Ring v. Employment Department

Claimant seeks judicial review of an Employment Appeals Board (board) decision denying his claim for unemployment insurance benefits. The board, unlike both the Employment Department (department) and an administrative law judge (AL J), concluded that, when claimant kicked a coworker, he engaged in misconduct that was not an isolated instance of poor judgment. We affirm.

A person who loses his or her job due to misconduct is not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. ORS 657.176(2)(a). The department, as the agency responsible for administering the unemployment compensation statutes, has…