Civil Service Commission Decisions 2017- Present

The Commission dismissed the reclassification appeal of three water management employees within the Industrial Instructor series at MCI Norfolk given that none of the employees performed the core aspect of their classification series that is any kind of instruction of inmates.

Reclassification appeal allowed. Appellant has shown that she performs the level distinguishing duties of an Administrative Assistant I a majority of the time.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s reclassification appeal given that she was unable to show that she regularly performed the level-distinguishing duties of a Customer Service Representative III more than 50% of the time.

Reclassification appeals denied. The Appellants, all Review Examiner IIs, were not able to show that they performed the level distinguishing duties of a Counsel II a majority of the time.

The Commission denied the reclassification appeal of a MCAD Program Coordinator I given that the appeal was as an attempt to justify a former MCAD Chairwoman's impermissible request of promotion and pay raise, and that there was no indication that the duties of Program Coordinator II a majority of the time.

Appellant does not perform the duties of General Construction Inspector II a majority of the time. Duties performed during voluntary overtime do not count toward calculation.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that he performed the level distinguishing duties of a Program Coordinator III a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Personnel Analyst III a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Program Coordinator II a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. Appellant failed to show that he performed the level distinguishing duties of a Counsel III.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Child Support Enforcement Specialist II a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that he performed the level distinguishing duties of a Environmental Analyst IV a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellants do not perform the level distinguishing duties of Ranger III a majority of the time.

The Commission denied the Appellant's appeal as he was unable to show that he performs the duties of a Civil Engineer VI a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Counsel II a majority of the time.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s request for reclassification as she failed to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Program Coordinator I a majority of her time.

Reclassification appeal dismissed. Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear reclassification appeals that are not first filed with HRD.

The Civil Service Commission denied the Appellant’s appeal to be reclassified from Recreation Therapist III to Program Coordinator III, as she failed to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a PC III a majority of the time.

The Commission denied the Appellant's reclassification appeal as she was unable to show that she formed the level distinguishing duties of Tax Examiner III more than 50% of the time.

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision denying the Appellant's reclassification appeal to Forest and Park Supervisor III.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that he performed the level distinguishing duties of Forest and Park Supervisor III a majority of the time.

Classification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of Program Coordinator I a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal dismissed. Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear reclassification appeals that are not first filed with HRD.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of an Auditor IV a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. Appellant was unable to show that he performs the level distinguishing duties of an RN V a majority of the time.

Classification appeal denied. Appellant unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of Administrative Assistant. Commission dismissed with future effective date for matters related to a prior reclassification request.

Reclassification appeal from GCI I to GCI II denied. Appellant could not show he a majority of his time performing duties of higher classification.

Reclassification appeal allowed. In the unique position that she occupies at PRHC, the majority of her duties are most properly described to be more consistent with the responsibilities of an RN-III (the title that her predecessor held) than an RN-II.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that he continuously performed the level distinguishing duties of a Civil Engineer III a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. Appellant unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Program Coordinator I a majority of the time.

The Civil Service Commission denied the Appellant’s appeal to be reclassified to Tax Examiner IV (TE IV) as she failed to show that she performed the level- distinguishing duties of a TE IV more than 50% of the time.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s reclassification appeal as he was unable to show that he regularly performed the level-distinguishing duties of an Environmental Analyst V more than 50% of the time.

The Commission allowed UMass Amherst’s Motion to Dismiss a UMass electrician’s reclassification appeal as pay grades are a collective bargaining issue over which the Commission lacks jurisdiction.

The Commission denied the Appellant's reclassification appeal as he was unable to show that he performed the level distinguishing duties of a Construction Coordinator a majority of the time.

The Civil Service Commission denied the Appellant’s appeal to be reclassified from Engineering Aide II to General Construction Inspector I as he failed to show that he performed the level distinguishing duties of the higher classification a majority of the time. Rather, he is a properly classified EA-II who has histori

The Commission dismissed the classification appeal of a DPH employee based on the undisputed fact that she does not possess the minimum entrance requirements of the requested higher classification of Health Care Facility Inspector I.

The Commission dismissed the reclassification appeal of a Department of Transitional Assistance Management Analyst as it did not qualify as a reclassification appeal and the Commission had no jurisdiction over the matter.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Commission found the Department of Correction justified in denying the Appellant’s reclassification as he failed to demonstrate that he had performed the duties, skills, processes, or consulting required of the desired classification, CPO-D, a majority of the time.

The Commission denied the Appellant's reclassification appeal as he was unable to show that he performed the level-distinguishing duties of the title of District Maintenance Engineer more than 50% of the time.

Classification appeal denied. The Appellant failed to show that he performed the level distinguishing duties of a Civil Engineer V a majority of the time.

Classification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Program Coordinator III a majority of the time.

Classification appeal denied. The Appellant did not perform the level distinguishing duties of Program Coordinator I more than 50% of the time.

Reclassification appeal; GCI I to GCI II; appeal denied; Appellant did not meet minimum entrance requirements and did not perform duties of higher classification a majority of the time.

The Commission denied an appeal by a Storekeeper III at the Department of Correction for reclassification to Storekeeper IV given that although their responsibilities were consistent with that of the retired superior, the retired superior's responsibilities were consistent with Storekeeper III and Storekeeper II.

The Civil Service Commission denied the Appellant’s appeal to be reclassified from Program Coordinator II to Program Coordinator III as she failed to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of the higher classification a majority of the time.

Reclassification appeal denied. The Appellant was unable to show that she spent a majority of her time performing the level-distinguishing duties of a Customer Service Representative IV.

Since there is no dispute that the Appellant does not currently perform those CSR III duties a majority of her time, or that she has received out-of-grade pay retroactive to the date of her reclassification appeal being filed with MassDOT, the Commission is not empowered to grant further relief.

The Commission allowed the reclassification appeal of an EDP Computer Operations Supervisor in the Department of Revenue as the Appellant was able to demonstrate that she spent the majority of her time performing the duties and responsibilities of the desired classification, Program Coordinator III.

Reclassification appeal denied. Appellant unable to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of a Program Coordinator II a majority of the time.

The Commission adopted the Tentative Decision of the DALA Magistrate and denied the Appellant's reclassification appeal as he failed to show that he performed the level-distinguishing duties of Federal Aid Coordinator V more than 50% of time.

The Commission allowed the reclassification appeal of a nurse at Western Massachusetts Hosptial as she was able to show that she performed the level distinguishing duties of an RN V a majority of the time.

The Commission dismissed a long-serving and distinguished Industrial Safety and Health Inspector II with the Department of Labor Standards' reclassification appeal given she did not perform the formal supervisory functions of that title or devote more than 50% of her time to its level distinguishing duties.

Reclassification appeal denied. Appellant does not perform the level distinguishing duties of a Program Coordinator III a majority of the time.

The Commission dismissed a reclassification appeal by an employee of MassDOT given that MassDOT is outside of the Commission's jurisdiction.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s reclassification appeal as he was unable to show that he performed the higher duties of Carpenter II more than 50% of the time.

The Commission rejected the appeal of an EDP Systems Analyst III with the Department of Health and Human Services on the basis that the analyst could not perform a key function of the sought after classification.

The Commission denied the request of a former Boston police officer for the Commission to grant relief beyond what was already awarded in a decision issued on December 30, 2024.

The Commission, affirming the initial findings of the Boston Police Department that tweets sent by a Boston police officer after attending the so-called "stop the steal" rally on January 6, 2021 did not violate any BPD rules, concluded that no just cause existed for his termination.

Ruling that the Appellant was not provided with sufficient due process protections prior to his removal from the payroll as part of a "duty status hearing" in 2018, the Court granted relief to the Appellant, including reinstatement and retroactive pay.

The Commission upheld the decision of the State Police to discipline the Appellant for misconduct related to failing to work 6 hours of claimed overtime, but modified the discipline based on different findings and disparate treatment.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to uphold DOC's decision to terminate him as a Correction Officer.

The commission affirmed the discharge of a Cedar Junction Correction Officer following an OUI arrest and two domestic violence incidents occurring in the same year. The Commission referred to the discipline of 70 DOC employees for domestic violence since 2003, with many being discharged after just one incident.

The Superior Court referred this matter back to the Civil Service Commission for clarification in support of the Commission’s decision to reduce the City’s discipline from five days to three days. Aiello v. Massachusetts Civil Service Comm’n et al., No. 24-00248 (Suff. Sup. Ct., Feb. 20, 2025) This memorandum provid

On appeal, the Superior Court referred appeal back to Commission for further clarification regarding the degree to which the police officer's suspension should be modified downward.

The Commission upheld the discipline of a police officer for sending a rude and unprofessional email to the Police Chief, but modified the 5-day suspension to 3 days after finding that the charge of insubordination was not supported and the discipline was not consistent with progressive discipline.

The Commission dismissed for lack of jurisdiction the appeal of a Brockton student police officer as he was not a permanent, tenured civil service employee and the recission of his conditional offer of employment did not constitute a bypass as no candidate ranked below him was selected for appointment.

The SJC posted a docket entry soliciting amicus briefs.

SJC affirmed Commission decision overturning termination of firefighter.

The Superior Court upheld the decision of the Commission to overturn the termination of a Brookline firefighter.

The Superior Court denied the Town's motion to stay the Commission's decision overturning the termination of a Brookline firefighter.

The discharge of a Brookline firefighter was reversed by the commission, which found this course unjust. Among other missteps, the commission found Brookline overlooked retaliatory acts made by the firefighter’s colleagues. The commission ordered reinstatement and payment of any lost compensation as the remedy.

A firefighter employed by Brookline appealed a discharge that was a result of a refusal to participate in Brookline’s plan that would have helped him return to duty. The commission dismissed the appeal, finding that the firefighter did not comply with several conditions that were required for his return to duty.

Finding that the State Police failed to prove that a Trooper had been untruthful, the Commission overturned his termination and modified the penalty to a 30-day suspension for violation of other rules.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission’s decision to uphold the termination of a probationary Cambridge firefighter.

A Cambridge firefighter was fired after their arrest for domestic assault and battery. The firefighter had been put on administrative leave; however, Cambridge did not extend the firefighter’s probationary period. Nevertheless, the commission dismissed the firefighter’s discharge appeal due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Civil Service Commission upheld the termination of a municipal police officer, finding that he engaged in conduct violative of the rules of the Police Department when he fled the scene of a motor vehicle accident and was later arrested.

The Superior Court affirmed a Commission decision upholding a suspension issued to a Lowell Police Officer.

The Civil Service Commission upheld the 30-day suspension of the Appellant, finding that substantial credible evidence supported the conclusion that the Appellant had engaged in conduct which constituted impermissible child abuse, violative of LPD rules and regulations

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Fire Department (BFD) to suspend a firefighter for 60 days for violation of rules related to untruthfulness and misrepresentation regarding the unauthorized use of emergency lights and sirens on his personal vehicle.

