A Madison, WI Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) was relieved of his duties at the Madison hearings office after it was revealed that some of his hearing notes reference racial and sexual overtones describing claimants.
According to the story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Judge John H. Pleuss has been removed from the list of judges at the Madison Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) and all of the 60 cases assigned to him through the end of the year.
The story indicates that Pleuss referred to one claimant as “very black, African looking woman,” another as “buxom,” and also said one claimant was “attractive; looks innocent.”
The story goes deeper than just controversial notes Pleuss made in relation to some claimants before him as two other high-ranking employees at the Madison hearing’s office were removed from their duties after a Social Security employee faced alleged retaliation for addressing concerns about Pluess and other issues at the hearing office.
Neither of the two employees who were removed from the Madison hearings office nor Pluess have been terminated, but it remains a mystery as to what their official duties are right now. The story points out that Pluess earned more than $167,000 as an ALJ last year. According to his caseload as an ALJ, Pleuss approved 39 percent of cases before him compared to denying 32 percent of cases. Another 28 percent of cases were dismissed by the judge.
After Pleuss’ removal from the hearing calendar, the Madison ODAR now has just five ALJs hearing cases. Currently it is taking at least 16 months for a disability claimant to receive a hearing from the date of request and the wait time should only increase significantly considering Pluess’ removal results in a close to 17 percent reduction in ALJs at the Madison hearing’s office.
