A longstanding employee of a municipal service board has been reinstated after being wrongfully terminated on allegations of fraud and negligence. On December 6, 2024, the Civil Service Commission for the City of New Orleans ruled in favor of Catina Braxton-Robertson, overturning her dismissal by the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (S&WB). The ruling followed an appeal by Braxton-Robertson challenging her suspension and subsequent termination from her role as a Water Inspector II.
Catina Braxton-Robertson, an eighteen-year veteran with S&WB, was suspended on July 10, 2023, due to accusations involving worker’s compensation fraud related to injuries sustained in 2012 and 2022. The S&WB claimed she failed to report involvement in business enterprises while receiving benefits. Additional charges included willful negligence causing property damage during a water service activation on June 6, 2023, and document fraud. Following an internal investigation, these allegations led to her termination on July 24, 2023. However, Braxton-Robertson contested these claims before the City Civil Service Commission.
The appeal revealed significant discrepancies in the evidence presented by S&WB. For instance, Mrs. Braxton-Robertson's worker’s compensation forms displayed inconsistent dates which undermined their credibility. She testified that she had consistently reported her involvement in family businesses over many years without issue. Furthermore, testimonies from other employees corroborated her claim that obtaining signatures from non-homeowners during water activations was standard practice within their department—a policy allegedly violated according to S&WB but unsupported by documented regulations.
The Commission concluded that S&WB did not provide sufficient evidence to substantiate any claims against Mrs. Braxton-Robertson regarding both the alleged fraud and negligence incidents. It found no legal cause for her termination since it did not impair public service efficiency or violate specific policies as purported by S&WB.
Braxton-Robertson sought reinstatement along with back pay and restoration of all employment benefits lost due to wrongful termination—relief granted upon the Commission's decision affirming her appeal.
Representing Mrs. Braxton-Robertson was attorney Jack Bohannon from Southeast Louisiana Legal Services; counsel for S&WB included Chanelle L. Collins and Darryl Harrison. The case was presided over by Judges Paula A. Brown, Tiffany Gautier Chase, and Nakisha Ervin-Knott under Case ID NO. 2024-CA-0373.