The Commission modified the 4-tour suspension of a Boston firefighter to a two-tour suspension because the Boston Fire Department failed to prove two of the three charges of misconduct against him.

The Commission upheld two, eight-tour suspensions of a Boston firefighter for multiple instances of insubordinate and unbecoming behavior toward his peers and superiors, but overturned, due to mitigating circumstances, a third eight-tour suspension for two alleged instances of being AWOL.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a five-day suspension from a West Springfield Police Captain, on the grounds that the appeal did not include the filing fee and was late when it was mailed to HRD, not to the Commission.

The Commission upheld the one-day suspension of a Wareham Police Officer who engaged in rude and discourteous verbal behavior toward a superior officer and the Wareham Assistant Town Administrator and who also had a history of reprimands for prior discourteous behavior toward his superior officers and the public.

The commission reversed a three-day suspension imposed on the Head Clerk of the BFD after she forwarded a fire report including details of a drug overdose to a property manager. The commission reasoned that the Appellant did not violate state ethics laws, and these fire reports are routinely provided to the public.

The Civil Service Commission dismissed, with a future effective date, the appeal of a State Trooper contesting his termination due to his failure to comply with the requirement to receive COVID vaccination. He may re-open his appeal after a final decision on a parallel appeal filed with MCAD.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Holyoke Fire Commission to demote a suspend a Fire Captain based inappropriate conduct which he directed toward a probationary firefighter whom he was assigned to train and supervise.

Appeal of 2-day suspension denied. There was just cause to discipline the firefighter for his insubordination at the scene of a fire.

An employee of the Quincy Housing Authority with a record of aggressive and troublesome behavior toward supervisors was discharged after an unseemly altercation with the housing authority’s executive director. The commission found that the employee’s discharge was in accordance with progressive discipline principles.

The Civil Service Commission finds that the City of Springfield had just cause to discipline the Appellant where his conduct was violative of the Springfield Fire Department Rules and Regulations.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the City of Lowell to suspend a police officer for three days, as the officer’s interactions with a fellow officer constituted a violation of Lowell Police Department Rules related to civility and conduct unbecoming a police officer.

The Superior Court issued a further decision clarifying what payments are due to Appellants for back pay, interest, etc.

SJC Decision related to amount of back pay due to reinstated police officers

A Methuen Public Schools maintenance worker appealed his discharge. Because the record was clear that he had been charged and convicted after assaulting his spouse, violating a restraining order, and on drug charges, the commission summarily dismissed his appeal on these incontestable facts.

The Appeals Court affirmed a Superior Court decision which upheld a Commission decision that a Boston Police Officer had not completed his probationary period at the time of his termination, thus divesting the Commission of jurisdiction to hear his appeal.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Boston police officer who was discharged following an off-duty incident in which the officer's department-issued firearm was stolen after it was not properly secured and he gave a civilian access to his vehicle. The Commission was not convinced by the police officer’s argument.

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision to dismiss Appellant's appeal. Commission lack jurisdiction to hear disciplinary appeal by police officer still in probationary period.

The commission found no issue in the City of Pittsfield’s termination of a Water and Sewer employee after he took an unauthorized leave when he had already exhausted all of his accrued leave and was denied additional time off. The employee also neglected to maintain various licenses required by law for his position.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant appeal of his suspension based on timeliness and his AWOL-related separation for which the Commission lacks jurisdiction.

The Commission upheld the six-month suspension and demotion of a Fire Captain to Firefighter, finding that the Appellant’s persistent pattern of attendance issues, culminating in an unjustified refusal to return to work, even on limited duty, justified the discipline imposed.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s request to reconsider its decision to affirm the decision of the City of Chelsea to suspend the Appellant and demote him from Fire Captain to Firefighter as he failed to identify a clerical or mechanical error in the decision or a significant factor the Commission overlooked.

 The commission removed a 5-day suspension placed on a Weymouth police lieutenant who was accused of neglect of duty after ordering dispatchers to inform officers “off air” about a warrant for someone involved in a call for service. The Commission found that the lieutenant’s orders were not a misuse of his discretion.

Discipline appeal denied. There was just cause for DOC to suspend the Appellant for 2 days regarding misconduct related to the treatment of an inmate. Bypass appeal dismissed as a tie is not a bypass.

A majority of the Commission denied the appeal of a firefighter seeking to overturn his termination, concluding that the Worcester Fire Department had just cause to terminate him for insubordination related to his unwillingness to adhere to a rehabilitation agreement to return to work.

The Commission reversed the discharge of an East Longmeadow Police Officer given that the officer had not been untruthful in relation to an altercation in response to an incident at a local business, had no disciplinary history, and video evidence of the incident which was not incriminating.

Two suspensions upheld. DOC had just cause to suspend the Appellant for failing to stay alert while assigned to eye-ball watch of a prisoner.

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision to uphold the Town's decision to terminate police officer for misconduct.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a police lieutenant employed by the town of Holden after finding evidence of sexual harassment and that he viewed pornographic content on a police department issued cell phone while on duty, among other incidents.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a senior custodian who was terminated as he never attained civil service permanency in any custodian position (junior or senior), thus divesting the Commission of jurisdiction regarding this termination.

The Commission found that the Dracut Deputy Police Chief did not violate public records laws or Departmental procedures for the release of internal affairs documents relating to discipline. The Commission referred to the Appellant's reputable past performance as they reduced a 10-day suspension to a written reprimand.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

A majority of the Commission voted to modify the decision of the Boston Police Department, reducing a 15-day suspension of a police officer to a 10-day suspension based on the lack of any prior discipline, and the fact that this offense took place eight years ago with no other issues.

The Commission overturned the termination of a New Bedford deputy fire chief after finding that New Bedford failed to prove that he had misrepresented his physical abilities to avoid returning to duty or otherwise abused the fire department’s injury leave policy.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Boston Police Officer as the Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear AWOL-related appeals and his suspension appeal was untimely.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Massachusetts State Trooper who resigned his position after he was suspended for refusing to comply with the vaccination mandate of Executive Order 595 for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and as untimely.

The Appellant's resignation was not coerced, but rather a voluntary resignation, divesting the Commission of jurisdiction of this disciplinary appeal.

Discipline; 2-day suspension; Fire Lieutenant; appeal dismissed; untimely appeal.

Discipline appeal denied. The Appellant misrepresented his age when he took a civil service examination for firefighter. The Town was justified to terminate his employment upon discovery of this misconduct. Parties given addition time to discuss an alternative resolution.

Discipline appeal denied. The Town had just cause to demote the Fire Chief for failing to prevent his son from being appointed as a firefighter when he knew or should have known that his son was not old enough to sit for the civil service examination.

Appellant's motion for reconsideration denied. Commission's decision to affirm demotion and 30-day suspension stands.

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision to reinstate police officer after the Town failed to prove the most serious charges against the Appellant.

The Commission modified the discharge of a Leominster Police Department officer to a 60-day suspension, given that implicit bias affected Leominster’s treatment of his case. The Commission also found it concerning that Leominster came to a baseless conclusion that the police officer almost assaulted his superior.

Discipline appeal dismissed for lack of jurisdiction based on Appellant's failure to go forward with a local appointing authority hearing prior to filing an appeal with the Commission.

Appeals Court upheld Commission's decision to overturn termination of housing authority employee.

Termination of Housing Authority employee. Commission allowed appeal. Superior Court affirmed Commission decision.

The Superior Court issued a decision ordering the immediate reinstatement of the Appellant and ordered a status conference to decide the issue of the amount of past wages due to the Appellant.

The Commission vacated the termination of a Section 8 coordinator from the Medford Housing Authority given that the City could not demonstrate that the Appellant’s whistleblower activities had caused the resignation of two other MHA employees or otherwise constituted misconduct.

Termination of police officer; appeal denied. By a 4-1 vote, the Commission found that the Appellant's off-duty misconduct related to domestic abuse provided the City with just cause to terminate his employment as a police officer, particularly in consideration of a recent last chance agreement.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s bypass appeal, concluding that the Appellant had no reasonable expectation of effectively overturning prior credibility assessments made by the Commission regarding whether he deliberately omitted information on an application and provided divergent accounts of past misconduct

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision upholding termination of police officer.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a Salem Police career officer who failed to comply with the conditions of a Last Chance Agreement where he’d agreed to accept an 18-month suspension in place of a discharge.

Discipline appeal denied. The Boston Fire Department had just cause to impose a 30-day suspension against the Appellant for his misconduct and the level of discipline imposed was consistent with progressive discipline.

The commission affirmed the suspension of a Boston firefighter for two tours after he engaged an avoidable confrontation with a contractor while working a detail and later told an overdramatized story about the situation. He also failed to follow standard operating procedures after the situation as required by BFD.

The 60-day suspension of a Boston firefighter was affirmed after the Commission found he abused his authority for personal gain as he parked his personal vehicle at a construction site and made an erroneous accusation of a welding foreman being drunk while working.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Registered Nurse who was terminated by the Department of Developmental Services as it concluded that it does not have the jurisdiction to hear her appeal.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a Somerville police officer who used an anti-gay slur while he assaulted a citizen on the street who was not threatening him, and later lied about why he engaged in this assault. The Commission found the Appellant’s behavior constituted conduct unbecoming of a police officer.

SJC ruled that Commission does not have jurisdiction over State Police appeal related to the forfeiture of vacation time.

Appeals court affirmed Commission decision to dismiss Appellant's appeal. Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear disciplinary appeal of provisionally promoted employee who is demoted to his permanent civil service position.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of an interim Northampton water treatment plant operator who was demoted to his tenured position as laborer had his appeal dismissed by the Commission as he failed to file within ten days of Northampton notifying him of his demotion.

The Commission held that the DOC’s discipline of a Correction Officer stood in contrast to other cases of employees abusing leave time. In particular, the DOC had been more lenient with an employee who used sick leave to go to a golf tournament. The Commission modified the Appellant’s discharge to a 15-day suspension.

Considering the Commission’s previous decision that altered the Department of Correction’s discipline of the Appellant, the Commission decided to refrain from elaborating how the relief it granted correlated to subsidiary matters addressed only in the relevant collective bargaining agreement.

The Commission overturned the 30-day suspension of a Rockland Fire Lieutenant. The Commission concluded that the Fire Lieutenant was a victim of cronyism and nepotism, and the town’s Fire Chief fabricated charges in retaliation for the Appellant pursuing an investigation into the residency of a Rockland Fire Captain.

Discipline; termination of Fire Lieutenant; appeal allowed in part; discipline modified to demotion / suspension.

The Appeals Court affirmed the Commission's decision to apply a mail-handling rule regarding an appeal received via mail with no postmark.

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision to modify termination to a demotion.

The Commission rejected a Springfield police officer’s appeal after finding that the police officer was not a tenured employee, given that he had been discharged within his probationary period.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's appeal as it lacked jurisdiction to hear a disciplinary appeal of a firefighter in his probationary period.

