Rhodes v. United States

156 Ct. Cl. 31, 1962 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 41, 1962 WL 9300
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJanuary 12, 1962
DocketNo. 341-60
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 156 Ct. Cl. 31 (Rhodes 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
Rhodes v. United States, 156 Ct. Cl. 31, 1962 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 41, 1962 WL 9300 (cc 1962).

Opinion

LaRamoRE, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an action by plaintiff to recover damages for an alleged wrongful termination of employment by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Plaintiff alleges that he was terminated in violation of the Veterans’ Preference Act of 1944, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 851 et seq., the regulations of the Civil Service Commission and of the Central Intelligence Agency.

[33]*33Defendant contends that plaintiff’s termination was pursuant to the authority granted the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency by section 102(c) of the National Security Act of 1947, 61 Stat. 495, 498, and as set forth in Regulation 20-740.

The case arises on cross-motions for summary judgment and presents two questions: (1) whether the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency had discretion to terminate plaintiff’s employment with the Agency when the Director deemed such termination either necessary or advisable in the interests of the United States, and (2) whether the agency violated its own regulation in terminating plaintiff’s employment.

The facts are summarized as follows: Plaintiff was employed by the Central Intelligence Agency as a Document Analyst, Grade GS-12, at an annual salary of $8,570, prior to his dismissal on March 16, 1959. His position was a secretive one and its description is classified. This is made evident by the oath taken by plantiff as an incident to employment to the effect that he would never divulge or reveal any classified information, or intelligence, or the methods of collecting and handling such information or intelligence. He further agreed that no change of assignment or employment would ever relieve him of such obligation.

On February 10, 1959, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency determined that termination of plaintiff’s employment was necessary and advisable in the interests of the United States. The Director then, exercising his discretion under the authority granted by section 102(c) of the National Security Act of 1947, supra, terminated plaintiff’s employment.

Plaintiff thereafter sought to appeal this termination of employment to the Civil Service Commission. An appeals examiner of the Civil Service Commission determined that plaintiff was separated from his position in the Central Intelligence Agency pursuant to section 102(c), supra, and determined that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency could terminate the employment of an employee of the Agency whenever he deemed it to be in the interests of [34]*34the United States, notwithstanding the provisions of the Civil Service Act, the Veterans’ Preference Act or the provisions of any other law. The examining officer further stated that plaintiff’s contentions, supra, concerning the Central Intelligence Agency’s failure to follow its own regulations were not within the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission and were, therefore, referred to the Central Intelligence Agency for whatever action it deemed appropriate.

The decision of the appeals examining officer was then appealed to the Board of Appeals and Review of the Civil Service Commission which, on June 26,1959, after reviewing the case, again stated that neither the Civil Service Act nor the Veterans’ Preference Act, nor any other law, is applicable to termination of employment under the authority of section 102(c) of the National Security Act, supra. The decision of the appeals examining officer was affirmed.

On June 2, 1959, as a result of plaintiff’s allegations that the Agency had failed to follow its own regulations in terminating plaintiff’s employment, the General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency wrote plaintiff stating that the only administrative regulation of the Agency, applicable to termination of employment under section 102(c), was Regulation 20-740.

Later, on July 9, 1959, the Agency further informed plaintiff that the Agency found no basis for plaintiff’s allegation that it had failed to follow its own regulations.

This suit resulted, and claim is made by the plaintiff that he first learned of the possibility of his being dismissed in November of 1958 and that no mention of his dismissal pursuant to section 102(c), supra, was made until February 13, 1959. Plaintiff further contends that he was lead to believe that he was to be dismissed pursuant to the “selection out” program of the Agency, procedures for which were provided for within the Agency (Regulation 20-705).

Plaintiff then alleges and contends that he was not given the protection of those procedures although he requested the same.

[35]*35Regulation 20-705, dated January 30, 1959, reads as follows:

1. GENERAL
a. This regulation states the requirements and procedures applicable to certain separation actions. This regulation governs the separation of Agency employees for all reasons except reduction in force, entry into military service, separation based on adverse findings of a security hearing board, and termination by the Director under the authority granted him by section 102(c) of the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 495, 50 U.S.C. 401, P.L. 253,80th Congress, first session), as amended, and as set forth in Regulation, No. 20-740.1

It is noted that the above Regulation specifically provides that it is not applicable to termination under section 102(c) of the National Security Act, supra.

Regulation 20-740, dated November 1, 1954, under which defendant contends that plaintiff’s employment was terminated, reads as follows:

1. statutory powers oe the director oe central INTELLIGENCE
The Director of Central Intelligence is empowered to terminate the employment of any officer or employee of the Agency whenever he deems such action necessary or advisable in the interests of the United States. Termination action under this authority, quoted below, is within the sole discretion of the Director of Central Intelligence, and no appeals procedure is provided for by law.
“Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6 of the Act of August 24,1912 (37 Stat. 555), or the provisions of any other law, the Director of Central Intelligence may, in his discretion, terminate the employment of any officer or employee of the Agency whenever he shall deem such termination necessary or advisable in the interests of the United States, but such termination shall not affect the right of such officer or employee to seek or accept employment in any other department or agency of the Government if declared eligible for such employment by the United States Civil Service Commission.”
[36]*362. EMPLOYMENT REVIEW BOARD
The Director may appoint an Employment Review Board to advise him concerning any particular case.
‡ ‡

Cases are legion holding that the Government, as an employer, has the right to terminate the employment of any of its employees at any time, providing there is no statute or regulation limiting this right. Bailey v. Richardson, 182 F.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
156 Ct. Cl. 31, 1962 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 41, 1962 WL 9300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rhodes-v-united-states-cc-1962.