Nadelhaft v. United States

131 F. Supp. 930, 132 Ct. Cl. 316, 1955 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 142
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJune 7, 1955
Docket209-53
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 131 F. Supp. 930 (Nadelhaft 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
Nadelhaft v. United States, 131 F. Supp. 930, 132 Ct. Cl. 316, 1955 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 142 (cc 1955).

Opinions

WHITAKER, Judge.

On October 9,1950, plaintiff was given a probational appointment as a physicist in the National Bureau of Standards. On August 20, 1951 he was suspended without pay, pursuant to a finding of the Loyalty Board of the Fourth United States Civil Service Region, Civil Service Commission, that there was “reasonable doubt as to his loyalty to the United States.” On April 30, 1952 the Loyalty Review Board of the Civil Service Commission reversed this ruling, and on May 21, 1952 plaintiff was notified he would be restored to duty. He reported for duty on May 26, 1952. On the following day he resigned.

He sues for his pay between the date of his suspension on August 20, 1951 and May 26, 1952.

Under the LIoyd-La Follette- Act of 1912, 37 Stat. 539, 555, as amended by the Act of June 10, 1948, 62 Stat. 354, 5 U. S.C.A. § 652, a person in the classified civil service who has been improperly removed or suspended from his office is entitled to recover his compensation during the period of his unlawful removal or suspension. The question presented is whether or not this section is applicable to a person holding a probational appointment. Sections 6(a) and (b) (1) of the Act of June 10, 1948, supra, are quoted in part-in the note below.1

[932]*932Exhibit 1 attached to the stipulation of facts shows that plaintiff’s appointment was “subject to investigation” and also “probationary period of one year required.”

We are of the opinion that, since the appointment was made subject to investigation, it might be cancelled or suspended if the investigation turned up anything that made questionable plaintiff’s permanent appointment to the position. Likewise, the condition “probationary period of one year required” makes it necessary for a person, within that year, to prove himself acceptable for permanent appointment. If within that year something develops that raises a doubt about the desirability of his permanent appointment, it justifies the agency in holding up the permanent appointment, and where the facts justify it, to remove plaintiff from the payroll, until it can be determined whether or not the question raised makes his permanent appointment inadvisable.

.In short, we are of the opinion that a probationary appointee acquires no right to the office, that is to say, a right protected by the Lloyd-La Follette Act, as amended. His right to the office and protection by this Act only accrues after the probationary period has expired and his appointment becomes permanent.

Subsection (a)'of section 6 of the'1948 Act, supra, accords the protection of that Act only to a “person in the classifiéd civil service”. We do not think a person gets within the classified civil service so long as his appointment is probationary and subject to investigation.

The original Civil Service Act provided for the appointment of a Civil Service Commission, and required them to make rules for carrying the Act into effect. Among the rules which they were required to adopt was that “there shall be a period of probation before any absolute appointment or employment aforesaid.” The rules of the Civil Service Commission now in effect also provide for probationary appointments. These rules undoubtedly have the force and effect of law because of the broad powers conferred upon the President by Revised Statutes, section 1753, 5- U.S.C.A. § 631, to make such rules, and by him delegated to the Civil Service Commission.

Section 2.113 of 5 Code of Federal Regulations, issued by the Civil Service Commission, provide:

“* * * The agency shall utilize the probationary period as fully as possible to determine the fitness of each employee and shall terminate his services during such period if [933]*933he fails to demonstrate fully his qualifications for continued Federal employment.”

In the case'at bar a serious question arose as to plaintiff’s loyalty to the United States. Until this question was settled, of course plaintiff was not entitled to a permanent appointment. Nor was he entitled to continue to work for the Government. Under the above rule, the agency was required to “terminate his services during such period if he fails to demonstrate fully his qualifications for continued Federal employment.” When the question arose as to his loyalty, the agency was authorized by this rule to terminate his services. Considering the question, raised, we think the agency was justified in immediately terminating plaintiff’s services before his appeal to the Loyalty Review Board had been acted upon. When that Board did act, the agency was required to restore plaintiff to duty, which it did.

Section 9.101(b) of 5 C.F.R. prohibits the removal of employees “except for such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service and in accordance with the procedure prescribed in section 9.102,” but this was expressly made inapplicable to probational or temporary appointments in the competitive service. This provision is a repetition of the provision of the Lloyd-La Follette Act, as amended, supra.

The procedure prescribed by section 9.102, which is also a repetition of the provisions of the Lloyd-La Follette Act, as amended, supra, by its terms is made applicable to persons in the competitive service, that is to say, the classified civil service, “unless he is serving a probationary or trial period.” The procedure therein prescribed for the removal of an appointee is made inapplicable to a probationary appointee. His removal is provided for in the next succeeding section, being 9.103. This provides :

“(a) Any person serving a probationary or trial period shall be given a full and fair trial in the performance of the duties of’the position to which appointed. If the performance of his duties or his conduct is not satisfactory to the agency his services shall be terminated by noti- ' fying him in writing of the reasons for his separation and of its effective date. * * *”

Thus, the only thing necessary to do to remove a probationary appointee is merely to tell him why you are removing him. The provision for notice of the charges, for time to file an answer and affidavits, and for a written decision on the dispute, is inapplicable to a probationary appointee.

It would seem from these provisions that a probationary employee is not entitled to the protection against removal accorded persons in the competitive service by the Lloyd-La Follette Act.

If hé is not accorded this protection, then the provision giving him the right to claim compensation for unjustified removal would seem inapplicable to him.

Section 6(a) and (b) (1) of the Act justifies this conclusion. Subsection (a) provides for the filing of charges against an employee, an opportunity for him to answer the charges and to file affidavits, and .for a decision on the charges. Subsection (b) (1), giving the right to the pay of which he has been deprived by an unlawful discharge, applies only to a person who files an answer to the charges filed against him. If the filing of charges against a probationary employee is not required, as sections 9.101 to 9.103 of 5 C.F.R. say, then section 6(b) (1) of the Act has no application to him, and gives him no right to recover.

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

Related

Whaley v. State
438 P.2d 718 (Alaska Supreme Court, 1968)
Dargo v. United States
176 Ct. Cl. 1193 (Court of Claims, 1966)
Sylvia Bennett v. The United States
356 F.2d 525 (Court of Claims, 1966)
Powers v. United States
169 Ct. Cl. 626 (Court of Claims, 1965)
Greenway v. United States
163 Ct. Cl. 72 (Court of Claims, 1963)
Moyer v. United States
150 Ct. Cl. 627 (Court of Claims, 1960)
Day v. United States
143 Ct. Cl. 311 (Court of Claims, 1958)
Bander v. United States
158 F. Supp. 564 (Court of Claims, 1958)
Zaverl v. United States
157 F. Supp. 161 (Court of Claims, 1957)
Watson v. United States
137 Ct. Cl. 557 (Court of Claims, 1957)
Evelyn P. Burrell v. Fred Martin
232 F.2d 33 (D.C. Circuit, 1955)
Nadelhaft v. United States
131 F. Supp. 930 (Court of Claims, 1955)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
131 F. Supp. 930, 132 Ct. Cl. 316, 1955 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 142, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nadelhaft-v-united-states-cc-1955.