The Commission upheld a firefighter’s thirty-day suspension for failing to comply with two orders to attend medical examinations and two orders to meet with the Deputy Chief to explain the absences.

The Commission accepted the Recommended Decision of the DALA Magistrate and affirmed the City's decision to terminate the Appellant as a firefighter based on his chronic absenteeism, tardiness and poor performance.

The Commission denied a Section 42 Procedural Appeal brought by a Firefighter terminated from his position with the Quincy Fire Department (QFD), concluding that the Appellant had not been prejudiced by the failure of the Appointing Authority to reopen the appointing authority hearing prior to his termination.

Discipline appeal denied. The Lowell Housing Authority has shown that the Appellant engaged in insubordination and that his long history of prior discipline justified his termination.

A State Police Officer who had a history of sleeping on the job had his 270-day suspension affirmed by the Commission after it found that he had been inattentive to duty during service of two details and smelled of alcohol during one of them. He was not intoxicated at the time of being tested, however.

The Commission affirmed the suspension of fire alarm operator with the Boston Fire Department for one-tour after finding he was responsible for a lapse in judgement that caused a delay in responding to a fire emergency in a 12-story residential building in down-town Boston.

The Commission reduced the suspension of a New Bedford school custodian from 5-days to 3-days, after he failed to follow a newly amended sick-day notification policy on two different occasions where the school failed to give him a reasonable notice in advance about the new policy when the first violation was committed.

After its own careful independent examination of the evidentiary record and applicable law, and notwithstanding a different recommendation from a DALA Administrative Magistrate, the Commission determined that the City of Methuen had established just cause to discharge a former Police Captain in Methuen.

The Commission affirmed a 5-day suspension of a Westford police officer who engaged in a physical altercation with a fellow officer. The incident occurred because of the Appellant spreading false information about the other officer taking a personal day on a holiday which forced another officer to cover for him.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with MCAD, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Abington Police Department had just cause to terminate the Appellant from his position as a police officer, based on three specific incidences of misconduct, violative of the Department’s Rules and Regulations. 

The Commission allowed the procedural appeal of an Abington Police Officer and rescinded his 3-day suspension after the Abington Police Department violated the civil service law by failing to conduct a local hearing as requested by the police officer to contest the suspension.

The commission dismissed the appeal from a state trooper challenging a forfeiture of 10-days of accrued vacation time for insubordination. The trooper also claims he is a victim of disparately harsh discipline and argued that assignment of his case to Internal Affairs and not a local investigation was discriminatory.

Discipline appeals dismissed. The Commission lacks jurisdiction over State Police discipline appeals that have not gone before a Trial Board.

Appeals Court affirmed a Superior Court judgment upholding a decision of the Civil Service Commission related to the discipline of a Chicopee Police Sergeant.

Superior Court upheld Commission's decision to modify termination to demotion of police sergeant.

The Commission reduced the discharge of a Chicopee police sergeant to a demotion for untruthfulness during a previous incident that had resulted in a reprimand of incompetence, as his untruthfulness had been known for over six years and two other officers who engaged in the same misconduct had not been discharged.

The Commission denied the request of a Boston police officer to have his 5-day suspension (with only 3 days served) reduced to a 1-day suspension based on the undisputed facts related to the officer’s failure to activate his body-worn camera during an incident that involved a discharge of his weapon.

The Civil Service Commission determined that the Springfield Police Department had just cause to terminate the Appellant where his conduct, including untruthfulness, was violative of the Springfield Police Department’s Rules and Regulations.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a North Attleborough police officer who physically assaulted his girlfriend, and an off-duty Plainville police officer who was kissing her. As the girlfriend refused to testify, the Commission and NAPD made a factual determination that the Appellant's was guilty of the claims.

An Agawam police sergeant’s demotion was affirmed by the Commission after he neglected to intervene in an incident where excessive force was utilized against a prisoner and failed to ensure the prisoner was provided medical attention.

The Commission unanimously upheld the discharge of a Lawrence police officer who abandoned a service detail, took an unauthorized leave from duty for 5-days, and threatened a superior officer while later lying to the Chief of Police about those same threats.

The Superior Court upheld the Commission's decision to dismiss the Appellant's appeal based on lack of jurisdiction as he was still in his probationary period at the time of his termination.

Discipline appeal dismissed. The Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear a disciplinary appeal form a probationary employee.

Appellant's disciplinary appeal allowed in part; Termination modified to demotion with no eligibility for promotion for five years. Majority of Commission found that the Appellant's behavior constituted misconduct warranting discipline, but the more serious charge of domestic abuse was not proven by a preponderance of

The Commission upheld the City of Boston's decision to terminate the Appellant based on his failure to comply with the City's zero-tolerance policy regarding workplace violence.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a Revere police officer who lied to state police, the Revere Police Department, and a mandatory reporter about an incident where her boyfriend had beaten and injured her young child.

Discipline; 5-day suspension; police officer; appeal allowed.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of the Appellant regarding a 5 and 10-day suspension for failure to comply with the vaccination mandate in place at the time as the Appellant failed to file a timely appeal with the Commission.

The Civil Service Commission upheld the Tyngsborough Housing Authority’s decision to terminate a maintenance employee based on his disciplinary history, which included continued insubordination and inappropriate conduct.

The Commission rescinded the two-tour suspension of duty and reprimands of two Boston fire lieutenants after finding that the actions they took in response to a drunken off-duty firefighter engaging in racist and obnoxious behavior were reasonable and consistent with Boston Fire Department guidelines.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a suspension from a New Bedford cemetery clerk who was disciplined for incompetence as she failed to request a hearing before the local Appointing Authority which is a precondition to the Commission’s jurisdiction as per Section 41.

Discipline appeal dismissed. The Commission lacks jurisdiction over disciplinary matters in the State Police that have not gone before a Trial Board.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to modify the Appellant's discipline from a 30-day suspension to a 10-day suspension.

The City had just cause to suspend the Appellant for misconduct, including referring to her supervisor in obscene terms, but the level of discipline imposed was not justified. Suspension modified from 30 days to 10 days.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the City to suspend a motor equipment operator for five days for misconduct related to impermissible cell phone usage and insubordination.

The Commission allowed the City of Chicopee’s motion to dismiss the appeal after concluding that the Commission had no jurisdiction over the matter of if and when vacation time should have been accrued to the Appellant.

The Commission accepted the recommendation of a DALA Magistrate to affirm the Boston Police Department's decision to terminate the Appellant for untruthfulness, including the filing of false charges against a Police Captain.

The Commission voided the 4-day tour of duty suspension handed down to a Caucasian Charlestown firefighter after he made racially insensitive remarks. The Commission found the firefighter was singled out for discipline where a superior lieutenant and other firefighters also contributed a hostile working environment.

The Commission concluded it did not have jurisdiction of a State Police trooper’s appeal of a forfeiture of five days of accrued time off where the trooper was able to use accrued time that he originally had panned on forfeiting through the “use it or lose it” policy in order to satisfy the imposed penalty.

The Commission reduced the Appellant’s four-tour suspension to an official reprimand, as many of the charges against the Appellant were either unsupported by a preponderance of the evidence or overblown.

The 1-day suspension of a Springfield police captain was affirmed by the Commission, finding he had posted offensive comments online targeted at public citizens in the context of a political discussion. The captain’s offensive language interfered with his duty as a police officer to treat all citizens with respect.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Signal Maintainer for the Town of Milton as he had no reasonable expectation of showing that the Town engaged in any civil service procedural violations and the undisputed facts show that he engaged in insubordination, justifying the Town’s imposition of a one-day suspension.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Boston firefighter, who was discharged for making racist comments directed at a black colleague while he was drunk and off-duty. The Commission found that the Boston Fire Department had proven that the Appellant had not been denied a fair Section 41 hearing.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission’s decision to uphold the termination of a North Attleborough firefighter.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a North Attleborough firefighter, after he committed multiple acts of domestic violence against two women. Although one of the acts took place following the firefighters discharge, it was considered when affirming the disciplinary action from North Attleborough.

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision to uphold the Town's termination of a police officer, including the Commission's determination that the a last chance agreement was not signed by the Appellant under duress.

The Commission adopted in full the remand decision of an administrative magistrate finding from the Superior Court, that a Middleborough police officer was in fact not singled out for disparately harsh treatment when discharged, as he had been alone in receiving discipline from the list of comparators he provided.

Superior Court Affirmed Commission's decision upholding the Town's decision to terminate the Appellant from the position of Police Lieutenant.

Commission upheld Town's decision to terminate Police Lieutenant for misconduct regarding reporting of time, etc.

Appeals Court affirmed Superior Court judgment upholding the decision of the Civil Service Commission. The Commission had upheld the Town's decision to terminate a police lieutenant for multiple instances of misconduct.

Discipline; termination; firefighter.

The Commission affirmed the 10-day suspension of a New Bedford school-lunch delivery driver after finding that his attendance record was egregiously poor for the past five years. This is the second rejected appeal by the Commission submitted in the previous 18-months by the Appellant for absenteeism.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a probationary Holyoke firefighter who was terminated based on performance related reasons as the Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear the appeal of civil service employees who have not completed their probationary period.

Discipline appeal denied. Town had just cause to terminate a police officer for on-duty and off-duty misconduct.

Superior Court affirmed CSC decision. CSC's decision regarding when probationary period begins was not an error of law.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a discharged Stoughton police officer because of a lack of jurisdiction.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Commission amended a 5-day suspension for the demotion which was urged by the Dracut Housing Authority in regard to a maintenance supervisor with management troubles and unprofessional conduct. The Commission noted the Appellant was not given a chance to correct his behavior to the necessary standards.

The Commission concluded it did have jurisdiction to hear the appeal of a Dracut Housing Authority employee who was demoted. The Commission interpreted the term “involuntary separation” in provisions that covered housing authorities at G.L. c. 121B, §29 to also include demotions.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to overturn the demotion of a police sergeant as the Town failed to show just cause for the demotion.

The Commission allowed the appeal of a recently promoted Winchester Police Sergeant who was demoted to Patrol Officer primarily for his alleged mishandling of a an unusually complex hit-and-run incident. A preponderance of the evidence failed to establish he engaged in misconduct or serious violations of his duties.

The Commission concluded that the Appellant engaged in serious misconduct warranting serious discipline, but certain charges were not proven. For that reason, and because of issues related to disparate treatment, the termination was modified to a demotion and long-term suspension.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s appeal and affirmed the Town of Acton’s decision to suspend him as a police officer for 30 days for off-duty misconduct related to leaving the scene of an accident that caused property damage without notifying the police.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Commission dismissed this discipline appeal based on a lack of jurisdiction as an appeal regarding the same matter was filed with an arbitrator.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Boston police officer who was seeking to void her resignation, on the grounds that it was coerced. It was dismissed due to a lack of timeliness as she failed to file within ten days of being on full notice of the claim she had been bringing forth and was fully able to do so.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with MCAD, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Fire Department to discipline a firefighter with a one-day suspension for violating sick leave policy where he utilized 16 sick days in a period of one-year, providing proper medical documentation for only 5 of the 16 days. The Commission found no disparate treatment.

