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CHILDREN'S HOUR DAY SCHOOL vs DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, 15-002426F (2015)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:Miami, Florida Apr. 21, 2015 Number: 15-002426F Latest Update: Nov. 30, 2016

The Issue The issues in this case, which arises from Petitioner's application for an award of attorney's fees and costs pursuant to section 57.111, Florida Statutes, are whether Petitioner was a prevailing small business party in a disciplinary proceeding that Respondent initiated, and, if so, whether Respondent's decision to prosecute Petitioner was substantially justified or whether special circumstances exist that would make an award unjust.

Findings Of Fact On August 15, 2014, Respondent Department of Children and Families ("DCF") issued an Administrative Complaint against Petitioner Children's Hour Day School (the "School"), a licensed child care facility, charging the School with two disciplinable offenses, namely denial of food as form of punishment (Violation 1) and misrepresentation (Violation 2). The allegations of material fact in support of Violation 1 were as follows: During a complaint inspection on 8/6/14, the child care facility was cited for a Class I violation of Standard #12, Child Discipline, [because] a child, to wit, S.B., was denied a snack as a form of punishment when the child allegedly hit her sister, L.B. who is also enrolled at the child care facility. The allegations of material fact in support of Violation 2 were as follows: During a complaint inspection on 8/6/14, the child care facility was cited for a Class I violation of Standard #63, Misrepresentation, when it came to the Family Safety Counselor's attention that child care personnel, K.L. misrepresented and forged information, related to the child care facility when he utilized a notary stamp belonging to a former employee, namely Albarran and submitted the 2014 application for licensure to the Department with the forged notarization. The School, which requested a hearing, was found not guilty of the charges. See Dep't of Child. & Fams. v. Child.'s Hour Day Sch., Case No. 14-4539, 2015 Fla. Div. Adm. Hear. LEXIS 8 (Fla. DOAH Jan. 9, 2015; Fla. DCF Feb. 18, 2015). The Administrative Law Judge made the following findings of material fact with respect to Violation 1: S.B. and L.B. are young sisters who stayed at Respondent's day-care center in July 2014. On July 9, 2014, one of Respondent's employees gave S.B. and L.B. a small cup of Cheez-Its as a snack. [Kevin] Lennon was present when the two girls were sharing the cup of Cheez-Its. After S.B., who is the older and bigger child, finished her share of the Cheez-Its, S.B. began to hit her sister to take her sister's share of the Cheez-Its. Mr. Lennon separated the two girls and permitted L.B. to eat her share of the Cheez-Its. Mr. Lennon testified, credibly, that he did not take the Cheez-Its from S.B. to punish S.B. Id. at 3-4 (paragraph number omitted). The Administrative Law Judge made the following findings of material fact with respect to Violation 2: On March 25, 2014, Petitioner received from Respondent an "Application for a License to Operate a Child Care Facility" (the application). Mr. Lennon completed the application on behalf of Respondent. The application contained an attestation section that required Mr. Lennon's signature to be notarized. On March 25, 2014, Petitioner received an attestation section (first attestation section) signed by Kevin Lennon on February 28, 2014. The first attestation section contains Ivanne Albarran's notary seal and a signature dated February 28, 2014. Mr. Lennon testified, credibly, that he signed the first attestation section as Kevin Lennon. Mr. Albarran testified, credibly, that he signed the first attestation section as the notary public. The application package contains a second attestation section that was received by Petitioner on March 28, 2014. The second attestation section contains Mr. Lennon's signature and a date of March 26, 2014. The second attestation section contains Mr. Albarran's notary seal and a signature dated March 28, 2014. Mr. Lennon testified, credibly, that he signed the second attestation section as "Kevin Lennon." Mr. Albarran testified, credibly, that he signed the second attestation section as the notary public. Id. at 4-5 (paragraph numbers omitted). The School's owner is a corporation, Hamilton-Smith, Inc. ("HSI"), whose principal office is located in the state of Florida.1/ Kevin Lennon, who was referred to as "K.L." in the Administrative Complaint and is mentioned in the findings of fact quoted above, is HSI's sole shareholder. HSI employed fewer than 25 persons at the time DCF initiated the underlying disciplinary proceeding, and at all relevant times thereafter. Thus, HSI is a "small business party" as that term is defined in section 57.111(3)(d)1.b., Florida Statutes.2/ DCF agrees that HSI is a "prevailing" party as that term is defined in section 57.111(3)(c)1., inasmuch as a final order dismissing the charges against the School was entered in DOAH Case No. 14-4539. It is determined, as a matter of ultimate fact, that HSI is a "prevailing small business party" entitled to recover its reasonable attorney's fees and costs from DCF "unless the actions of the agency were substantially justified or special circumstances exist which would make the award unjust." § 57.111(4)(a), Fla. Stat. In defending against the administrative charges, HSI incurred attorney's fees in the amount of $4,515.00 and costs totaling $434.50, for which it now seeks to be reimbursed. DCF does not contest the amount or reasonableness of either sum. DCF contends, however, that an award of attorney's fees and costs is unwarranted because its actions were substantially justified. It is therefore necessary to examine the grounds upon which DCF made its decision to charge the School with the offenses alleged in the Administrative Complaint. The disciplinary action had its genesis in an anonymous complaint that, on August 6, 2014, was phoned in to the local DCF licensing office in the School's vicinity. DCF counselor Michaelyn Radcliff went out that same day to investigate, and she met Tajah Brown at the School. Ms. Brown, an employee of the School, revealed to Ms. Radcliff that she had made the complaint, which involved the ratio of staff to children. Mr. Lennon, who was Ms. Brown's boss, happened to be out of town at the time and hence was not present for Ms. Radcliff's inspection. For the next six hours or so, Ms. Brown described for Ms. Radcliff every regulatory violation or offense she could think of, which she believed the School might have committed. One such offense was the alleged withholding of S.B.'s snack. Ms. Brown had not witnessed this incident, but she knew the child's mother, E.B., and offered to ask the mother to give a statement about it, which Ms. Radcliff agreed was a good idea. E.B. met Ms. Radcliff at the School, accompanied by her daughter S.B., who was then two years old. E.B. did not have personal knowledge of the alleged denial-of-snack incident, but she had been told about the event by her sister (S.B.'s aunt) who had picked S.B. and L.B. up from day care the evening of its alleged occurrence. The aunt did not have personal knowledge of the matter either, having arrived afterward. Rather, according to E.B., the aunt had told E.B. that Mr. Lennon had told her (the aunt) that S.B. had hit L.B. and thrown a tantrum. Ms. Radcliff did not speak to the aunt, however, whose testimony about what Mr. Lennon told her actually might have been admissible at hearing under an exception to the hearsay rule3/; instead, she accepted E.B.'s statement about the incident, which was based on hearsay (Mr. Lennon's declaration) within hearsay (the aunt's declaration) and had no evidential value on its own. Ms. Radcliff did question one eyewitness: two-year- old S.B., who denied hitting her sister, complained that Mr. Lennon would not give her a snack, and accused Mr. Lennon of hitting her. S.B.'s statement, such as it was, was the only independently admissible evidence Ms. Radcliff had. She never spoke with Mr. Lennon, who was the only adult eyewitness to the alleged denial-of-snack incident.4/ As for the alleged misrepresentation, Ms. Brown informed Ms. Radcliff that she (Ms. Brown) had observed Mr. Lennon using a notary stamp belonging to Ivanne Albarran, a former employee of the School, to "notarize" signatures in Mr. Albarran's name when he was not around. Ms. Brown did not, however, identify any specific documents that she claimed to have seen Mr. Lennon fraudulently notarize in this fashion.5/ Nor, apparently, was she asked whether she was familiar with either Mr. Albarran's or Mr. Lennon's signature or if she could identify anyone's signature on any document. Ms. Radcliff herself compared the signatures on documents purportedly signed by Mr. Albarran during the time when Mr. Albarran was an employee of the School with some of his purported signatures on documents executed after his employment had ended. She concluded that the signatures looked different. Ms. Radcliff is not a forensic document examiner, however, and she has no discernable expertise in handwriting analysis. Based on her layperson's opinion about the signatures, Ms. Radcliff determined that Mr. Albarran had not executed some notarized documents that the School had submitted with its recent application for renewal licensure, even though his stamp, seal, and purported signatures appeared on them. Based on Ms. Brown's claim to have seen Mr. Lennon use Mr. Albarran's notary stamp, Ms. Radcliff concluded that Mr. Lennon had forged these signatures. Ms. Radcliff never asked Mr. Albarran whether he had signed the documents in question, nor did she speak with Mr. Lennon about the matter.

