Protecting Lady Bird
How many Secret Service agents does it take to protect a former First Lady who is in her 90’s?
Court Cases
Read summaries of court cases and decisions that impact federal employees and retirees.
EEOC Finds DoD Liable for Not Reassigning Disabled Employee as an Accommodation
In a recent decision, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission affirmed an Administrative Judge’s decision finding the Department of Defense liable for illegal disability discrimination.
Personnel Cases and the Federal Courts
Why doesn’t Congress fix the tangled web of federal personnel cases clogging up the courts? Appeals channels are notoriously complex and cases take far too long.
Six Years of Appeals…and Counting
Most agencies have experienced some personnel removal cases that have dragged on seemingly forever in the appeals process. Thanks to a new decision by the Federal Circuit, the Interior Department will be dealing with one such case for many more months or perhaps years.
Afterword: Clearing Up Sexual Orientation Discrimination Confusion
In the author’s last article, “Agencies Legally Discriminate Based on Sexual Orientation,” readers asked whether it is “really” legal for agencies to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation under the current law. Here is a response to these questions.
Court Upholds Firing of VA Officer for Treatment of Homeless Man
The appeals court has sustained the firing of a VA Police Service lieutenant stemming from his treatment of a homeless visitor.
All in the Family
An employee of the Navy who accessed a crime database by running a criminal history on her husband ended up being fired. She said that she would never again do such a thing other than for “family” considerations. A federal court upheld the removal decision.
Divorce, Death, Children and a Federal Retirement Annuity
A federal court has upheld OPM in following the order of a divorce court to pay a portion of a retiree’s civil service annuity to his two adult children following the death of his ex-wife.
Agencies Legally Discriminate Based on Sexual Orientation
It remains legal for agencies to discriminate against federal employees based on sexual orientation. This was reiterated by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, which recently granted summary judgment in favor of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Inconvenient Drug Test Leads to Slowly Unfolding, Complex Tale
A Navy employee told to take a random drug test left before the test and created a complex tale to explain his actions during the multiple levels of appeal that followed his removal.