The Commission upheld the ten-day suspension of Boston school custodian whose pattern of behavior over the past year included persistent attendance issues, performance shortcomings, and refusal to acknowledge his misconduct.

The discharge of a Boston police officer was modified by the Commission to a 10-day suspension. The Commission found the investigation by BPD was flawed where the evidence regarding the military grade explosives found in a Plymouth home was not sufficient to establish that the explosives belonged to the Appellant.

After the parties in this matter reached a global settlement agreement, the Commission allowed, with conditions, a modification of its original decision as it related to additional remedial orders required of the Fire Commission.

Superior Court decision regarding the Appellants' motion to enforce the Civil Service Commission decision that overturned their terminations and ordered an investigation regarding the misconduct of the incumbent Fire Chief.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision overturning the Westfield Fire Commission's decision to terminate the three Appellants.

Superior Court denied Respondent's request to stay Commission decision. Also consolidated appeals in Hampden Superior Court.

Firefighter disciplinary appeals allowed.

Due to a remand from the Appeals Court that vacated the Commission’s decision to alter a discharge decision of a New Bedford Airport worker, the Commission found a discrepancy between its statement of facts and final ruling in the original decision regarding the Appellant’s previous discipline.

The Commission upheld the three-day suspension of a Haverhill police officer whose failure to physically check if a cell door was properly locked allowed a prisoner to leave his cell.

The appeal of a Somerville Police Lieutenant who was challenging a five-day suspension for alleged harassment was allowed by the Commission. The Commission found the City failed to build its case with witnesses, and instead relied on testimony of an investigator from the Office of Professional Standards.

The City of Revere had just cause to suspend the Appellant for five days where he twice refused the Fire Chief’s order to file a report immediately. The refusal was not the first time that the Appellant had refused to immediately follow a superior officer’s order and continued a pattern of poor decision-making.

The Appellant’s Section 42 procedural appeal is dismissed as he was unable to show that he was prejudiced by the City’s short delay in conducting a local hearing to contest his five-day suspension. His separate appeal, in which he is contesting whether there was just cause for the suspension, is going forward.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of the Appellant for lack of jurisdiction as the Appellant was terminated during his probationary period as a police officer.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a 1-day suspension from a Correction Officer for privacy violations as he neglected to request a hearing from DOC within 48 hours of being notified of the suspension.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a senior custodian who was demoted to junior custodian as he never attained civil service permanency in the title of senior custodian, thus divesting the Commission of jurisdiction regarding this demotion.

Demotion appeal dismissed. Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear appeals regarding provisionally promoted employees who are demoted to their permanent position.

The 1-day suspension of the Compound Lieutenant at MCI Shirley was affirmed by the Commission as he failed to follow the orders of his captain to remove an inmate with a planned use of force. The Appellant claimed that he was told that the captain had recalled this order, but he failed to verify this information.

The Commission upheld the termination of a municipal police officer whose pattern of on-duty and off-duty misconduct, resulting from his alcohol abuse and a failure to avail himself of the numerous opportunities afforded to him to seek treatment, provided just cause to discharge him.

Discipline appeal denied. There was just cause for the MBTA Police Department to terminate the Appellant from his position as police sergeant for neglect of duty and untruthfulness related to an allegation of excessive force regarding a subordinate employee.

The Commission granted the appeal of a State Police Training Trooper, challenging the forfeiture of 10-days accrued time off for participation diverting proceeds from recycling breathalyzers to fund a retirement party. The Commission found that the Appellant was likely unaware the proceeds would be improperly used.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Department of Correction to terminate a Correction Officer / Head Cook who failed to maintain professional boundaries with inmates and conspired with an inmate and his relative to bring synthetic cannabinoids into the facility.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s appeal as it lacks jurisdiction to hear a disciplinary appeal from a probationary firefighter. Further, based on a careful review, the Commission opted not to initiate an investigation.

The Commission modified the discharge of a Pittsfield Highway Maintenance Craftsman for his inability to lift 50 pounds due to a back injury as well as his use of anti-anxiety medication while on duty. The Commission gave the City 60 days to conduct a comprehensive fitness for duty evaluation.

Superior Court vacated Commission Decision ruling that Commission has no jurisdiction over matters that do not involve a Trial Board.

The Superior Court denied the Appellants’ motion to Compel Compliance with the Order of the Civil Service Commission as they had not sufficiently established their likelihood of success on the merits of their case.

The Commission accepted the appeals from four State Troopers who were suspended without pay following a brief hearing by a State Police Duty Status Board as the Commission found that the summary process relying on merely hearsay memorandum for evidence lacked basic due process elements.

The Commission rejected the motion for reconsideration by State Police, rejecting the argument that it had no jurisdiction over disciplinary matters handled administratively in-house.

The Commission modified the four-tour suspension to a two-tour suspension based on findings different than the Boston Fire Department and because the discipline was not consistent with progressive discipline regarding a fire lieutenant with almost 30 years of service with no prior discipline.

The Commission denied the appeal of a now-retired Lieutenant at Bridgewater State Hospital and upheld his 5-day suspension. The Appellant had sent an unprofessional email to his superiors warning of employee dissatisfaction with the privatization of the facility and the bidding process for replacement jobs.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to uphold the termination of a Holyoke Police Officer.

The Commission upheld the City's decision to terminate the Appellant as a police officer after he posted unsupported allegations, accusing fellow police officers of committing crimes and other misconduct.

The Commission overturned the termination of a Trooper as the State Police was unable to prove that he was untruthful regarding details related to a traffic stop. The Commission upheld that portion of the discipline related to body cam procedures, reducing the termination to a 1-day suspension.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Appeals Court affirmed a Superior Court decision upholding the Commission's decision that the Boston Fire Department had just cause to terminate a firefighter whose hateful statements lowered the public estimation of the Department and were not constitutionally protected.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to uphold termination of Boston firefighter stating that Rowe was, "...guilty of substantial misconducting warranting termination.”

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a black Boston firefighter for making vile, racist, homophobic, and misogynistic postings on social media. The Commission’s rejected the Appellant’s claims of bias, disparate treatment, and entitlement to free speech protections under the first amendment.

The State Police had just cause to discipline the Appellant for failing to follow protocols related to outside employment, but the failure of the State Police to show repeated violations, as alleged, warranted a downward modification of the penalty.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a Springfield probationary police officer who had yet served a full year plus two months. The Appellant’s probationary period was extended for two months by Springfield because of performance issues, and then extended by another six weeks for time spent on injury leave.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s appeals challenging whether the Boston Police Department followed proper procedures in issuing a 3-day suspension against him as the appeal was received approximately 10 years after the Appellant received notice of the action, well beyond the statutory 10-day filing deadline.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a Worcester Housing Authority custodian who had an extensive disciplinary history and a propensity to lose master keys and access cards. The Custodian’s repeated failure to secure master keys jeopardized the security of hundreds of apartments.

Based on the specific facts related to this appeal, the Commission dismissed the discipline appeal of a Gloucester Fire Captain, as the discipline imposed does not fall under the jurisdiction of the civil service law.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Springfield Fire Captain who claimed he had been wrongfully bypassed for promotion to District Fire Chief as the chosen candidate was ranked higher than the Appellant, indicating no bypassed occurred.

The Commission denied the appeal from a Gloucester Deputy Fire Chief who received a 22-hour suspension over a discourteous email where insubordination was listed as a major offense in the Department’s Standard Operation Guidelines and the Chief was not required to apply progressive principles.

Appeals Court affirmed Superior Court decision which upheld Commission's decision to allow Appellant's disciplinary appeal.

The Commission overturned the discharge of a Framingham Housing Authority maintenance worker as Framingham Housing Authority failed to prove that he had abandoned his job.

Superior Court affirmed Commission's decision which concluded that there was no just cause to terminate a Housing Authority employee.

The Appellant has shown, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the City failed to follow the requirements of the civil service law before terminating his employment and that his rights were prejudiced by the City’s failure to follow those requirements. Therefore, he must be restored to his permanent civil service

Discipline; demotion; police sergeant to police officer; appeal allowed.

The Commission overturned MassDOT's decision to terminate the Appellant as MassDOT failed to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the Appellant engaged in the alleged misconduct.

The Boston Police Department had just cause to terminate the Appellant as a police officer where his conduct was violative of the Boston Police Department’s Rules and Regulations based on three specific incidents involving misconduct.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Massachusetts State Trooper who resigned his position after he was suspended for refusing to comply with the vaccination mandate of Executive Order 595 for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and as untimely.

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s appeal and rescinded his two-day suspension as the Town failed to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the Appellant engaged in the alleged misconduct related to purported insubordination.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Commission reduced to a suspension the discipline of a firefighter terminated for coming to work under the influence of alcohol, based on evidence of disparate treatment and the failure of the Appointing Authority to consider the compelling evidence of the Appellant’s pre-termination rehabilitation.

The Commission upheld the thirty-day suspension of a Correction Officer II for her inappropriate relationship with an incarcerated childhood friend and lack of candor and good judgment in continuing the relationship without notifying DOC or securing its approval.

sion dismissed the appeal of a State Trooper who was suspended for not complying with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement in place at the time as the Appellant effectively waived any right of appeal to the Commission by admitting to the misconduct at a Trial Board.

Respondent's request for reconsideration. Appellant's appeal is allowed and termination is overturned.

Discipline appeal allowed. Appointing Authority failed to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the firefighter was untruthful as part of an internal investigation. Termination overturned

After affirming the Commission's decision to overturn the termination of the Appellant, the Court sought clarification from the Commission regarding whether a lesser form of discipline was being recommended. This order clarifies that it was not.

Court affirmed Commission's decision to overturn the termination of a Bourne firefighter.

The Appeals Court affirmed a Superior Court decision which held that the Commission was justified in re-opening an appeal based on compelling circumstances and affirming the decision of the State Police to terminate a State Trooper.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to re-open a prior Commission decison and affirm the termination of the Appellant by the State Police.

Discipline appeal denied. There was just cause to suspend the Appellant for 5 days for failure to show for a scheduled shift and failure to call and notify supervisor.

The Commission upheld the discharge of a Correction Officer at MCI Shirley who showed a disregard for the basic responsibilities of his duty and engaged in inappropriate discussions with his brother and other inmates at the Worcester County House of Corrections and failing to notify DOC he had been charged with A&B.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a Chicopee Police Officer who engaged in domestic abuse and then attempted to visit the victim at her home even though she had told him not to. At the time of the visit, the Appellant was serving a 60-day suspension and his charges had been continued for a year.

The Commission declined to reopen the case of the discharged paramedic who was found to have not been able to establish a violation of his civil service rights that would entitle him to reinstatement. The Appellant's authorization to practice as a paramedic was revoked for repeated mistakes on the job.

