Wilson v. Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Personnel

6 Am. Tribal Law 372
CourtHo-Chunk Nation Trial Court
DecidedDecember 21, 2006
DocketNo. CV 05-43
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 6 Am. Tribal Law 372 (Wilson v. Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Personnel) 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
Wilson v. Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Personnel, 6 Am. Tribal Law 372 (hochunkct 2006).

Opinion

[373]*373ORDER (Determination upon Remand)

TODD R. MATHA, Chief Judge.

INTRODUCTION

On September 21, 2006, the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court (hereinafter Supreme Court) reversed and remanded a decision that this Court rendered in an employment action. The Supreme Court instructed the Court to conduct further proceedings, which the Court deemed unnecessary since the matter had previously proceeded to trial. The following discussion covers the relevant legal issues neees-sary to appropriately render a decision on remand.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The Supreme Court remanded the instant case for proceedings consistent with the appellate decision. Sherry Wilson v. HCN Dept of Pers., SU 06-01, 2006 WL 5771816, 6 Am. Tribal Law 184, 188 (HCN S.Ct., Sept. 21, 2006) at 1, 6. The Court already conducted the Trial on October 4, 2005, thereby permitting the Court to base its decision upon the standing Findings of Fact. Order (Final J.), CV 05-43 (HCN Tr. Ct., Jan. 4, 2006) at 9-11. The Court enters this decision in a timely manner pursuant to In the Matter of Timely Issuance of Decisions, Admin. Rule 04-09-05(1) (HCN S.Ct., Apr. 9, 2005).

APPLICABLE LAW

CONSTITUTION OF THE HO-CHUNK NATION

Article VII—Judiciary

Sec. 6. Powers of the Tribal Count.

(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 law7 and in equity including injunctive and declaratory relief and all writs including attachment and mandamus.

Article X—Bill of Rights

Sec. 1. Bill of Rights.

(a) The Ho-Chunk Nation, in exercising its powers of self-government, shall not:

(8) deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws or deprive any person of liberty or property without the due process of law;

Article XII—Sovereign Immunity

Sec. 1. Immunity of Nation from. Suit. The Ho-Chunk Nation shall be immune from suit except to the extent that the Legislature expressly waives its sovereign immunity, and officials or employees of the Ho-Chunk Nation acting within the scope of their duties or authority shall be immune from suit.

Sec. 2. Suit Against Officials and Employees. Officials and employees of the Ho-Chunk Nation who act beyond the scope of their duties or authority shall be subject to suit in equity only for declaratory and non-monetary injunctive relief in Tribal Court by persons subject to its jurisdiction for purposes of enforcing rights [374]*374and duties established by this constitution or other applicable laws.

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS ACTION OF 2004, 6 HOC 8 ft

Subsec. 18. Annual and Sick Learn.

c. Transfer of Leave Time. Employees may transfer leave hours to another employee who is eligible to use accrued leave hours. This policy does not apply to an employee who has given notice of resignation or an employee being separated because of lay-off or termination.

(1) To be eligible to receive these hours an employee must meet the following criteria:
(a) Have forty (40) or less hours of accrued leave hours.
(b) Not receiving any other type of pay (i.e., Short Term Disability, Worker’s Compensation, etc).
(c) Approval of his or her supervisor.
(2) To be eligible to transfer hours, the donating employee must meet the following criteria:
(a) Execute a voluntary option of consent with signature and a specific amount of hours donated/transferred.
(b) Maintain a minimum balance of 24 hours in his or her respective donating leave account.
(c) Approval of his or her supervisor, where applicable.
(3) This policy is strictly voluntary and no employee shall be required to transfer accrued leave time.
(4) In the event that an employee decides to transfer his/her accrued leave time, such leave time shall not be recovered and the employee will be eligible to utilize only hours that he/she has remaining and thereafter accumulates.
(5) Any leave transferred that violates this policy shall result in the transferred leave being revoked from the receiving employee.

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.

d. Candidates for employment may file a complaint with the Department of Personnel regarding the interview and selection process and may elect to file a complaint directly with the Grievance Review Board.

Subsec. 34. Administrative Review Process.

a. Policy.
(2) Employees are entitled to grieve suspensions or terminations to the Board. The Board will be selected from a set pool of employees and supervisors with grievance training, who will review a case and determine whether to uphold the discipline.
(3) Following a Board decision, the employee shall have the right to file an appeal with the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court (Court).

Subsec. 35 Judicial Review.

a. Waiver of Sovereign Immunity. Pursuant to Article XII of the Constitution [375]*375of the Ho-Chunk Nation, the Ho-Chunk Nation Legislature expressly waives the sovereign immunity of the Ho-Chunk Nation in the limited manner described herein. This waiver shall be strictly construed.

b. There is no judicial review of employee evaluations or disciplinary actions that do not immediately result in suspension or termination.

c. Judicial review of a grievance involving suspension, termination, discrimination, or harassment may proceed to the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court only after the Administrative Review Process has been exhausted through the Grievance Review Board. An employee may appeal a Board decision to the Trial Court within thirty (30) calendar days of when the Board decision is served by mail.

d. Relief.
(1) This limited waiver of sovereign immunity allows the Trial Court to award monetary damages for actual wages established by the employee in an amount not to exceed $10,000, subject to applicable taxation.
(2) The Trial Court may grant equitable relief mandating that the Ho-Chunk Nation prospectively follow7

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Related

White v. Day
7 Am. Tribal Law 256 (Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 Am. Tribal Law 372, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-ho-chunk-nation-department-of-personnel-hochunkct-2006.