NORTH LIBERTY — An information desk supervisor at the University of Iowa’s new North Liberty hospital was fired after getting into an altercation with a DoorDash delivery driver in August, according to an administrative law judge’s recent decision to deny him unemployment benefits.
The incident occurred Aug. 7 “in the presence of patients and visitors,” according to the judge’s order.
John Powers was manning the North Liberty hospital information desk that day when a DoorDash driver came in to deliver a “bag of medication.” The report doesn’t clarify what type of medicine or who the DoorDash delivery driver was bringing it to, but Powers told him the delivery was “inappropriate.”
When the delivery person left it anyway and turned to leave, Powers grabbed the bag and followed him toward the exit, according to the report.
“At the entrance, Mr. Powers escalated the interaction by aggressively pushing the bag of medication into the delivery person’s chest,” the judge reported. “Mr. Powers then turned to walk away. The delivery person threw the bag of medication in Mr. Powers’ direction and walked away.”
Powers then brought the medication with him back into the facility.
“The interaction occurred at the employer’s main entrance in the presence of several bystanders.”
Later, the delivery person determined he had delivered the medicine by mistake and returned to pick it up and deliver the food he was supposed to deliver, according to the report.
“The delivery person asserted Mr. Powers had assaulted him and created a disruption in the presence of patients and visitors before exiting the facility.”
In investigating the accusation, UIHC officials looked at video surveillance and interviewed witnesses and Powers. While Powers described his behavior as “gently pushing the medication toward the delivery person,” investigators called that a “mischaracterization” of “physically aggressive conduct,” and they determined his actions violated UIHC standards of conduct.
In firing him Aug. 12, the university considered Powers’ supervisory position — with 12 direct reports — and his “duty to model behavior.”
Powers filed for unemployment benefits and started getting $624 a week on Aug. 23.
Through a fact-finding process, Iowa Workforce Development determined that while Powers had a legitimate concern over medicine being delivered via a DoorDash driver to the hospital, he “elected to act on his concern in an inappropriate and aggressive manner.”
“The delivery person did not do anything to escalate the incident to a hostile physical interaction,” according to the judge. “Mr. Powers did not gently push the medication toward the delivery driver. Rather, Mr. Power aggressively pushed the medication into the delivery driver’s chest.”
In his defense, Powers said he didn’t receive proper onboarding — but the judge found that argument “rings hollow.”
“Mr. Powers was a veteran hospital employee, was a supervisor, and was well aware that his conduct was inappropriate,” according to the judge. “Given the aggressive physical nature of the conduct and the environment, the conduct indicated an intentional and substantial disregard of the employer’s interests.”
By disqualifying him from unemployment benefits, the judge also ordered him to pay back the money he already received — amounting to $3,120 to date.
UIHC “shall be relieved of charges, including charges for benefits already paid.”