Rau v. New Hampshire Division of Welfare

The issue in this case is whether the superior court has jurisdiction to hear and consider a petition to enjoin the division of welfare and its director from temporarily reassigning sixty-two social workers to nonsocial work duties. We hold that it does.

At the hearing on preliminary relief, the Superior Court (King, J.), not being satisfied it had jurisdiction to hear the cause, transferred the question of jurisdiction without ruling.

The basic facts are these. By a memorandum issued January 29,1975, effective February 4, 1975, defendant Thomas L. Hooker, director of the division of welfare,…