In Castro v. Dep't of Social Servs. , the Department of Social Services (DSS) ended Marie Castro's public-assistance payments after she failed to attend a mandatory appointment.
When the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance upheld the determination, a special proceeding -- pursuant to CPR Article 78 -- ensued and the New York County Supreme Court transferred the matter to the Appellate Division, First Department.
The AD1 felt Castro didn't offer a good reason for missing her appointment. While she claimed her nonappearance was due to a conflict with an internship she had started, DSS neither approved the assignment nor received notice of a purported scheduling conflict.
Note the AD didn't pass up an opportunity to make a point there.
To download a copy of the Appellate Division's decision, please use this link: Castro v. Dep't of Social Servs.