Beasley v. United States

21 Cl. Ct. 236, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 327, 1990 WL 115558
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedAugust 9, 1990
DocketNo. 611-89 C
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 21 Cl. Ct. 236 (Beasley v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beasley v. United States, 21 Cl. Ct. 236, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 327, 1990 WL 115558 (cc 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

RADER, Judge.

Plaintiff, Michael Beasley, was an active duty dentist in the United States Air Force (USAF). USAF discharged him in March 1988 Under Other Than Honorable Conditions after a Board of Inquiry convened to investigate recurring misconduct, which involved acts of sexual perversion.

In 1988, plaintiff petitioned the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR or Board) for reinstatement with full back pay and allowances. On October 11,1989, the BCMR denied Major Beasley’s petition. The BCMR found no errors in the discharge proceeding.

Plaintiff now challenges the BCMR’s conclusion. Specifically, he alleges that the Board violated Air Force Regulations (AFR) 36-2 and 11-31. Defendant moves for summary judgment and plaintiff cross-moves for partial summary judgment. After oral argument, this court finds that the BCMR decision was based on substantial evidence.

FACTS

On November 4, 1985, USAF convened a General Court Martial against Major Michael Beasley, who. faced seven counts of sexual perversion. Plaintiff was found not guilty of six separate sexual perversion charges. However, he was found guilty of “[c]ommit[ting] indecent assaults upon ... a person not his wife____on the pretext of giving her a gynecological examination____” Administrative Record, Defendant’s Brief, No. 611-89 C, filed Feb. 9, 1989, Appendix (App.) B, at 7.

On July 10, 1986, after plaintiff spent approximately 200 days in jail, the Air Force Court of Military Review set aside the guilty verdict. App. B, at 7. On September 15, 1986, the Commander of the Lowry Air Force Base Technical Training Center (LTTC) recommended administrative discharge of plaintiff under AFR 36-2 for misconduct and moral and professional dereliction. The discharge recommendation listed ten' incidents of alleged misconduct. His earlier court-marital had acquitted plaintiff of four of the ten incidents. Plaintiff’s Complaint (Complaint), filed November 9, 1989, ¶ 7.

On September 15, 1986, the LTTC Staff Judge Advocate also recommended discharge. On May 19, 1987, the Headquarters Air Training Command Chief of Military Affairs reviewed plaintiff’s case and also found sufficient grounds to proceed with the discharge hearings.

From November 9-12, 1987, a Board of Inquiry convened at Lowry AFB to consider these recommendations. Plaintiff objected to the admission of allegations which the USAF unsuccessfully adjudicated at his prior court martial. Specifically, Major Beasley claimed that relitigating these allegations violated AFR 36-2, ¶ 3-3, which states:

Action under this regulation should not be used as an expedient to separate the officer when charges against the officer have been effected to the satisfaction of a competent court. For example, when an officer has been acquitted by a civil[239]*239ian or military court, the case should not, as a rule, be processed under this regulation for the same offenses. However, if there is substantive information not available, at the time of trial, or when the court action was terminated for a reason not going to the guilt or innocence of the respondent, action under this regulation may be initiated.

AFR 36-2, ¶ 3-3.

The Board rejected plaintiffs contention. The Board instead concluded that evidence about these incidents was “not available at the time of trial.” The Board therefore admitted the evidence because it fell within the exception in AFR 36-2. Specifically, the Board admitted as previously unavailable a confession of Major Beasley,1 and evidence of misconduct involving a newly discovered witness, Mrs. C.M.B.2

From November 9-12,1987, the Board of Inquiry found that Major Beasley committed serious or recurring misconduct, including sexual perversion. The Board recommended an Under Other Than Honorable Conditions Discharge. The Board specifically found:

1. He did, on or about February 24, 1984, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, commit an indecent assault upon Mrs. [C.M.B.] by performing an unnecessary gynecological examination on her without a chaperon present.
2. He did not on or about February 25, 1984 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, commit an indecent assault upon SSgt [L’O.]....
3. He did not on divers occasions between on or about March 24,1984 and on or about April 15, 1984 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, commit indecent assaults upon Mrs. [M.]____
4. He did sometime during May to July of 1984 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, commit an indecent assault upon Sgt [B.] during an unchaperoned occasion by sedating or anesthetizing her unnecessarily without proper authorization or professional supervision, and taking unauthorized and unnecessary photographs of her pubic area.
5. He did on or about November 5, 1984 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, commit an indecent assault upon Ms. [K.] on an unchaperoned occasion by sedating or anesthetizing her unnecessarily and without proper authorization or professional supervision disrobing her and taking photographs of her breasts and pubic areas.
6. He did on or about December 1984 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, attempt to take indecent liberties with Ms. [C.] by taking Ms. [C.] from her hospital room to the oral surgery area and without a chaperon present attempt to sedate or anesthetize her unnecessarily in order to take photographs of her breasts and pubic area.
7. He did between November 1984 and December 1984 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, commit an indecent assault upon an unidentified female inpatient from Austin, Texas, by sedating or anesthetizing her unnecessarily and without proper authorization or professional supervision, disrobing her and taking unauthorized photographs of her breasts and pubic area.
8. He did on or about May 9, 1985, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, willfully damage military property of the United States by throwing an oak table into a wall.
9. He did on or about January 23, 1985 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, attempt to wrongfully use government property or resources for his personal use by submitting a request to the Wilford Hall Medical Center medical photography section to have the medical photography section develop film which contained nude pictures of females.
[240]*24010. He did between on or about March 1985 and on or about April 1985 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, wrongfully utter death threats against Colonel Sanders and the senior oral surgery residents then assigned to Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

App. A, at 331-33; App. B, at 8-9.

On March 9, 1988, the Secretary of the Air Force reviewed the Inquiry Board’s action and ordered plaintiff’s discharge Under Other Than Honorable Conditions, effective March 23, 1988. On October 11, 1989, BCMR denied plaintiff’s petition for reinstatement. BCMR concluded that “the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice.” The Board also found no errors in the discharge proceeding.

Plaintiff challenges USAF action on three grounds.

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Bluebook (online)
21 Cl. Ct. 236, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 327, 1990 WL 115558, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beasley-v-united-states-cc-1990.