Florida Laws (5) 120.57120.6857.11172.01190.803
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DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES vs WIZ KIDZ LEARNING 2 INC., D/B/A WIZ KIDZ LEARNING 2, 17-005759 (2017)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:Miami, Florida Oct. 17, 2017 Number: 17-005759 Latest Update: Apr. 26, 2018

The Issue The issues in this case are whether Respondent, a child care facility operating under a probation-status license, violated the terms of probation by committing three Class II Violations, as Petitioner alleges, and if so, whether the license should be suspended or revoked; and, alternatively, whether, if Respondent committed the alleged Class II Violations (or any of them), Petitioner should deny Respondent's application for renewal of license.

Findings Of Fact Respondent Wiz Kidz Learning 2, Inc. ("Wiz Kidz"), holds a probation-status Certificate of License, numbered C11MD1914, which authorizes the company to operate a child care facility in Palmetto Bay, Florida, for six months, from September 2, 2017, through March 1, 2018. The licensee does business under the name Wiz Kidz Learning 2. As the operator of a licensed child care facility, Wiz Kidz falls under the regulatory jurisdiction of Petitioner Department of Children and Families ("DCF"). At the time of the final hearing, Wiz Kidz had been a probation-status licensee for more than six months. DCF had converted Wiz Kidz' license to probation status effective June 29, 2017, after finding Wiz Kidz guilty of violating the staff-to-child ratio rules four times in a two-year period, as charged in an Amended Administrative Complaint dated May 25, 2017, which Wiz Kidz had not contested. The conditions of probation were that Wiz Kidz would pay all outstanding fines, not violate the staff-to-child ratio rules again, not commit any other Class I or Class II Violations while on probation, and submit to biweekly inspections. Wiz Kidz' initial probation-status license had been due to expire on September 1, 2017. Shortly before that date, however, Wiz Kidz had submitted a renewal application, which meant that, by operation of law, the probation-status license would not expire until DCF had finally acted upon Wiz Kidz' application for renewal.2/ Instead of simply allowing Wiz Kidz to operate on the "unexpired" license, however, DCF issued a new probationary license to Wiz Kidz effective from September 2, 2017, to March 1, 2018, which essentially renewed the initial probation-status license for another six-month period of probation.3/ On August 17, 2017, DCF employees Claudia Alvarado Campagnola and Quendra Gomez conducted an inspection of the Wiz Kidz facility between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., during which they observed three alleged incidents of noncompliance with "Class II" (mid-level) licensing standards, namely: (1) storing a toxic substance in a place accessible to children; (2) failing to provide adequate direct supervision; and (3) failing to possess a current attendance record during a fire drill. On September 26, 2017, DCF issued to Wiz Kidz a Notice of Intent to Deny Child Care Facility Licensure, which gave notice that DCF planned to deny Wiz Kidz' pending application for renewal of license because, on August 17, 2017, Wiz Kidz had been "cited for 3 class II violations and 7 class III violations in direct violation of [its] probationary license terms." The "toxic substance" seen on August 17, 2017, was an alcoholic beverage. Upon entering the facility, Ms. Gomez noticed two unopened bottles of champagne at the back of a shelf, behind (and partially obscured by) a large plastic toy and other items. There is no photograph of the shelf in evidence, and the descriptive testimony lacked precision; as near as the undersigned can tell, this shelf was several feet long, about one foot deep, and mounted about five feet high on one of the classroom walls. One detail is not disputed: the shelf was above the heads of even the oldest children in care (between the ages of six and seven years). Thus, even if a child could have seen the bottles, he would not have been able to take possession of them without deliberate effort; because the bottles were well out of reach, the child would have needed to stand on a stepladder or its equivalent (e.g., a suitable chair) to get his hands on them. There is no evidence that a stepladder was available. Ms. Gomez testified that a child could have pulled over a chair and climbed on it to reach