The Commission upheld the 5-day suspension of a Quincy police lieutenant for disrespectful and insubordinate behavior toward his superiors.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Massachusetts State Trooper who resigned his position after he was suspended for refusing to comply with the vaccination mandate of Executive Order 595 for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and mootness.

The Commission affirmed the 20-day suspension of a long-serving Lowell fire lieutenant who refused to serve shifts on the back step of a ladder truck and went on to undermine the chain of command when attempting to avoid the assignment. The Commission found this to be conduct unbecoming of a firefighter.

The Commission allowed the appeal of a Chelsea Police Officer in part as he engaged in misconduct but his 10-day suspension was contrary to progress discipline and inconsistent with lesser penalties issued to other officers engaged in the same misconduct.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a probationary Lawrence firefighter who was terminated after failing to complete the Fire Academy as the Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear the appeal of civil service employees who have not completed their probationary period.

The Commission adopted the Tentative Decision of a DALA Magistrate and affirmed the decision of the Brockton Public Schools to terminate a custodian for a pattern of misconduct including threatening to harm his colleagues and their spouses.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Town to suspend the Appellant for 15 days for neglect of duty, including his failure to act promptly regarding a violation of a restraining order and alleged excessive force.

When a Town is disputing the arbitrability of a termination, it is appropriate for the Civil Service Commission to dismiss the Appellant's appeal with a future effective date equal to the date when the arbitrability issue has been resolved.

Since the Appellant has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Civil Service Commission is dismissing this appeal until MCAD has issued a final decision on the Appellant’s complaint.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of an MCI Concord Industrial Inspector who had an extensive history of offensive threats and intimidation of co-workers and law enforcement personnel.

The Commission affirmed the discharge of a Gardner Police Officer who was found to have pulled and aimed his taser at an uncooperative patient at a local hospital and then slapping him in the face. The Appellant failed to file a use of force report and lied to investigators about the incident.

The Commission found that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal of a City of Waltham Public Health Nurse who was given a three-day suspension since his appointment was a provisional one.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of Boston’s decision to terminate a heavy equipment operator as the position is outside of the Commission's jurisdiction and exclusively within the purview of HRD.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's layoff appeal as moot as the Appellant was not a civil service employee and did not occupy a civil service position.

The Commission denied the City's motion to dismiss, concluding that the Appellant was entitled to file a bypass appeal after the revoked his conditional offer of employment based on new information after he was enrolled in the Police Academy.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Lawrence Police Department to rescind a conditional offer of employment to a police officer candidate after discovering that he failed to disclose a prior bypass by the Lowell Police Department.

The Commission denied the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as a reserve police officer, as the Town had reasonable justification to bypass him for failing to follow the Town’s directions for the hiring process, including failure to fill out the employment application packet in a timely manner..

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for police officer for lack of jurisdiction as no candidate ranked below him was appointed and selection from a tied group of candidates does not constitute a bypass.

Bypass appeal dismissed. The Appellant's name should not have appeared at the top of the certification for Boston Police Officer as he had previously been granted and received that relief ordered by the Commission in a prior hiring cycle; and because the Appellant now exceeded the maximum age restriction of 40 years o

Consistent with the findings and conclusions of a prior interim decision, the Commission vacated the promotional appointment of a fire lieutenant and ordered the process to be completed in a manner consistent with basic merit principles.

The Commission issued an amended decision and orders based upon a mutual agreement of the parties.

The Commission issued an interim decision, allowing the appeal of a firefighter who was bypassed for promotion for fire lieutenant after the City impermissibly supplanted an eligible list based on assessment ctr with a subjective interview process that was created after the eligible list was established.

The Commission dismissed for lack of jurisdiction the appeal of a Brockton student police officer as he was not a permanent, tenured civil service employee and the recission of his conditional offer of employment did not constitute a bypass as no candidate ranked below him was selected for appointment.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's appeal of his non-selection for Tax Examiner IV as the Commission lacks jurisdiction regarding provisional appointments, but directed DOR to, forthwith, modify its selection process to ensure greater transparency.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the New Bedford Fire Department to bypass a candidate for firefighter based on his recent misconduct as a New Bedford Police Department dispatcher.

The Commission found DOC justified in the original bypass of a Correction Officer I candidate based on his employment history, military disciplinary record, and a recent incident in which he failed to de-escalate a potentially violent confrontation with a drunken acquaintance.

The Commission upheld the bypass of a candidate for municipal police officer based on a preponderance of the evidence showing that the candidate had not been truthful about his involvement in alleged criminal activity committed at the premises where he lived.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s bypass appeal for reserve firefighter based on his prior discipline as a City employee.

The Commission affirmed the bypass of a candidate for original appointment to the Holyoke Fire Department given that their preferential treatment based upon residency could not be verified.

By agreement of the parties, the Commission issued an order resolving a promotional bypass appeal for temporary fire lieutenant by reminding the Town to comply with all civil service law and rules, including written notification of reasons to bypassed candidates.

Promotional bypass appeal denied. Commission upheld City's decision to bypass Appellant for Fire Chief based in part on performance related issues when the Appellant was serving as Provisional Chief.

Promotional bypass denied. Prior discipline provided reasonable justification for bypass.

Bypass appeal for police officer denied. Appellant's prior performance in Police Academy and his failure to report an injury provided City with reasonable justification to bypass him.

The Appointing Authority had reasonable justification to bypass a candidate for appointment as a firefighter who provided implausible, inconsistent, and incomplete responses about his residency history during the application process.

The Civil Service Commission upheld the Springfield Fire Department’s decision to bypass the Appellant for Fire Captain based on his disciplinary history.

Promotional bypass appeal allowed. The City's decision to bypass the Appellant for the position of Fire Captain was not consistent with basic merit principles and was the result of personal bias and bias based on the Appellant's sex. Absent an agreement by the parties, the Appellant is to be promoted to the position

Original bypass appeal denied. The Commission found that the City of Lynn had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant as he was unable to provide clear and consistent responses to substantive questions posed in the application and during interviews.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s bypass appeal, finding that the Department of Correction had reasonable justification to bypass him for original appointment to the position of correction officer because of his prior misconduct

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal brought by a candidate for Fairhaven Police Chief as premature when the present Police Chief was not expected to vacate the position until August 2024 and no appointment of a successor had been made.

The Commission allowed the appeal of a candidate seeking original appointment to the City of Medford's Police Department as reserve given that the captain was biased due to a negative history with the candidate's father, a former detective with the Medford Police Department.

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s bypass appeal, concluding that the Appellant’s few, minor discrepancies in the documentation submitted with his application did not provide the Town of Auburn reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for original appointment as a permanent full-time police officer.

Bypass; original appointment; firefighter; appeal allowed.

Discipline appeal denied. There was just cause for DOC to suspend the Appellant for 2 days regarding misconduct related to the treatment of an inmate. Bypass appeal dismissed as a tie is not a bypass.

The Commission dismissed the appeal from a female candidate for original appointment as a correctional officer where she had twice failed the running test.

The Commission upheld the bypass of a candidate for original appointment as a police officer whose military record included a lengthy AWOL and Desertion, resulting in his discharge under other than honorable conditions, for which he failed to take responsibility and provided unsupported explanations for his behavior.

The Civil Service Commission allowed the Appellant’s bypass appeal and ordered that he receive one additional consideration for appointment as a permanent, full-time police officer based on the City’s failure to conduct a thorough review of his candidacy

The Commission the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass the Appellant for police officer based in part on the Appellant’s failure to notify police that a firearm was in the trunk of his car when it was stolen.

The Commission allowed the original bypass appeals from four candidates for appointment to the Boston Police Department whose offers had been rescinded as the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee had changed the requirements midway through the hiring process for these candidates.

Promotional bypass appeal for police sergeant denied. Appellant's poor interview performance was a valid reason to bypass him for promotional appointment.

The Commission ordered Human Resources Division to annul the recission of two Brockton candidates’ acceptances to the Police Academy as the entrance requirements had changed after their acceptances but before their start dates, and they had been given insufficient notice and time to prepare for the new physical require

Bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's prior misconduct and poor judgment provided the Boston Police Department to bypass the Appellant for the position of police officer.

Bypass; original appointment; police officer.

Promotional bypass appeal denied. The Commission found that Westfield Police Commission was reasonably justified in bypassing a Westfield patrol officer due to his demonstrated poor judgement and lack of maturity in three recent incidents of off-duty alcohol abuse.

The Commission allowed the bypass appeal of a candidate for Boston Police Officer as the Boston Police Department misapplied its own “automatic disqualifier” guidelines related to driving histories and was unable to show a nexus between the candidate’s driving history and his ability to serve as a police officer.

The Commission vacated the promotional appointment of a Bridgewater Police Lieutenant and ordered a re-do of the process after concluding that there was no basis for the Police Chief to overrule the rankings of an independent assessment center and an outside review panel, both of which ranked the Appellant first.

The Commission issued a further decision regarding relief as it relates to a Bridgewater Police Sergeant who was inappropriately bypassed for appointment to police lieutenant.

In a response to a request by two superior officers in the Bridgewater Police Department, the Commission voted to open an investigation into possible misconduct that resulted in an alleged “quid pro quo” arrangement between two or more BPD officers to distort the selection process for police captain.

Bypass appeal denied. The Town established by a preponderance of the evidence that the decision to bypass the Appellant was reasonably justified for sound and sufficient reasons, including, in particular, a pattern of motor vehicle infractions, a history of violent behavior and poor neighbor references.

The Commission affirmed DOC's decision to bypass the Appellant for Correction Officer I based on the Appellant's relatively recent record of misconduct.

Promotional bypass appeal for police sergeant denied. Appellant's repeated derogatory comments about his supervisors and his overall poor communication and interpersonal skills are a valid reason to bypass him for promotional appointment.

The Commission denied the bypass appeal of a candidate for appointment to the position of municipal police officer whose recent pattern of poor judgment in the three years preceding the bypass, including an OUI and negligent operation of motor vehicle while uninsured, reasonably justified his bypass.

Bypass appeal for Environmental Police Officer A/B position denied. Appellant's inability to follow MEP rules as a private citizen is a valid reason to bypass him for appointment.

The Commission adopted the recommended decision of the Magistrate and affirmed the decision to bypass the Appellant for police officer based on her failure to be forthcoming about certain aspects of her former employment.

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s bypass appeal based on the Town's failure to show a nexus between one incident of misconduct as a teenager and his ability to serve as a police officer.

An omission and conflicting information provided by the Appellant during the background investigation provided the Boston Police Department with reasonable justification to bypass him for appointment to the position of police officer.

The Commission allowed the appeal of the Appellant, a 37-year old, longtime resident of Boston, who has been repeatedly bypassed or non-selected for reasons related in large part to whether he has been truthful about the details of an incident that occurred during his teenage years while he was in high schoo.

The Boston Police Department was justified in bypass the Appellant for appointment as a police officer based on prior misconduct involving the use of a racial slur against owners of a restaurant.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to uphold the bypass of a candidate for Gloucester firefighter due to his poor employment history.

