UNM Police detectives are investigating an alleged incident of forgery that may have been committed by an Athletics Department employee.
According to a UNM police report, filed by Sylvia Lopez, personnel coordinator for the Athletics Department, an employee allegedly forged a physician's signature to use as a documented excuse from attending work, while at the same time receiving sick leave benefit pay worth more than $2,500.
Forgery is considered a felony offense.
Bill Richards, associate athletic director for finance, said his department is not conducting its own investigation of the alleged forgery.
"The police are the ones who really need to do the investigation of that (forgery)," Richards said.
According to the report, the suspect is an administrative assistant in the Athletics Department.
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According to a statement given to police by Lopez, the employee ran out of sick leave time but received donations of sick-leave time from department coworkers.
The report further states that the employee was paid more than $2,500 for time donated, due to the alleged illness. The report does not specify how much of that amount came from the sick leave time donated by the employee's coworkers.
According to a statement given by Lopez, she contacted the employee's physician and learned that the doctor did not sign the order and that he had not examined the employee as a patient in "some time."
The allegedly forged work excuses were given to department administrators between Nov. 25, 2002, and Feb. 10.
Richards said that his office has not yet been contacted by UNM police detectives regarding the investigation of the incident. He added that it is not up to the Athletics Department to discipline any employees who may have violated department policies --human resources determine if there is any need for administrative action.
Richards said that because of any possible legal ramifications, he could not discuss the report in detail.
The police report was filed Feb. 10 and names the employee as the only suspect in the alleged incident.
Phone calls made by the Daily Lobo to the employee's office were not immediately returned Monday.
According to the UNM Human Resources Department, the employee was hired April 16, 2001, and makes an hourly pay rate of $11.54.
According to the UNM business policies and procedures manual, section 34-10, paid sick leave is a benefit provided by the University to allow staff employees continuedJ pay during an illness or disability. The manual states that employees who are sick for more than two consecutive days may be required to obtain a physician's statement certifying that they were under doctor's orders not to work.
Neither the UNM Human Resources Department nor Richards could comment on the number of sick days the employee claimed since November.
The business manual also states that the University has a right to require documentation of an employee's illness at any time and that employees who abuse the system can be refused sick pay.
