Claire Cole was an employee of the City of Salem, Massachusetts for many years. He began working for the Salem Public Works Department in 1975, with responsibilities for answering phones, filing documents, writing, photocopying and assisting with payroll duties. Claire Cole also became a member of the Contributory Retirement System in 1976. Claire Cole worked for the city of Salem for 25 years before receiving news that would change her life forever. The Contributory Retirement Appeal Board appealed on Cole's behalf, saying the incident occurred because of the stress caused by his layoff. The Retirement Board attempted to counter-attack, saying the contributions should not be received because the accident did not occur while Cole was at work. The ruling is later overturned and Claire Cole is entitled to compensation benefits. Unfortunately, Claire Cole had passed away by the time the final sentence was announced. Although Cole was deceased, the benefits were awarded to her estate. The Salem Retirement Board is made up of five to nine elected officials who participate in a private party. Salem's Retirement Board was responsible for determining the benefits the employee could receive upon retirement. They are required to establish ways to compensate retirees who were on the board. The Contributory Retirement Appeals Board utilized the Administrative Law Division of Appeals to ensure that due process was used for all administrative agencies in the state of Massachusetts. The Division of Appellate Administrative Law, also known as DALA, reviewed Claire Cole's case to determine whether she was eligible to receive these benefits. Claire Cole, a Salem city employee of 25 years, suffered a permanently disabling heart attack within an hour of