the champagne bottles. Perhaps so. On the other hand, while the undersigned can reasonably infer that there were chairs in the classroom, he cannot reasonably infer that any of them would have been fit to enable a child to access the bottles. To establish the element of "accessibility" based on the theory that a chair could be used as a stepladder, DCF needed to prove that a suitable chair was actually there for a child present in the classroom to use. This it failed to do. There is no evidence regarding the dimensions of the available chairs, nor any evidence concerning the heights of the children. The witnesses provided only a rough idea of the height of the shelf; their reasonably consistent accounts constitute clear and convincing evidence of the general fact that the shelf was higher than the kids' heads, but not of the actual measurement. Absent proof of these material facts, Ms. Gomez's testimony regarding the way a child could have gotten hold of the champagne bottles is too speculative to support a finding that these items were, in fact, physically accessible to the children. In addition, there is no evidence suggesting that a child could have dragged a chair over to the shelf and clambered up without attracting the attention of an adult. Given that the shelf was located in the classroom, the undersigned infers that no child reasonably could have pulled this off, unless the adult in the room were asleep at the switch. Finally, it is worth mentioning that if a child were able to stand on a chair and grab a champagne bottle without being caught, he still would not have access to the "toxic substance" in the bottle unless he could somehow pour it out. There is no evidence in the record concerning how one opens a champagne bottle, but common experience teaches the undersigned that a young child (the children in care were less than eight years old) likely would have difficulty twisting out the cork. In any event, DCF failed to prove that any of the children at Wiz Kidz reasonably could have popped the cork on the champagne, and therefore it failed to prove that the champagne was accessible to a child. The other two alleged violations occurred during a fire drill, which the inspectors required Wiz Kidz to conduct, in their presence, during the children's nap time. Three children exited the facility in their bare feet. The area where the children were assembled after evacuating the "burning building" was near a dumpster; some litter and tree branches were on the ground. From these facts, which were not seriously disputed, DCF infers that the children were not adequately supervised. The undersigned rejects this inference, which does not reasonably and logically follow from the basic facts. To begin, there is no rule that requires children always to wear shoes. Thus, that some of the children had removed their footwear before taking a nap is of no concern. When the alarm went off, staff evidently did not make these children pause to put their shoes back on, which would have protected their feet——but delayed their exit. To be sure, it is probably a good practice, generally speaking, to prevent young children from going outside barefoot. Clearly, however, it is best not to let them perish in a fire; in an emergency, getting to safety is the highest priority. Because the purpose of a fire drill is to simulate an actual emergency, the fact of the barefoot children prompts undersigned to infer, not that staff failed to provide adequate supervision, but that staff facilitated the speediest escape under the circumstances. During the fire drill, one of the teachers failed to take along a current attendance record when leaving the building, which (unlike the wearing of shoes) is mandated by rule. Ultimate Factual Determinations Wiz Kidz is not guilty of storing a toxic substance in a place accessible to children because the evidence failed to establish an incident of noncompliance with Florida Administrative Code Rule 65C-22.002(1)(f). Wiz Kidz is not guilty of failing to provide adequate direct supervision because the evidence failed to establish an incident of noncompliance with rule 65C-22.001(5)(a). The undersigned determines, based upon clear and convincing evidence, that a staff member failed to possess a current attendance record during a fire drill, which constitutes an incident of noncompliance with licensing standard No. 33-12, which implements rule 65C-22.002(7)(e). This was Wiz Kidz' first occasion of noncompliance with licensing standard No. 33-12.

