following a hearing before the trial court wherein additional evidence was offered, the trial court affirmed Wilson's termination on March 12, 2012. The trial court determined that Wilson was entitled to a quasi trial de novo , engaged in a quasi trial de novo , determined that there was no evidence the CSC acted arbitrarily, and affirmed its determination and termination of Wilson. The court made its own findings, which supported the CSC's ultimate conclusion sustaining termination.
*380

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
568 S.W.3d 375, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-askew-kyctapp-2019.