Alachua County School Board v. OFFICE OF the STATE, Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Financial Services, Division of Worker's Compensation

The Alachua County School Board (School Board) challenges a final order of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) imposing a $200 workers’ compensation-related administrative penalty. The School Board argues, among other things, that DFS lacked jurisdiction to impose the penalty without first referring its case to a judge of compensation claims (JCC) pursuant to section 440.021 of the Florida Statutes. We disagree and affirm the final order.

I

The parties stipulated to the facts in the administrative proceeding below. In short, DFS audited the School Board’s workers’ compensation…