Recommendation Based on the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is RECOMMENDED that the Department of Children and Families enter a final order finding Wiz Kidz not in violation of the terms of probation. It is further RECOMMENDED that Wiz Kidz' application for renewal of license not be denied based on the commission of a Technical Support Violation. DONE AND ENTERED this 20th day of March, 2018, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. S JOHN G. VAN LANINGHAM Administrative Law Judge Division of Administrative Hearings The DeSoto Building 1230 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3060 (850) 488-9675 SUNCOM 278-9675 Fax Filing (850) 921-6847 www.doah.state.fl.us Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 20th day of March, 2018.

Florida Laws (6) 120.569120.57120.60402.301402.310402.319
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES vs. DONNA J. DOWNING, D/B/A DOWNING HOUSE NO. 1560, 88-005032 (1988)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Number: 88-005032 Latest Update: Mar. 14, 1989

The Issue The issue addressed in this proceeding is whether Respondent's child care facility license should be disciplined for alleged violation of chapter 402, and if so the appropriate penalties. Neither party timely submitted Proposed Recommended Orders.

Findings Of Fact Respondent Donna J. Downing owns and operates a child care facility known as the Downing House, located at 8508 Lorento Street, Panama City, Florida. The child care facility is also her family's residence. She lives with her husband, son, and daughter who help operate the facility and who have been successfully screened by HRS. Ms. Downing was licensed in 1985 and holds a currently valid license. Her license is endorsed to allow her to operate her facility during nighttime hours. In April 1988, HRS became concerned that the operation of the Downing House into the night was proving too much for the husband and wife team, since HRS regulations require an adult to be present and awake during the night. HRS, therefore, inquired of the Downings concerning their proposed arrangements to ensure the presence of an awake adult. In order to continue to operate into the night, Respondent assured HRS that either she or her husband would be awake during the night while children were present on the premises. However, the evidence established that Respondent and her husband did not always live up to Respondent's representation to HRS. A standard mode of operation by Respondent was for both she and her husband to retire in the evening, leaving the front door unlocked so that the children's parents could pick up their children without disturbing the Downings. However, occasionally one of the Downings would stay up with the children. On May 5, 1988 a two year old male child was left at the Downing House by his mother for nighttime caretaking. At approximately 11:00 - 11:15 pm., Mr. and Ms. Downing had gone to bed. There were three children present at the Downing House when the Downings retired, including the two year old male child. The three children were asleep when Ms. Downing left them in the living room. No other adults were present. Ms. Downing had made arrangements for her adult son to look after the children when he got home from work. He was expected home at about 11:30 p.m. The son arrived home at approximately 11:40 p.m. When he arrived there were two children present. No method had been established by Respondent to advise her son of the number of children who should be present when he arrived home. He therefore did not realize that one child was missing. The son laid down on the couch in the living room and went to sleep. Sometime between the Downings going to bed and the arrival of their son, the two year old male child awakened, opened the front door and left the house. The child then unlatched the front yard gate and headed down Lorento Street towards its intersection with Laurie Lane. He then proceeded down Laurie Lane. At approximately 11:15 p.m., Denise Albert was driving down Laurie Lane. About two tenths of a mile from the Downing House, at 2414 Laurie Lane, Ms. Albert saw the missing child walking down the unlit and unpaved road. He was barefoot and in his pajamas. Ms. Albert stopped and questioned the child for 15 or 20 minutes. She could not obtain any information. She therefore called the Sheriff's office. Officer Troy Johns was dispatched at 11:30 p.m. The officer picked the child up from Ms. Albert and drove him around the neighborhood, including Lorento Avenue. The child could not or would not identify where he had come from and would not give his name. The child was more interested in the officer's gun and vehicle than in his surroundings. The officer took the child to the Sheriff's station and called HRS. Debra Young an HRS protective services investigator took the call and picked the child up from the Sheriff's office. She also could not establish the child's identity or address. She placed the child in a foster home. At 4:11 a.m. the Sheriff's office received a phone call in reference to a missing male child from the Downing House. The missing child was the child the Sheriff's office had turned over to Ms. Young. The Sheriff's office contacted Ms. Young. Mother and child were reunited the next morning. The call to the Sheriff's office from the Downing House had been prompted when the child could not be found after a search. The search ensued when, at approximately 3:00 a.m., the mother arrived to pick up her son. She discovered his absence and woke Respondent's son who in turn woke Mr. and Ms. Downing. One child remained. A second child had been picked up at approximately 2:30 a.m. by that child's mother. The son did not awaken and was not aware that the second child had been taken from the room in which he was asleep. The Downings searched the neighborhood for the missing child, including checking the Lagoon which is within a few blocks of the Downing House. The call to the Sheriff's office located the child. From 1985 until May 1988, Respondent was cited for the following violations of chapter 402, F.S. and the rules related thereto: September 3, 1985 Two gates in the play yard were left unlocked making it possible for children to have access to the road, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(4)(b), Florida Administrative Code, in that this was an obvious hazard. Medicine was left on the kitchen cabinet within the children's reach, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(1) and (d), Florida Administrative Code. April 22, 1986 Cleaners were on the washer and dryer within the children's reach and Lysol and Windex were on the kitchen cabinet with food within the children's reach, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(1)(b) and (d), Florida Administrative Code. No fire drills, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(8)(a), Florida Administrative Code. October 1, 1987 Clorox, detergent, charcoal, briquettes, pliers, plastic bags, cigarette and cough drops were out at several locations throughout the facility and within the children's reach, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(1)(b) and (d), Florida Administrative Code. An iron was left with the cord hanging over the table within the children's reach making it possible for the iron to be reached and pulled down on top of a child, in violation of Rule 10M- 12.003(1)(a), Florida Administrative Code. March 23, 1988 A medicine bottle containing medicine and tanning accelerator within the children's reach were located inside the facility and rose dust, Progreen, Spectracide ant killer and touch up paint were at several locations on the porch at the main entrance within the children's reach, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(1)(b) and (d), Florida Administrative Code. Suntan lotion and tanning accelerator and three sand filled milk cartons, all located on the patio at the back of the house leading to the play yard and all within the children's reach, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003 (1)(b) and (d), Florida Administrative Code. The gate to the play yard was unlocked allowing children access outside the play area, in violation of Rule 10M- 12.003(4)(b), Florida Administrative Code. The store room containing a lawn mower and other tools and hazardous materials was left unlocked, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(4)(b) , Florida Administrative Code in that it was an obvious hazard, with the children having access to said store room. A throw rug was on the steps leading to the patio and was not secure making an obvious hazard, in violation of Rule 10M-12.003(4)(b), Florida Administrative Code. To Respondent's credit, all of the above violations were corrected within the time frames established by HRS. No fines were ever levied on the Respondent for the above violations. Also, to Respondents credit, the evidence disclosed that Respondent is generally a good caretaker of children.