By a 4-1 vote, the Commission's majority concluded that, notwithstanding flaws in the review process, the City was able to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the Appellant's problematic prior employment history justified his bypass for firefighter.

The Commission denied the Appellant's bypass appeal. The Appointing Authority had reasonable justification to bypass a candidate for appointment as a police officer who provided implausible, inconsistent and incomplete responses about his residency and employment history during the application process.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for Boston Police Officer based in part on the Appellant's repeated failure to list all prior employers on his employment applications.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the City of Brockton to bypass a candidate for appointment as a police officer based on her failure to disclose certain information on her application and for prior misconduct as a dispatcher.

The Commission dismissed this appeal based on the fact that the Appellant was not bypassed for appointment. Rather, he was not selected from a group of tied candidates and no candidate ranked below him was appointed.

The Commission denied the original bypass appeal of a New Bedford Police Officer candidate as nobody appointed had been ranked below him on the eligible list.

For multiple reasons cited in this decision, the City of Newton was unable to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the positive results of a hair drug test, which, unlike urine drug testing, has not been approved by federal regulators, was conclusive of ingestion of an illegal drug, the reason for bypass.

The Commission allowed the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment to the Lowell Police Department given that Lowell Police Department wrongfully relied on the candidate's payment-default license suspension and failed to consider the candidate's positive driving record in the National Guard.

Bypass appeal for police officer allowed. The Respondent was unable to prove that the Appellant engaged in criminal conduct as a high school student and/or that he was untruthful about the alleged conduct. Relief granted.

Bypass; original appointment; police officer. Appeal denied. Appellant's prior misconduct provided the City of Revere with reasonable justification to bypass him for appointment.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for Correction Officer I based on the findings of two mental health professionals regarding her suitability to serve in this capacity.

The Commission adopted the Tentative Decision of the DALA Magistrate upholding DOC's decision to bypass the Appellant for CO I based on his past employment record and an incident in which the Appellant threatened his parents.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of the Appellant based on the undisputed fact that he failed to meet the medical standards required of firefighters after undergoing an initial medical examination and re-examination.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Springfield Police Department to bypass a candidate for police officer based on the results of the candidate's psychological evaluation.

Bypass appeal for original appointment as a police officer denied. The Appellant's poor interview performance provided the City of Quincy with reasonable justification to bypass him for appointment.

Bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's prior misconduct and failure to complete all questions on the application as instructed provided DOC with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for the position of Correction Officer I (CO I).

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for original appointment as a firefighter as no candidate ranked the candidate was selected for appointment.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Salem Police Department to bypass an applicant for appointment as a reserve police officer based upon unique circumstances related to a past restraining order.

The Commission allowed the bypass appeal of the Appellant because the City failed to show that it completed a fair, impartial and sufficiently thorough review of her candidacy, and the preponderance of the evidence did not support the reasons cited for bypass.

The Commission allowed the appeal of a candidate whose appointment by the Mayor of Somerville to the position of Reserve Police Officer failed to receive confirmation of the Somerville City Council for reasons that involved unsubstantiated claims about the candidate’s alleged untruthfulness.

To ensure enforcement of a prior Commission decision without impeding the City's ability to appoint police officers, the Commission issued a clarification of the relief to be granted to the Appellant.

The Commission dismissed a bypass appeal from a permanent, full-time firefighter for the Town of West Springfield's Fire Department given that a EMT certification was not produced despite multiple promises for such.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of the Appellant based on the undisputed fact that he failed to meet the medical standards related to eye examinations required of police officers.

The Commission allowed the bypass appeal of a military veteran seeking appointment as a firefighter with the Brockton Fire Department based on the appointing authority’s erroneous conclusions that the Appellant did not qualify for residency preference and had been less than truthful regarding his claim to residency

After concluding that the Boston Police Department (BPD)’s review of a candidate for police officer was flawed and incomplete, the Commission overturned the BPD’s decision to bypass the candidate for appointment and ordered that he be reconsidered in a future hiring cycle.

Despite several missteps in the process, the Commission upheld the bypass of a candidate for appointment as a municipal police officer (1) who had failed to disclose several instances of prior negative employment history in his applications to the City of Fall River’s Police Department.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for police officer as it was untimely, but reserved the right to consider issues raised in this appeal as part of a broader, ongoing investigation of the Methuen Police Department.

The Commission upheld the promotional bypass of a police sergeant who had a consistent history of discipline over the course of his career as compared to the lower ranked candidate who had no disciplinary history, finding just cause to bypass him for promotion.

The Commission upheld the decision of the Mass. Environmental Police to bypass a candidate for Env. Police Officer A/B as the candidate was unable to show that he met the minimum entrance requirements for the position.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) to bypass a candidate for appointment as an Environmental Police Officer A/B (EPO A/B) because he lacked the minimum entrance requirements.

The Commission allowed the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as an Intermittent Reserve Police Officer in Woburn, as the candidate was well qualified, and traces of political influence were discovered in the decision-making process.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass the Appellant for original appointment as a police officer based on his recent OUI and poor driving record.

The Commission allowed the original bypass appeal of a Correction Officer I candidate as it found the Department of Correction’s process flawed in that the candidate was bypassed without conducting any background investigation and relying solely on the conclusion of the interview panel.

Bypass appeal dismissed based on the Appellant's failure to prosecute his appeal.

Bypass; original appointment; Correction Officer I. CORI-related issues. Appeal denied.

The Commission reversed the bypass of a candidate for original appointment to the New Bedford Police Department where the City believed he lied on a previous LTC application about his residency.

The Commission denied the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as Police Officer for the City of New Bedford as the candidate was a previous Bristol County Sheriff who was discharged for a personal relationship with an inmate in his care.

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s bypass appeal as the Springfield Police Department (SPD) did not show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the Appellant failed to meet the civil service residency preference requirement, the sole reason offered by the SPD for bypassing the Appellant.

The Appellant, a Brookline Police Officer, filed an appeal contesting the decision of the Town of Brookline to bypass him for promotional appointment to Police Sergeant in favor of the brotherin-law of the Town’s Police Chief, who participated in the interview and selection process

The Appeals Court affirmed a Superior Court decision that upheld the Commission's decision to affirm the bypass of a candidate for District Chief in the Springfield Fire Department.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to deny the Appellant's promotional bypass appeal.

Promotional bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's poor interview performance provided the Springfield Fire Department with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for the position of District Fire Chief

The Commission overturned the decision of the Department of Correction (DOC) to bypass a candidate for appointment as a Correction Officer I (CO I) and ordered his reconsideration after DOC conducted a flawed review process in which the Appellant was not given the opportunity to address the reason for bypass.

Bypass; original appointment; firefighter; appeal dismissed; tie is not a bypass.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s bypass appeal after concluding that no bypass occurred as no candidate ranked below him was appointed to the position of Lowell reserve firefighter.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass the Appellant for appointment as a police officer based on his prior criminal conduct involving orchestrated shoplifting.

The Commission adopted the Recommended Decision of the DALA Magistrate and affirmed the City's decision to bypass the Appellant for promotion to Fire Lieutenant based on the selected candidate's specialized training and superior interview performance.

The Commission affirmed the original bypass of an Environmental Police Officer candidate as he lacked the necessary background in environmental and natural resource protection.

The Town's use of a de facto assessment center without authorization from HRD and other procedural flaws resulted in the Appellant's bypass appeal being allowed.

The Commission denied the parties' joint request for 310 relief and dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal based in part that the appeal was not timely filed with the Commission.

The Commission dismissed the non-bypass equity appeal of a Westfield Fire Department Captain as his issues were either addressed or fell outside the purview of the Commission.

Although it is an unfortunate outcome for the Appellant, the Commission dismissed his appeal as he was unable to show that he is an aggrieved person based on his failure to check his spam email account and open a notification telling him that his name appeared on a certification for Somerville firefighter.

Bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's prior misconduct provided DOC with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for the position of Correction Officer I.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) to bypass a candidate for appointment as an Environmental Police Officer A/B (EPO A/B) as he does not possess the minimum entrance requirements specified for the position by MEP.

The Commission allowed the appeal of a female Dedham police officer who was bypassed for promotion to Sergeant in favor of a male candidate, after finding that the promotional process was unlawfully influenced by a predisposition for the selected candidate and unjustified personal bias against the Appellant and an unr

The City of Newton has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that it had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for original appointment to the position of permanent full-time police officer. based on the Appellant’s negative professional references, untruthfulness and unsuitability

Bypass appeal for fire alarm operator denied. The Appellant was not in compliance with the Department's policies regarding visible tattoos.

The Commission upheld the City’s decision to bypass the Appellant as a reserve fighter based on the Appellant’s inconsistent and/or incomplete responses on her application and during her interview.

Promotional bypass appeal denied. The Commission found that the Town of Ludlow was reasonably justified in bypassing a highly qualified Ludlow police sergeant for the position of police lieutenant as another candidate’s detailed and passionate interview responses demonstrated more preparation and qualification for the

Bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's untruthfulness during hiring process provided the City with reasonable justification to bypass her for appointment as a police officer.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for the position of fire fighter as no candidate ranked below him was selected for appointment.

The Commission denied the Appellant's bypass appeal for appointment as a firefighter based in part of the Appellant's lack of clarity and consistency regarding his prior employment.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of a candidate for Boston police officer as the candidate was bypassed for the same reasons in prior hiring cycles and the Commission recently issued a decision affirming those bypasses.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass a candidate for appointment as a police officer because of his untruthfulness in connection with an immigration petition.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of a Brookline police sergeant who was bypassed for promotional appointment to police lieutenant as Brookline has subsequently removed its police department from civil service, divesting the Commission of any jurisdiction regarding this matter.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision to uphold the City of Somerville's decision to bypass the Appellant for promotional appointment to police lieutenant.

The Commission upheld the Somerville City Council's vote to not confirm the Mayor’s conditional offer of promotion based on the Appellant's prior untruthfulness as a police officer.

Original bypass appeal denied. The Commission found that the Department of Correction was justified in bypassing the Appellant based on a past arrest for illegal marijuana possession, given the necessity of a zero-tolerance policy regarding illegal drugs in any DOC facility.

The DOC has established that it conducted a reasonably thorough review of Mr. Kumar’s qualifications for appointment as a DOC Correction Officer and that his spotty employment record and a possible pattern of aggressive behavior over the past five year period provides reasonable justification for the decision to bypass

Bypass appeal denied. MEP has shown that the Appellant did not meet the minimum entrance requirements for the position of Environmental Police Officer A/B.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s promotional bypass appeal as no bypass occurred. Rather, the Appellant was not selected by DOC for a provisional appointment to the position of Recreation Officer II.

Promotional bypass appeal denied. The Town's concern about the Appellant's management skills and the strong interview performance of the selected candidate were valid reasons for the Town to bypass the Appellant for promotion to police sergeant.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of the Appellant for lack of jurisdiction as it was not filed within 60 days of receiving the reasons for bypass from the City of Brockton. Further, only candidates with Brockton residency preference were considered and the Appellant did not qualify for residency preference.

