The state’s highest court has ruled in favor of a veteran corrections officer, who appealed her firing after pointing out a lack of staffing inside the men's prison in Concord, and ordered the matter sent back to the state Personnel Appeals Board for additional review.

Cass, who worked as a prison guard for 17 years, appealed her firing and the related Personnel Appeals Board ruling that backed the Department of Corrections (DOC) decision to terminate her employment, claiming she was fired for not following a hypothetical order after expressing concerns over staffing levels inside the prison.

According to court documents, Cass was hired by DOC as a corrections officer in 2006.

From Dec. 16 to Dec. 17, 2022, Cass was working a shift at the prison, and believed staffing levels were at a “

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