By Jim Cline

In Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Examiner Casillas dismissed the case, holding that Complainant failed to prove her employer had discriminated against her for engaging in a protected activity. Examiner Casillas found that management had engaged in multiple non-disciplinary attempts to correct Complainant’s behavior over several years and that Complainant failed to provide any evidence such corrective attempts were the result of union animus.

By Jim Cline and Abagail Klonsinski

In King County, Arbitrator Khoury sustained the grievance of a law enforcement officer in part, holding there had been failures on both sides, but that termination was not supported when one of the factors used to escalate discipline violated the principle of double jeopardy.

By Jim Cline and Abagail Klonsinski

In City of Port Angeles, Arbitrator Susan Bauman found there was just cause to terminate a patrol officer who failed to meet the Department’s standards of ethical conduct. The Officer had failed to timely file a report regarding a potential sexual assault and was untruthful throughout an Internal Affairs investigation, which she concluded supported termination rather than lesser progressive discipline.

By Jim Cline and Abagail Klonsinski

In City of Lakewood, Arbitrator Mayne ordered reinstatement and expungement of a police officer’s record after finding there was no just cause to terminate the Officer for untruthfulness.

By Jim Cline and Kim Lowe

In Pierce County, Arbitrator Clauss reinstated a deputy police officer, finding that the County failed to prove that she was intentionally dishonest or that she withheld any information material to a separate investigation. The Arbitrator applied the usual principles of just cause and progressive discipline and found that the department did not have just cause to terminate the Deputy.

By Jim Cline and Kim Lowe

In City of Tallahassee, Arbitrator Baroni upheld a police officer’s policy violation for failure to use de-escalation techniques with a suspect, however he reduced the discipline from an 8-hour suspension to a written reprimand. While several factors contributed to Baroni’s decision to reduce the discipline, the main one was that Tallahassee Police Chief Revell acknowledged he deliberated departed from the usual, more moderate discipline, to “set the tone for his expectations in the department.” Baroni held choice resulted in too severe a punishment.