The Commission allowed the 2021 bypass appeal of a candidate for appointment as a Somerville Reserve Firefighter who, for the second time, was not given a fair, impartial and reasonably thorough review and was treated differently than other candidates, most of them with ties to the City.

A majority of the Commission adopted the recommended decision of the DALA Magistrate, upholding the decision to bypass the Appellant for police officerbased on her for repeated failures to acknowledge that she was the registered owner of a car her family had given to her brother.

The Commission dismissed the original bypass appeal of a New Bedford Firefighter candidate as his appeal was untimely.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of a Police Officer with the New Bedford Police Department who was bypassed for promotion his unauthorized consultation of police resources for personal reasons and also for credible claims of violence from his ex-wife that led to the issuance of a restraining order.

New Bedford was justified to bypass Appellant for police officer for same reasons upheld by Commission in prior hiring cycle.

Bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's performance as a crossing guard and other factors provided the City with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for the position of reserve police officer.

Bypass; original appointment; police officer. Appeal denied. Poor driving history provided BPD with reasonable justification to bypass Appellant.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of the Appellant as he is unable to show that he was bypassed for promotional appointment or that he is otherwise an aggrieved person who should be granted relief.

The Commission affirmed the Department of Correction’s original bypass of a Correction Officer candidate due to her incidents of misconduct, some as recent as two years ago.

The Superior Court affirmed a Commission decision which concluded that the Town of Arlington complied with all applicable civil service law and rules when making a provisional appointment to the position of Parks Supervisor.

Superior Court dismissed Appellant's complaint for judicial review based on lack of prosecution for failure to meet court filing requirements.

Promotional bypass appeal dismissed. Commission lacks jurisdiction over provisional promotions.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's appeal after concluding that the Town did not violate the civil service law or rules when making a provisional appointment to the position of Parks Supervisor.

DOC had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for appointment as a Correction Officer I (CO I) based on: two poor references, including one from a longtime family friend; and prior alleged misconduct which, at a minimum, calls into question whether the Appellant has the maturity and good judgement at this t

The Appellant filed an appeal contesting the decision of the Lowell PD to bypass him for Police Lieutenant. As the Appellant has complaint pending with MCAD, this appeal was dismissed until that matter is resolved.

The Commission allowed the Appellant's bypass appeal for Boston Police Officer, concluding that the reasons for bypass, including transgressions as a teenager, were stale and unrelated to the Appellant's current ability to perform the duties of police officer.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of a candidate for the Boston Police Department given that Boston had legitimate concerns regarding the candidate's untruthfulness and belligerence toward the police.

Under unique circumstances presented by the facts of this appeal, the Commission granted limited relief to a highly qualified candidate bypassed for appointment as a Fire Captain based on pending criminal charges for which he was acquitted a few weeks later after a much-delayed trial due to the closure of the courts.

As there was no error or significant factor overlooked by the Commission in affirming the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass a candidate for appointment to police officer, the Commission denied the candidate’s motion for reconsideration.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass a candidate for police officer based on his failure to disclose all information regarding workplace discipline on his application and for providing contradictory information related to his employment with a tow company.

The Commission denied the appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as an officer for the Chelsea Police Department given his history of domestic violence, restraining orders, out-of-control driving, fighting, and appalling offers to assist his ex-wife with immigration issues in exchange for sex.

The City of Brockton had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant based on his inability to comply with the Police Department's tattoo policy.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s bypass appeal for the position of Fire Alarm Operator as, upon further review, it was determined that the Appellant was not bypassed for appointment since the one candidate appointed to the position was ranked above the Appellant.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal as he is currently unable to obtain a license to carry a firearm, which is a uniformly enforced requirement to be appointed as a Boston police of

The Commission denied the bypass appeal of a Ipswitch Fire Lieutenant given his poor communication skills and difficulty expressing himself coherently, as well as his disciplinary record with two suspensions and a written warning.

The Commission overturned the decision of Waltham Fire Department to bypass a candidate for appointment as a Firefighter due to a flawed review process where the candidate was not given an opportunity to address concerns about his background, truthfulness, and character.

Original bypass appeal denied. The Commission found that the City of Lawrence had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant based on his untruthfulness regarding charges of sexual assault and a restraining order taken out against him by a former girlfriend, as well as whether these issues had come up in his inte

Promotional bypass appeal dismissed. Commission lacks jurisdiction over provisional promotions.

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of the Appellant for lack of jurisdiction as it was not filed within 60 days of receiving the reasons for bypass from the Boston Police Department and there was no good cause that would warrant tolling the filing deadline.

The Commission reversed the bypass of a reserve Beverly police officer given that the hiring and interview process was tainted with nepotism, bias, flawed procedures, and inaccurate characterizations of candidates' backgrounds.

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s bypass appeal for original appointment as a permanent, full-time firefighter and ordered his reconsideration based on the many procedural flaws in the Everett Fire Department’s review process.

Poor driving history provided reasonable justification for City of Lawrence's decision to bypass Appellant for police officer.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass the Appellant as a candidate for appointment as a permanent, full-time police officer due to his lengthy driving record including numerous moving violations, driving infractions, and warnings.

Bypass appeal for original appointment to police officer allowed. BPD failed to show that stale prior misconduct was a valid reason for bypassing the Appellant for appointment.

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s bypass appeal for original appointment as Correction Officer I (CO 1) as DOC was unable to show a nexus between the Appellant’s alleged unlawful conduct approximately 17 years ago and his current ability to serve as a CO I. Other systemic issues were identified as well.

Bypass appeal for original appointment as a firefighter allowed. Personal bias was a factor in the appointment process, warranting relief by the Commission.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for police officer on summary decision based on the undisputed facts related to the Appellant's prior employment history, including his prior employment as a police cadet in New Bedford.

The City of Quincy failed to take the necessary steps to ensure a fair and impartial review process where the Mayor’s son was one of the candidates under consideration for appointment as a police officer. To ensure that the Appellant, who was not selected for appointment despite being ranked above the Mayor’s son, rec

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s bypass appeal for police officer as none of the reasons justified the bypass of this qualified candidate, especially when numerous lower-ranked candidates had far more problematic histories.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as a police officer to the Boston Police Department given that his medical evaluation rendered him ineligible to carry a firearm.

The Commission adopted the Tentative Decision of the DALA Magistrate, affirming DOC's decision to bypass the Appellant for CO I based on his prior misconduct and poor driving history.

Poor interview performance by Appellant provided Somerville with reasonable justification to bypass Appellant for police officer.

Commission upheld bypass based on unbiased, good faith judgment that selected candidate’s work overseeing community policing justified top leadership role.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal for Springfield police officer as she was unable to provide any evidence to show that she qualified for the residency preference, without which she was not reachable for consideration.

While the Appellant had received a number of favorable performance reviews from his current employer, the Department of Correction had reasonable justification to bypass him on the basis of an extensive history of discipline and his ineligibility to obtain a license to carry a firearm

The Commission affirmed the original bypass of a Correction Officer candidate who had a lengthy history of disciplinary issues that involved insubordination and suggested a lack of self-control.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s bypass appeal for firefighter as the Marblehead Fire Department had reasonable justification to bypass him for failing to be forthright about an incident involving damage to a Town-owned boat.

The Commission ordered the placement of a candidate for Sergeant in the City of Lowell, who was bypassed for promotion, to the top of the promotional list given a remand from the Superior Court.

The Commission denied the appeal of a candidate seeking appointment to the New Bedford Fire Department given that three-year-old social media posts from the candidate demonstrated a level of indiscretion and offensive behavior incompatible with a firefighter's responsibilities.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a candidate for the Department of Correction given that no by-pass had occurred since no candidate below her on the list ended up being appointed.

Promotional bypass appeal denied. The City has shown that the selected candidate's experience provided reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for the position of Fire Captain.

The Commission accepted a bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment to the Bedford Police Department given that the city wrongfully found that he had lied about the circumstances of his medical discharge from the military, and wrongfully considered a complaint from an officer whose brother was also a candidate.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s appeal as the City of Brockton had reasonable justification to bypass her for original appointment to the position of permanent full-time police officer due to an undisputed incident of domestic violence incident that resulted in the inability to obtain a license to carry (LTC)

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a candidate seeking appointment to New Bedford Police Department given that the Department made him an offer for the position.

Promotional bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's recent misconduct, which resulted in a last chance agreement, provided the City with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for the position of fire lieutenant.

By a 4-1 vote, bypass appeal allowed. DOC's review was inconsistent with the state's anti-discrimination law and did not constitute a fair and thorough review of the Appellant's background for the position of Correction Officer I (CO I).

The Commission dismissed the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment to the Taunton Fire Department, as the City had reasonable justification to bypass him for his repeated driving infractions and a recent arrest with an attendant Chapter 209A order.

The Commission adopted the recommendation of the DALA Magistrate and allowed the Appellant's appeal as the BFD has not shown that the Appellant failed to meet the residency preference requirements.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass the Appellant for appointment as a police officer based on her failure to be forthcoming with BPD investigators during the application and review process as well as the numerous past and continuing relationships with known criminals.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the City of Pittsfield to bypass the Appellant for original appointment as a firefighter based on a pattern of obfuscation and lack of candor on the Appellant’s part regarding material facts elicited by the City during hiring and background check.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the City of Somerville to bypass the Appellant for original appointment as a firefighter based on the demonstrated inconsistencies about his residency during the application process.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a terminated probationary Boston Police Department officer given that probationary officers do not have a right to contest their termination to the Commission.

Bypass appeal allowed. The Appellant's driving history was not shown to be reasonable justification to bypass him for appointment and the evidence shows that his answers to questions posed to him were truthful.

Bypass appeal denied. Based on one incident alone involving a recent violent incident at a casino, the Town had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for appointment as a police officer.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the City to bypass a candidate for appointment as a reserve police officer based in part on errors and omissions on his employment application.

The Commission has determined that the appeal filed by the Appellant was not timely filed. Further, the Commission affirms the decision of the Massachusetts Parole Board to bypass the Appellant for appointment as a full-time Field Parole Officer A/B due to disciplinary action in the Appellant’s employment history.

The Commission denied the Appellant's bypass appeal for Correction Officer I based on inconsistent answers provided to the Department of Correction during the hiring process.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s bypass appeal, finding that the City of Chelsea was justified in bypassing him for original appointment as a firefighter based on two positive drug tests indicating recent use of marijuana, which he had not disclosed on his application.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass a candidate for police office based on an incident that resulted in criminal charges against him and during which the candidate was uncooperative with the responding officers.

The Commission denied the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as a police officer, concluding that the City of Brockton had reasonable justification to bypass him based upon inconsistent responses about his residency history during the application process and the omission of prior employment attempts.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s bypass appeal for the position of police officer as the Commission recently upheld a prior bypass by the City of Brockton based on the same reasons.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass a candidate for appointment as a police officer due to his employment history, interactions with police, lack of candor, and associations with criminals.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass a candidate due to his driving history and mandated attendance at remedial driving courses.

