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In re the Claim of Marquez

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
Jul 29, 1999
Versions:263 A.D.2d 926
693 N.Y.S.2d 346
1999 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8469

—Appeal from a decision of the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board, filed April 9, 1998, which, upon reconsideration, adhered to its prior decision ruling, inter alia, that claimant was disqualified from receiving unemployment insurance benefits because his employment was terminated due to misconduct.

Claimant was discharged from his employment as an administrative associate at a human services agency after he became argumentative over the telephone with the employer’s Field Director, who criticized claimant’s failure to answer the telephone with the employer’s standard greeting. In response, claimant threatened to sue the Field Director and “write him up”. Claimant then hung up the telephone while the Field Director was still speaking. Significantly, at the time of this incident, claimant was on disciplinary probation because of past difficulties with a different supervisor.

In our view, substantial evidence supports the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board’s decision that claimant was disqualified from receiving benefits because his employment was terminated due to misconduct. There can be no dispute that insubordinate behavior such as issuing threats to one’s supervisor or engaging in conduct that is detrimental to the employer’s interests, can be construed as disqualifying misconduct (see, Matter of Khan [Sweeney], 239 AD2d 651, 652). Notably, at the time of this conduct, the prior disciplinary stipulation placed claimant on notice that further insubordination would jeopardize his employment (see, e.g., Matter of Downey [Commissioner of Labor], 252 AD2d 708). Moreover, although claimant maintains that it was the Field Director who was rude to him, credibility issues presented by the conflicting testimony were within the province of the Board to resolve (see, Matter of Agis [Sweeney], 242 AD2d 819). Claimant’s remaining arguments have been examined and found to be unpersuasive.

Cardona, P. J., Mercure, Yesawich Jr., Peters and Spain, JJ., concur. Ordered that the decision is affirmed, without costs.

Case Details

Case Name: In re the Claim of Marquez
Court Name: Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
Date Published: Jul 29, 1999
Citations: 263 A.D.2d 926; 693 N.Y.S.2d 346; 1999 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8469
Court Abbreviation: N.Y. App. Div.
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