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Castiglia v. County of Ontario

140 A.D.3d 1648 Court N.Y. App. Div. Decision date 2016-06-10 English

Judges Present — Peradotto, J.P., Carni, Lindley, Curran and Troutman, JJ.

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p. 1648
In the Matter of Nicholas Castiglia, Petitioner, v County of Ontario et al., Respondents.
[32 NYS3d 777]

Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 (transferred to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Fourth Judicial Department by order of the Supreme Court, Ontario County [Thomas A. Stander, J.], entered Oct. 2, 2015) to annul a determination of respondents. The determination terminated the employment of petitioner.

It is hereby ordered that the determination is unanimously confirmed without costs and the petition is dismissed.

Memorandum: Petitioner commenced this proceeding seeking to annul the determination finding him guilty of disciplinary charges and terminating his employment as a correction officer for respondents. We conclude that the determination is supported by substantial evidence, i.e., “such relevant proof as a reasonable mind may accept as adequate to support a conclusion or ultimate fact” {300 Gramatan Ave. Assoc. v State Div. of Human Rights, 45 NY2d 176 , 180 [1978]; see CPLR 7803 [4]; see generally Matter of Pell v Board of Educ. of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 NY2d 222 , 230-231 [1974]). We further conclude that, in view of petitioner’s extensive disciplinary record, the penalty of terminating his employment is not “so disproportionate to the offense[s] as to be shocking to one’s sense of fairness,” and thus it does not constitute an abuse of discretion as a matter of law {Matter of Kelly v Safir, 96 NY2d 32 , 38 [2001], rearg denied 96 NY2d 854 [2001]; see Matter of Seltzer v City of Rochester, 77 AD3d 1300 , 1301 [2010]).

Present — Peradotto, J.P., Carni, Lindley, Curran and Troutman, JJ.

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