Anonymous v. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary, United States Department of State

499 F.2d 1097, 163 U.S. App. D.C. 92, 1974 U.S. App. LEXIS 7794
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedJuly 5, 1974
Docket73-1141
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 499 F.2d 1097 (Anonymous v. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary, United States Department of State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anonymous v. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary, United States Department of State, 499 F.2d 1097, 163 U.S. App. D.C. 92, 1974 U.S. App. LEXIS 7794 (D.C. Cir. 1974).

Opinions

FAHY, Senior Circuit Judge:

This appeal is from a judgment of the District Court in a proceeding in which appellant unsuccessfully challenged the lawfulness of his dismissal as a temporary employee in a sensitive position in the Peace Corps, an agency in the Department of State.1

Appellant moved for summary judgment, accompanying his motion with an affidavit of his own and another of his counsel.2 Appellees answered appellant’s Amended and Supplemental Complaint (the complaint) and also moved for summary judgment and to strike the affidavits.3 The motions of appellees were granted by the order on appeal.

I.

The following facts appear to the court to have been undisputed when the motions for summary judgment were decided. Appellant’s appointment in November, 1968, was designated as an “Emergency Appointment to Sensitive Position Pending Completion of Full Field Investigation.” 4 His performance on the job was entirely satisfactory and his loyalty was not questioned. As part of a routine security investigation he had filled out Standard Form 86 when he had applied for employment. Question No. 19 on this form read:

Have you ever had a nervous breakdown or have you ever had medical treatment for a mental condition?

He answered, “No.” Although he had never had a serious mental illness or nervous breakdown, he told those conducting the investigation that he had on two occasions consulted psychiatrists briefly with minor complaints related to anxiety.5 On February 5, 1969, the security investigators subjected him to a humiliating and degrading interrogation dealing principally with his sex life. During this interrogation the investigators seemed to imply that appellant was maladjusted sexually based on his admission to them that he had two isolated homosexual experiences in early adolescence and that he and his wife had lived [1099]*1099together from time to time before they were married.

About a month later the agency directed him to report to Dr. Francis Barnes, a private physician and the Peace Corps’ Senior Consultant in Psychiatry. Upon advice of counsel he refused to do so. He also rescinded a release he had previously signed during the interrogation agreeing to make available to the agency confidential medical information. He offered through counsel to have the doctors he had consulted submit written reports about him for the Government psychiatrist to review. The agency rejected this offer, as well as a subsequent offer by appellant to meet with the Government psychiatrist, accompanied by his counsel and his own psychiatrist. The agency, however, insisted upon an examination by a psychiatrist selected or employed by the Government and upon access to all appellant’s medical records in the possession of his psychiatrists. Appellant, deeming this an unwarranted invasion of his privacy, refused. During this period his attorney at the time stated in a letter of March 21, 1969, to the General Counsel of the agency, that an attorney in the office of the General Counsel said to appellant’s attorney that the agency was considering dismissing appellant because of “alleged homosexuality — or, in the alternative, his private sexual relations with his financee.” 6

During this month of March, 1969, appellant was advised by the agency that he would be dismissed if he did not release his medical records and submit to questioning by a Government psychiatrist. Thereupon, on March 26, 1969, appellant filed his original Complaint in the District Court seeking to enjoin such action and for related relief. No injunctive relief preventing, the agency notified appellant he was to be dismissed as of April 15, 1969, because of his “refusal to cooperate” in the Peace Corps’ efforts to resolve its doubts regarding his suitability for continued employment. See letter from Ruth L. Olson, Director of Personnel, to appellant.7

[1100]*1100II

The ruling of the District Court as to the reasonableness of appellant's dismissal assumes that his refusal to cooperate as requested was the actual reason for his dismissal. In so deciding the District Court disregarded the stricken affidavits of appellant and his former counsel, deeming the court to be bound by the administrative record as presented by the agency.8 Nevertheless, we think the record before the District Court on the motions for summary judgment justified the assumption we attribute to the District Court.

The complaint alleges that the letter from the Director of Personnel to appellant, note 7, supra, “falsely states that Plaintiff was discharged because of his ‘refusal to cooperate’ ” in the security investigation and that appellees had no just and proper cause to discharge him, the reason given being a subterfuge. The complaint did not assert any other basis for the dismissal. Appellant’s only allegations were to the effect that the facts demonstrated that he did cooperate to the extent that could be required consistently with his right of privacy. Moreover, in his affidavit accompanying his motion for summary judgment appellant alleges only that it was unfair and untrue to characterize him as uncooperative.9

When his complaint was prepared and filed the record which had been presented to the District Court by the agency10 contained the letter of appellant’s former counsel of March 21, 1969, to the General Counsel of the Peace Corps, asserting that “Mr. Grove,” who was in the office of the General Counsel, “stated unequivocally that the reason for [appellant’s] pending discharge was alleged homosexuality — or, in the alternative, his private sexual relations with his financee.” The record also contained the General Counsel’s response of March 25, 1969, stating, “First, Mr. Grove has assured me that at no time did he state to you ‘unequivocally that the reason for [appellant's] pending discharge was alleged homosexuality — or in the alternative, his private sexual relations with his fiancee.’ . . . Although Mr. Grove may have indicated that a question had been raised as to [appellant’s] sexual behavior, he did not state that that behavior would form the basis for any administrative action concerning [appellant].” The letter also stated:

I would like once again to make the point that I made when we met on March 20 and at the beginning of this letter. The Peace Corps has no wish to discharge [appellant]. On the contrary, we have every hope that, with his assistance, the question which has arisen concerning his suitability can be resolved satisfactorily and his employment can be continued. It was because of our desire to be fair to [1101]*1101[appellant] and, if possible, to retain his services, that an explanation of our concern was offered rather than merely terminating his appointment without explanation.

With the foregoing correspondence a part of the record, the complaint nevertheless proceeded solely upon the theory that appellant’s dismissal for “refus[ing] to cooperate” lacked support. The stricken affidavit of appellant’s former counsel, though under oath of course, adds nothing to the relevant factual situation which was in the record before the court. It merely repeats what is reflected in the correspondence above outlined.11

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
499 F.2d 1097, 163 U.S. App. D.C. 92, 1974 U.S. App. LEXIS 7794, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anonymous-v-henry-a-kissinger-secretary-united-states-department-of-cadc-1974.