Omrod v. New Jersey Dept. of Civil Service

• Decision Date: 30 June 1977
• Parties: Sharon J. OMROD, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE, Vineland State School and Ray Louf, Defendants-Respondents.
• Court: New Jersey Superior Court — Appellate Division

Page 54

151 N.J.Super. 54

376 A.2d 554

Sharon J. OMROD, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE, Vineland State School and Ray Louf, Defendants-Respondents.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Argued June 6, 1977.

Decided June 30, 1977.

Mitchell S. Berman, Vineland, for plaintiff-appellant (Shapiro, Eisenstat, Capizola, O'Neill & Gabage, Vineland, attorneys).

Arnold Lakind, Deputy Atty. Gen., for respondent, Dept. of Civil Service (William F. Hyland, Atty. Gen., attorney).

Before Judges BISCHOFF, MORGAN and KING.

PER CURIAM.

This action was instituted by the filing of a complaint on October 9, 1975 in the Chancery Division in which plaintiff challenged her removal from the position of Supervisor of Recreation at the Vineland State School, the appointment of defendant Louf as Supervisor of Recreation, and the validity of the examination given by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Defendants CSC and Vineland State School moved to dismiss and on May 7, 1976 Judge Gruccio entered an order transferring the case to the Appellate Division pursuant to R. 1:13-4(a). Thereafter, on August 13, 1976 the CSC concluded the plaintiff was not entitled to a hearing on the termination of her provisional appointment as Supervisor of Recreation at the Vineland State School.

We accept for purposes of this appeal the accuracy of the facts alleged by plaintiff. On April 13, 1961 plaintiff was hired by defendant School as an institutional attendant. From October 28, 1961 to September 1, 1962 she served as a recreation assistant. From September 1, 1962 to November 10, 1962 she was again employed as an institutional attendant. On November 10, 1962 plaintiff was appointed as a teaching assistant and in that capacity she served as Acting Supervisor of Recreation from April 1965 to October 7, 1967. She was appointed Supervisor of Recreation on October 7, 1967 and served in that post until October 11, 1975. The appointment was noted on the Civil Service forms as "pending open competitive examination." Plaintiff's performance as Supervisor of Recreation was considered excellent by her supervisors and peers, and we do not doubt her contentions in that regard. On October 11, 1975 plaintiff was dismissed as Supervisor of Recreation and demoted to teaching assistant. She was thus removed from a position where she rendered excellent service for ten years and her salary was reduced from $14,141 to $9,241.

The position of Supervisor of Recreation had been classified under Civil Service since March 1, 1949. On January 30, 1975 plaintiff took the open competitive examination and passed with a score of 77.5 out of a possible 100. She placed 67th on the list of those examined. Defendant Louf scored 81.25 on the examination. After the commencement of this action defendant Louf was terminated and replaced by Edward J. Mihaly who had scored 83.5 on the examination. Since defendant Mihaly was not a party to this action and appeal, this court notified him of his right to appear and file a brief prior to oral argument, because of his obvious personal stake in the outcome of this proceeding. Mihaly declined to appear, advising this court he would rely on the contentions advanced by the Deputy Attorney General appearing for the CSC.

The final determination of the CSC noted that plaintiff was a provisional employee who had finished 67th in the competitive examination, and as a provisional employee who had been terminated, had no right to appeal to the CSC under N.J.A.C. 4:1-16.8. The CSC further considered the appeal untimely insofar as it attempted to challenge the examination. We prefer to reach the merits of this appeal and do not consider plaintiff barred by any alleged untimely action. Any such delay on the plaintiff's part pales to insignificance when contrasted to the CSC's delay in holding the examination for this classified position.

In either 1965 or 1967 a vacancy arose in the position of Supervisor of Recreation and the Vineland State School notified the CSC thereof. For either eight or ten years, depending on which allegation is accepted, plaintiff held the position as a temporary employee and rendered excellent performance. She concededly knew of her vulnerable status at all times. On November 1, 1974 the examination was first announced, and thereafter was held on January 30, 1975. On this appeal plaintiff contends entitlement to the position as of right by virtue of the passage of years in the position and her admittedly competent performance. She asserts her termination by the CSC was arbitrary, capricious and irrational, and contrary to the purposes and goals of the Civil Service Act.

If plaintiff's rights alone vis a vis the CSC were the only concern of this court we would readily acknowledge the substantial merit of her position. However, we must be appropriately concerned with the rights of the present holder of the position who prepared and sat for the examination and has occupied the position on the basis of the results of competitive examination in reliance upon the regularity of the civil service procedure. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy in 1965 or 1967 the CSC had the duty to certify the person willing to accept the particular employment whose name appeared on the employment list. N.J.S.A....