A Personal Remembrance in Honor of Veterans Day
Veterans Day is a federal holiday created to honor those that served their country in the military. The author provides a personal memorial to honor one of these veterans.
Author: Susan McGuire Smith
All In the Family
Accepting reimbursement for services that were actually paid for by a relative leads to a federal employee’s removal.
D.C. Circuit Disagrees with DOJ Handling of FOIA Request
Here is yet another case in which a court has taken issue with an agency’s withholding of information in response to a FOIA request. This time it’s the Department of Justice—the agency responsible for “overseeing” how the government is handling its disclosure obligations.
Workforce Disruptions Lead to Removal of 30-Year Employee
Incidents of anger, outbursts and threats in the workplace lead the agency to suspend then fire a long-standing employee.
Poor Customer Service Leads to Removal
An IRS employee who cursed out a taxpayer in front of several witnesses could not persuade the court that his removal was unwarranted.
She Fought the Law and She Won
A PhD candidate at University of Virginia fought back when the Defense Department ruled she did not qualify for the education reduced fee exemption under the FOIA and therefore would have to pay the full $900 due in fees for the agency’s efforts. She won at the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She not only gets the reduced fee, her case sets a precedent that should affect how all agencies handle FOIA requests from students in the future.
When Private Emails Are Official Government Records
A Federal appeals court has ruled that an agency head’s email records that are stored on a private, non-government server are nevertheless official agency records reachable by a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Don’t Just Look For the Management Label
The appeals court agrees with the Merit Systems Protection Board that just because an HR Specialist had access to confidential personnel databases and was labeled a manager by her agency does not mean that she was in a management position or one that otherwise gave the Board jurisdiction over her adverse action (demotion) appeal.
Fired Employee Convinces Court to Throw Out MSPB Decision
A DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) employee removed for being found ineligible for a sensitive position due to numerous outstanding debts won a reprieve from the federal appeals court when it threw out the decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board and sent the case back for another look.
Mama Bear’s Efforts to Save Her Son’s Job Added Up to Nepotism
A Supervisory Patent Examiner who retired rather than be busted down to a non-supervisory position for the offense of nepotism was unable to persuade the Merit Systems Protection Board, and now the appeals court, to hear her case.
