Harris v. Nixon

325 F. Supp. 28, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14340
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedMarch 4, 1971
DocketCiv. A. No. C-2028
StatusPublished

This text of 325 F. Supp. 28 (Harris v. Nixon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harris v. Nixon, 325 F. Supp. 28, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14340 (D. Colo. 1971).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

WILLIAM E. DOYLE, District Judge.

This is an action seeking judicial review of administrative action pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 701 et seq., and also an original proceeding pursuant to 5 U.S.C. §§ 7151, 7154, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and 28 U.S.C. § 1343(4), seeking redress for infringement of plaintiff’s constitutional rights to be free from religious discrimination. Essentially plaintiff claims (1) that his resignation as a probationary employee of the United States was brought about by coercion, intimidation, or deception rendering that resignation involuntary; (2) that the administrative proceedings sought to be reviewed were not conducted in substantial compliance with the applicable statutes and regulations, were arbitrary and capricious, and thus denied him due process of law; and (3) that the proposed termination of his employment which led up to his resignation was based on an evaluation of his work performance which was unfair and constituted discrimination because of religion.

I

The underlying facts of this dispute are as follows: Plaintiff was appointed to the position of Supervisory Chemist, GS-11, Veterans’ Administration Hospital, East Orange, New Jersey, on January 3, 1967. After three months of employment, plaintiff’s performance was evaluated as “satisfactory.” There is no objective evidence in the record of any friction between plaintiff and Dr. Miriam H. Field (Chief of Laboratory Services to which plaintiff was assigned) prior to October 1967.1 In the early part of October Dr. Harris confidentially requested information from a personnel officer as to transfer procedures. Then, by letter dated October 27, 1967, plaintiff’s mother, Mrs. Helen M. Harris, addressed several very strong complaints to Dr. Field concerning plaintiff's work situation.2

[30]*30On October 31, 1967, Dr. Field signed a request for two hours of Compensatory Overtime on behalf of Dr. Harris (plaintiff) which request included the following comment:

Due to the shortage of personnel because of long-term illnesses, and the loss of a temporary employee, Dr. Harris has spent many hours overtime to keep the laboratory operating-efficiently.

Then, on November 2, 1967, Dr. Field informed plaintiff orally that his work performance as a probationary employee to date had not been satisfactory. This adverse evaluation (including several specific points) was confirmed in writing by a memorandum dated November 3, 1967 (apparently received by Dr. Harris on November 6). Dr. Harris responded to this evaluation by his memorandum dated November 12, 1967, in which he described Dr. Field’s evaluation as both unfair and incorrect and disputed certain specific issues regarding his work performance. Dr. Harris also inquired at this time as to what rights he had to appeal this adverse evaluation.

On Friday, December 1, 1967, plaintiff was informed by Dr. Field that she intended to recommend that he be separated from his position during his probationary period. At about 4:15 p. m. that same day, plaintiff contacted the Personnel Office of the hospital and was interviewed by Charles C. Walter, Personnel Officer; Mr. Richard McKinley, Personnel Management Specialist, who serves as personnel specialist to Laboratory Service; and Miss Eleanor E. Feldmann, Assistant Personnel Officer of the hospital. According to the affidavits of Mr. Walter and Miss Feldmann (Mr. McKinley had to leave the conference early) Dr. Harris desired to know his rights as an employee of the hospital and his rights as a citizen of the United States. Mr. Walter stated that he was not an attorney and could not therefore advise Dr. Harris of his rights as a citizen, but that as Personnel Officer he was in a position to advise Dr. Harris of his rights as an employee of the Veterans Administration. Several extracts from the Federal Personnel and Veterans Administration Manuals were then read, explained and discussed with Dr. Harris. Among these was an extract from VA Manual: MP-1, Part I, Chapter 7, “Equal Employment Opportunity Program,” paragraph 705.01, which states:

a. Any aggrieved VA employee, former employee, qualified applicant, or a duly authorized representative of such employee or applicant, may file a written signed complaint [of religious discrimination, among other things] under the provisions of Part II, Executive Order 10925. The term “employee” shall include all VA employees wherever located, whether in or outside the competitive service except aliens employed outside the limits of the United States. The complaint must be filed within 90 days [31]*31from the date of the alleged discrimination, unless such time is extended for good cause shown by the complainant to the EPO, DEPO, or the Executive Vice Chairman.3

After discussion of the above quoted regulation, Mr. Walter discussed “the procedure that would take place upon termination during probationary period, * * Mr. Walter continues:

Dr. Harris then asked what effect this action would have on his official personnel folder, and I advised him that the permanent record in his Official Personnel Folder would reflect that he had been terminated during probationary period. It was at this point that Dr. Harris expressed concern about his permanent record being marred. * * * It was also at this point that Dr. Harris inquired as to what would happen if he resigned. I told him that an employee could resign at any time, and explained to him the two courses whereby he could submit his resignation.
(1) It was the employee’s perrogative [sic] and right to tender his resignation at any time; that if he resigned after the official action was under way to terminate him during probationary period, i. e.: even after Dr. Field may have submitted a recommendation for termination, his official record would reflect that he had resigned while action was pending to terminate him during probationary period.
(2) If he resigned prior to the initiation of any formal action, or recommendation to terminate, his record would only reflect his reason for resignation and his record would not contain any record of the intent to terminate.
On at least four different occasions, during the course of this discussion, I made it clear to Dr. Harris that it was not my intent, nor was he being coerced or intimidated to make a decision relative to resignation. * * * At this time Dr. Harris acknowledged in his discussion, and so stated, that he was not being intimidated or coerced into resignation, and that he would consider all factors that we had discussed, and after he had had a chance to review them in his own mind, and to seek counsel, he would render his decision, and advise me of that decision.
* * * * *
Near the close of this discussion, Dr. Harris indicated that there was a possibility of discrimination because of religion, but he would not elaborate. This was my first indication that discrimination might be a factor. -* * *

Miss Feldmann’s affidavit corroborates Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
325 F. Supp. 28, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14340, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harris-v-nixon-cod-1971.