Recommendation Based on the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is RECOMMENDED: That the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services revoke the nighttime operation endorsement on Respondent's license and impose an administrative fine of $1000. DONE and ENTERED this 14th day of March 1989, in Tallahassee, Lean County, Florida. DIANE CLEAVINGER Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings The DeSoto Building 1230 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1550 (904) 488-9675 Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 14th day of March, 1989. COPIES FURNISHED: John L. Pearce, Esquire 2639 North Monroe Street Suite 200-A Tallahassee, Florida 32302 Donna J. Downing 8508 Lorento Street Panama City, Florida 32407 R. S. Power, Clerk Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700 Gregory L. Coler, Secretary Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700

Florida Laws (7) 120.57402.301402.305402.3055402.308402.310402.319
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DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES vs READ2SUCCEED, INC., 18-000243 (2018)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:Miami, Florida Jan. 12, 2018 Number: 18-000243 Latest Update: Mar. 28, 2018
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HENRY C. CORNELIUS | H. C. C. vs DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, 99-001520 (1999)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:West Palm Beach, Florida Apr. 01, 1999 Number: 99-001520 Latest Update: Feb. 07, 2000

The Issue At issue in this proceeding is whether Petitioner's request for exemption from employment disqualification should be approved.

Findings Of Fact In or about December 1998, the Department of Children and Family Services (Department) initiated an employment screening pursuant to Chapter 435, Florida Statutes, incident to Petitioner's application for employment at a child day care center in Delray Beach, Florida. That screening revealed that on September 28, 1998, Petitioner was arrested for exposure of sexual organs, a violation of Section 800.03, Florida Statutes, and unnatural and lascivious acts, a violation of Section 800.02, Florida Statutes. The screening further revealed that on October 20, 1998, Respondent entered a plea of guilty to the charges; adjudication was withheld; and Respondent was placed on probation for a term of 6 months. Given the screening results, the Department notified Respondent by letter of December 14, 1998, that he was ineligible for continued employment in a position of special trust (working with children or the developmentally disabled), and accorded him an opportunity to request an exemption under the provisions of Section 435.07, Florida Statutes. Petitioner requested such an exemption, and the Department duly-convened a hearing to consider Petitioner's request. Subsequently, the Department advised Petitioner by letter of January 29, 1999, that his request for exemption was denied, and these proceedings ensued at Petitioner's request to challenge the Department's decision. As observed in the preliminary statement, neither Petitioner nor anyone on his behalf appeared at hearing, and no proof was offered to support his claim for exemption. Such failing is dispositive of the case.

Recommendation Based on the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is RECOMMENDED that a final order be entered denying Petitioner's request for exemption from employment disqualification. DONE AND ENTERED this 30th day of July, 1999, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. WILLIAM J. KENDRICK Administrative Law Judge Division of Administrative Hearings The DeSoto Building 1230 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3060 (850) 488-9675 SUNCOM 278-9675 Fax Filing (850) 921-6847 www.doah.state.fl.us Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 30th day of July, 1999. COPIES FURNISHED: Henry C. Cornelius 2315 Southwest 22nd Avenue Boynton Beach, Florida 33445 Colleen Farnsworth, Esquire Department of Children and Family Services 111 South Sapodilla Avenue, Suite 201 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 Gregory D. Venz, Agency Clerk Department of Children and Family Services Building 2, Room 204 1317 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700 John S. Slye, General Counsel Department of Children and Family Services Building 2, Room 204 1317 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700

Florida Laws (5) 120.569120.57435.07800.02800.03
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