Bypass appeal regarding original appointment to police officer denied. The Appellant's agreement to forego consideration for appointment provided reasonable justification to bypass him from the next eligible list only.

The Commission accepted the recommended decision of the DALA Magistrate's to overturn the Appellant's bypass for police sergeant as the City failed to show that the Appellant engaged in any misconduct when he reported to work after receiving permission from HRD to take a make-up examination for health-related reasons.

Bypass appeal dismissed. The Appellant's non-selection did not constitute a bypass as he was not within the 2N+1 formula of eligible candidates for firefighter.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s bypass appeal based on the fact that he was ineligible for appointment as a Taunton police officer as the City has accepted those provisions of the civil service law setting a maximum age restriction of 32 regarding the appointment of police officers.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Department of Correction (DOC) to bypass a candidate for promotional appointment to sergeant based on the undisputed fact that the candidate was and is physically unable to perform the essential function of the position.

Bypass appeal dismissed. Based on the undisputed facts, the Appellant cannot show that he qualified for the residency preference for appointment as a Lawrence police officer.

Bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's prior record as a police officer provided the Parole Board with reasonable justification not to appoint the Appellant as a Parole Officer A/B.

Bypass appeal dismissed; tie is not a bypass.

Bypass appeal denied. The Appellant's recent criminal history coupled with a pattern of failing to appear for court appearances provided the Department of Correction with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for the position of Correction Officer I.

The Commission accepted the recommendation of the DALA Magistrate and affirmed the City's decision to bypass the Appellant based on his limited work history and less than forthcoming answers during the review process.

The Appellant's inability to show that he qualified for the residency preference in Boston provided the Boston Police Department with reasonable justification to bypass him for appointment as a police officer.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department to bypass a candidate for lack of good judgment and untruthfulness in regard to previous employment

Superior Court remanded case to Commission for additional findings.

On remand, the Commission clarified why the Appellant's bypass appeal should be denied. His failure to provide HRD with an updated email address, and his failure to monitor the address he provided to HRD, resulted in him missing the deadline for signing the Certification.

Boston Police Department was not required to consider candidate for police officer who failed to sign Certification prior to deadline.

The Commission granted the City of Holyoke’s Motion to Dismiss as the Appellant’s counsel failed to submit an opposition. The city argued that, as the Appellant had been a probationary employee at the time of termination, the Commission lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

Promotional bypass appeal dismissed. The Appellant was not bypassed for appointment as no candidate ranked lower on the certification was promoted to Correctional Program Officer C (CPO C).

Bypass appeal for original appointment as police officer allowed. The preponderance of evidence did not support the City's stated reasons for bypass

Bypass appeal for original appointment as a police officer denied. The Appellant's poor employment history provided the Boston Police Department with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant.

The Commission denied the Appellant’s bypass appeal, concluding that the Boston Police Department had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for original appointment as a permanent full-time police officer due to his criminal record and numerous driving infractions and violations.

Promotional bypass appeal dismissed. Selection of a candidate tied for the same rank on a certification does not constitute a bypass that can be appealed to the Civil Service Commission.

Promotional bypass; Police Captain. Appeal denied. Appellant's poor interview performance provided the City of Somerville with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant.

The Civil Service Commission upheld the Boston Police Department’s decision to bypass the Appellant based upon his work history, criminal history and lack of good judgment

The Commission allowed the Appellant’s promotional bypass appeal based on the results of a DOC internal affairs investigation that was pending at the time of Appellant’s bypass. The result of that investigation was that the Appellant was not suspended, meaning that he would have been eligible for promotion.

the Commission has exhausted its ability to exercise extraordinary relief pursuant to Chapter 310 of the Acts of 1993, the source of the Commission’s equity powers.4 The Appellant’s passivity or nonresponsiveness over the past year has led to a situation in which the Appellant is now 5 years older than the max age.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision allowing the Appellant's promotional bypass appeal for Fire Lieutenant, confirming the Commission's "broad remedial powers" in regard to the relief that was ordered by the Commission.

The Superior Court affirmed the Commission's decision in which the Commission overturned the Town's decision to bypass the Appellant for original appointment as a firefighter.

Bypass appeal allowed. The Town was unable to provide any reasons why the Town Manager, who serves as the Appointing Authority, overruled the recommendation the Appellant to the position of firefighter in the Town's Fire Department.

Bypass; original appointment; Environmental Police Officer A/B; appeal denied; failed to meet minimum entrance requirements.

Bypass appeal for original appointment as a Correction Officer I denied. Appellant's two prior OUIs, one which involved unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, provided the Department of Correction with reasonable justification to bypass him for appointment.

Bypass; original appointment; police officer; appeal allowed.

Bypass; original appointment; police officer; appeal allowed.

A recent OUI provided DOC with reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for Correction Officer I.

The Commission allowed the bypass appeal of the Appellant as the City was unable to show a nexus between alleged misconduct from 21 years ago and his ability to serve as a police officer today.

The Commission affirmed the decision of the Boston Police Department (BPD) to bypass a candidate for appointment as a police officer based on the candidate’s poor judgment related to a recent incident which resulted in criminal charges against her.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s bypass appeal as DOC had reasonable justification to bypass him based on his prior misconduct that resulted in his termination from employment at DOC five years ago.

Bypass appeal allowed. The Appellant's immaturity and poor interview performance provided the City of Somerville with reasonable justification to bypass him for appointment as a reserve police officer.

The Commission denied the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as a police officer, as the Boston Police Department had reasonable justification to bypass him based on issued related to prior misconduct.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's bypass appeal as moot as he was subsequently promoted to DOC Lieutenant after filing his bypass appeal.

the Town Manager ultimately conducted a fair, thorough review and provided sound and sufficient reasons for bypassing the Appellant for the positions of police Lieutenant and Captain in the Town of Plymouth’s Police Department.

The Commission affirmed the bypass of an applicant for full-time Springfield Police Department Officer given the seven police incident reports over a five-year period, a poor driving record, and an acknowledgement that she violated a harassment prevention order.

The Commission accepted the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking original appointment to the Saugus Fire Department as the Town had mischaracterized his driving, employment, and criminal records. The candidate had a strong working history, excellent references, and a solid marriage and family life.

The Commission allowed the Appellant's bypass appeal for firefighter, concluding that the reasons for bypass were unsupported or contrary to basic merit principles.

To ensure enforcement of a prior Commission decision without impeding the City's ability to appoint firefighters, the Commission issued a clarification of the relief to be granted to the Appellant.

The Commission overturned the decision of the Plymouth Police Department to bypass a candidate for police officer and ordered that he be given one additional consideration for appointment after concluding that the candidate was not given the same consideration as other candidates, including a full and fair interview.

Promotional bypass appeal allowed in part. The City erred by not considering the Appellant for promotional appointment, but, based on the unique circumstances referenced in the decision, only limited relief is warranted.

The Commission upheld the Boston Police Department's decision to bypass the Appellant for police officer based on his failure to provide a long list of required background information despite being given sufficient time to do so.

Bypass; original appointment; firefighter. Appeal allowed. City failed to show that Appellant did not meet residency preference requirements.

Bypass appeal denied. The City of Lowell had reasonable justification to bypass the Appellant for original appointment as a police officer based on his prior failure to complete the Police Academy and his poor academic performance subsequent to his disqualification from the Academy.

A majority of the Commission granted the bypass appeal of a candidate seeking appointment as a police officer for the Boston Police Department. The candidate’s history of temporary ex parte restraining orders was not a reasonable justification for bypassing him, especially considering that the orders were dismissed.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's police officer examination appeal as he failed to first file an appeal with HRD as required by the civil service law.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s promotional examination appeal as the civil service law expressly provides that HRD’s determination on the grading of multiple-choice questions is final and the Commission is not vested with jurisdiction to hear an appeal from such a determination.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s appeal from HRD's decision to credit only one of his two academic degrees in scoring the ECT&E component of the Boston Fire Lieutenant’s Promotional Examination, as the Appellant did not establish that he was aggrieved by the denial of credit for the second degree.

Exam appeal denied. Appellant was not aggrieved as he was unable to show that he completed E&E component of exam.

Premised in part on the expectation that the Appellant will be eligible to sit for a statewide promotional examination for Police Captain in 2024, the Commission denied the Appellant's appeal, concluding that she is not an aggrieved person for whom relief is warranted.

The Commission dismissed the examination appeal of Correction Officer I who took the promotional examination for Correction Officer II as he has no reasonable expectation of showing that his prior employment as a Therapeutic Safety Technician at Bridgewater State Hospital was comparable to CO duties.

The Commission dismissed the examination appeal of a Brockton Police Officer based on the undisputed fact that he failed to submit his Experience and Education (E&E) form online prior to the filing deadline.

Examination appeal denied. The Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear an examination appeal that was not first filed with HRD.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of a Lieutenant in the Boston Fire Department (BFD) as his non-selection was not a bypass and was not a violation of the civil service law or rules.

The Commission dismissed the appeal of Avon Police Officer regarding the incorrect submission of an E&E claim given that HRD instructions on how to properly submit are very clear and that HRD provides significant reminders.

Education and experience examination appeal allowed. HRD's decision to not grant the Appellant credit for 1714 hours as a temporary fire lieutenant was arbitrary and capricious and not consistent with basic merit principles.

HRD Medical Standards cannot be appealed to Civil Service Commission.

Fair test appeal denied. The removal of certain questions from the examination that were not referenced in the reading list did not result in an unfair test.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant’s appeal from the scoring of the ECT&E component of the Boston Fire Lieutenant Promotional Examination after the Human Resources Division clarified the score notices sent to the Appellant and confirmed that he received all proper credit to which he was entitled.

Promotional education and experience examination appeal dismissed. The Appellant failed to filed a timely appeal with the Commission.

The Commission dismissed the examination appeal of a Salem police officer as his appeal was untimely.

Examination appeal related to two-point preference for 25 years of service denied. Time spent in Police Academy does not count toward the calculation of the required 25 years.

The Commission dismissed the Appellant's examination appeal as he was unable to show that HRD calculated his E&E score incorrectly.

Premised in part on the expectation that the Appellant will be eligible to sit for a statewide promotional examination for Police Captain in 2024, the Commission denied the Appellant's appeal, concluding that he is not an aggrieved person for whom relief is warranted.

Concluding that HRD’s decision to limit registration for the March 25, 2023 District Fire Chief examination to those who registered for the examination administered in May 2022 was permissible under the civil service law and was not arbitrary or capricious, the Commission dismissed the Appellant’s appeal.

The Commission upheld HRD’s scoring of the Appellant’s Experience, Certification, Training and Education (ECT&E) component of the statewide Fire Lieutenant’s examination as “incomplete” because the Appellant failed to submit the necessary on-line claim form in compliance with the exam instructions.