Civil Service Commission cuts El Paso Zoo zookeeper Samantha Sapien’s suspension to one day after debate over written procedures

The El Paso City Civil Service Commission voted 3–1 on June 19, 2026, to reduce a three-day suspension for zookeeper Samantha Sapien to a single day, following a contested hearing and debate over whether the zoo had written standard operating procedures.

The commission considered a hearing officer’s recommendation to sustain a three-day suspension under the Civil Service Commission rules (ordinance 80-65, rule 8). The hearing officer summarized the record and recommended sustaining the suspension based on testimony that a run partner left tools accessible to animals and that Sapien had prior disciplinary incidents.

Sapien’s attorney, Shane Edmonson, urged the commissioners to reduce the sanction, saying the record did not include a written standard operating procedure. "There was no SOP," Edmonson told the commission, arguing that discipline at the zoo had been applied inconsistently and that his client had already received accommodations related to a service dog and a modified schedule.

Assistant City Attorney Matt Marcus told commissioners the city had produced extensive discovery and testimony, including witnesses and documentation about accommodations. "We provided that, and we provided everything, all the steps that we do, the interactive process that our HR team does," Marcus said, noting the hearing lasted several hours and that the presumptive penalty in the discipline matrix was the three-day suspension given Sapien’s prior record.

Commissioners questioned whether SOPs and training records should be written and whether informal, on-the-job training was adequate for a position that involves direct risk to staff and animals. Several commissioners said the absence of written procedures increased the risk of inconsistent outcomes. Commissioner Woodrow Baer moved to reduce the suspension to one day; the substitute motion was seconded by Commissioner Abdel Garcia and passed by roll call, three votes in favor and one opposed.

The commission’s action replaces the three-day suspension with a one-day suspension; commissioners asked staff to review whether the zoo needs more formal written procedures given the job’s safety-sensitive nature. The commission adjourned after completing the item.

The ruling is administrative: the commission reduced the discipline imposed by the department after considering the hearing record and arguments from both sides. No further appeal was recorded during the meeting.