Johnny Granado, Jr. v. Department of Justice

721 F.2d 804, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 13702, 32 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 33,928
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
DecidedNovember 16, 1983
DocketAppeal 25-82
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 721 F.2d 804 (Johnny Granado, Jr. v. Department of Justice) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnny Granado, Jr. v. Department of Justice, 721 F.2d 804, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 13702, 32 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 33,928 (Fed. Cir. 1983).

Opinions

SKELTON, Senior Circuit Judge.

The question presented in this ease is whether this court has jurisdiction of the present appeal from a Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) decision dated November 6, 1981, which dismissed for lack of jurisdiction a probationary employee’s complaint dealing solely with discrimination based on national origin. Granado v. Department of Justice, MSPB Docket No. DA315H8210001. We hold that we do not, and accordingly, we dismiss the appeal.

I

Petitioner, Johnny Granado, Jr., was formerly employed as a border patrol agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). By a letter dated August 27, 1981, petitioner was informed that he was being terminated effective September 11, 1981, prior to the completion of his one year probationary period, due to deficiencies in his work performance. The letter advised petitioner that he could appeal the removal decision to the MSPB if he believed the discharge was based upon discrimination because of partisan political reasons or marital status. If he felt the termination was due to discrimination because of race or national origin, he was advised to consult an INS Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor within 30 days of the effective date of the termination.

Petitioner filed a complaint with an INS Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor on September 29,1981, alleging that he was discharged because of his national origin. On September 30, 1981, he filed an appeal with the Dallas Regional Office of the MSPB, also alleging discrimination based on national origin. Petitioner contended that the MSPB had jurisdiction of such a complaint under Section 8-4a(5) of Chapter 315 of the Federal Personnel Manual (FPM). The Dallas Regional Office dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction, holding that under 5 C.F.R. § 315.806(b) and (d),1 a probationary employee could allege discrimination based on national origin only if he raised such discrimination in addition to alleging discrimination based on partisan political reasons or marital status. By an order dated March 23, 1982, the MSPB denied petitioner’s petition for review of the initial decision, after which petitioner brought this appeal.

II

A

The jurisdiction of this court over appeals from the MSPB is governed by 28 U.S.C. [806]*806§ 1295(a)(9) (Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982 (“the Act”), Pub.L. No. 97-164, § 127(a), 96 Stat. 25) and by 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b) and (d) (as amended by the Act, § 144). 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(9) gives the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit exclusive jurisdiction “of an appeal from a final order or final decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board, pursuant to §§ 7703(b)(1) and 7703(d) of title 5 * * 2 Section 7703(b)(1) of title 5 states that “except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a petition to review a final order or final decision of the board (MSPB) shall be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.” Paragraph (2) of § 7703(b) provides that “cases of discrimination subject to the provisions of § 7702 of this title shall be filed under § 717(c) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 * * Section 7702 of title 5 and § 717(c) of the Civil Rights Act provide a very elaborate and detailed procedure to follow in actions dealing with discrimination, which involves the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the federal district courts, but not the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Williams v. Department of the Army, 715 F.2d 1485 (Fed.Cir.1983).

In this case, petitioner’s claim of discrimination based upon national origin would have brought him under the provisions of § 7702 if he had not been a probationary employee. However, as a probationary employee his rights of appeal were restricted by statute and regulation. Although 5 U.S.C. § 7701(a) grants an employee in the competitive service who is not serving a probationary period the right to appeal to the MSPB, 5 U.S.C. §§ 7501(1) and 7511(a)(1) specifically exclude individuals in their probationary period from the definition of “employee” for purposes of the type of removal action involved here. A limited right of appeal is granted to a probationary employee, however, by the regulation quoted at note 1, supra. As noted above, the MSPB dismissed petitioner’s appeal because of failure to comply with this regulation. It is clear from the statutes and regulations quoted above, that we have jurisdiction to review the MSPB’s decision only if it is granted to us by 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(1).

’ Prior to the enactment of the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982, appeals from decisions of the MSPB could be filed under § 7703(b)(1) in either the Court of Claims or one of the courts of appeal. The same exception for cases of discrimination applied then as applies now. Under 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(2), those cases followed an entirely different route of appeal. The Court of Claims had the opportunity on more than one occasion to rule upon its jurisdiction in discrimination cases involving probationary employees. In the case of Hadley v. Department of the Navy, Ct.Cl. App. No. 7-80 (order of November 13, 1981), a probationary employee alleged that he was dismissed in violation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, because he was a reformed alcoholic.3 The court held in Had-ley that it not only lacked jurisdiction to review an order of the MSPB on the merits, but it also lacked jurisdiction to review the MSPB’s order dismissing the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. The court relied principally on the Supreme Court case of Brown v. General Services Administration, 425 U.S. 820, 96 S.Ct. 1961, 48 L.Ed.2d 402 (1976). In that case, the Supreme Court held that § 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-16(c) (1976), (which section is referred to by 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(2)) “provides the exclusive judicial remedy for claims of discrimination in federal employment.” Id. at 835, 96 S.Ct. at 1969. This remedy permits an employee to file suit in a district court to review his claim of employment discrimination. Because of the exclusiveness of this remedy, the Court of Claims held in Hadley that it was barred from reviewing any order of the MSPB in this type of case.

[807]

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

Related

Harris v. MSPB
Federal Circuit, 2024
Adams v. MSPB
Federal Circuit, 2023
Fox v. Department of Defense
549 F. App'x 969 (Federal Circuit, 2013)
Wilder v. Merit Systems Protection Board
675 F.3d 1319 (Federal Circuit, 2012)
Sloan v. West
8 F. Supp. 2d 1207 (D. Hawaii, 1996)
Cruz v. Department of the Navy
934 F.2d 1240 (Federal Circuit, 1991)
Gloria M. Livingston v. Department of the Air Force
884 F.2d 1398 (Federal Circuit, 1989)
Krim M. Ballentine v. Merit Systems Protection Board
738 F.2d 1244 (Federal Circuit, 1984)
Johnny Granado, Jr. v. Department of Justice
721 F.2d 804 (Federal Circuit, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
721 F.2d 804, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 13702, 32 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 33,928, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnny-granado-jr-v-department-of-justice-cafc-1983.