Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca13-16-01783/USCOURTS-ca13-16-01783-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Xiu Jian Sun
Appellant
United States
Appellee

Document Text:

NOTE: This disposition is nonprecedential.

United States Court of Appeals 

for the Federal Circuit ______________________ 

XIU JIAN SUN,

Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

UNITED STATES,

Defendant-Appellee

______________________ 

2016-1783

______________________ 

Appeal from the United States Court of Federal 

Claims in No. 1:16-cv-00252-TCW, Judge Thomas C. 

Wheeler. 

______________________ 

Decided: September 6, 2016

______________________ 

XIU JIAN SUN, Flushing, NY, pro se.

P. DAVIS OLIVER, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil 

Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for defendant-appellee. Also represented by 

BENJAMIN C. MIZER, ROBERT E. KIRSCHMAN, JR., BRIAN A.

MIZOGUCHI. 

______________________ 

Case: 16-1783 Document: 21-2 Page: 1 Filed: 09/06/2016
2 SUN v. US

Before NEWMAN, CLEVENGER, and O’MALLEY, Circuit 

Judges.

NEWMAN, Circuit Judge.

Mr. Xiu Jian Sun appeals the judgment of the United 

States Court of Federal Claims, dismissing his complaint 

against the United States for failure to state a claim on 

which relief can be granted.1 We affirm the dismissal.

DISCUSSION

“Whether the court properly dismissed for failure to 

state a claim is a question of law which we review de 

novo.” New York Life Ins. Co. v. United States, 190 F.3d 

1372, 1377–78 (Fed. Cir. 1999). Actionable complaints 

must allege misconduct and plead factual content that 

allows “the reasonable inference that the defendant is 

liable for the misconduct.” Todd Const., L.P. v. United 

States, 656 F.3d 1306, 1316 (Fed. Cir. 2011). The Court of 

Federal Claims found that “[a]t most, the complaint is an 

assessment of some of President Obama’s actions during 

his presidency as judged against teachings of The Church 

of Latter-Day Saints.” Dism. Order at 1–2.

“The pleadings of pro se litigants should be held to a 

lesser standard than those drafted by lawyers when 

determining whether the complaint should be dismissed 

for failure to state a claim,” McZeal v. Sprint Nextel Corp., 

501 F.3d 1354, 1356 (Fed. Cir. 2007). Mr. Sun’s complaint

consists of biographical information, e-mail messages sent 

from President Obama’s whitehouse.gov e-mail address, 

quotations of Biblical teachings, and transcriptions of 

addresses by the President. The complaint contains a 

single accusation: “President Obama does not keep his 

words. . . .” Compl. at 3, ECF No. 1. At oral argument

 

1 Xui Jian Sun v. United States, No. 1:16-cv-00252-

TCW (Fed. Cl. March 14, 2016) (“Dism. Order”).

Case: 16-1783 Document: 21-2 Page: 2 Filed: 09/06/2016
SUN v. US 3

before this court, Mr. Sun elaborated on his concerns, 

stating, in translation, that “President Obama is going 

against God’s directive.” Oral Arg. at 2:37 (translation). 

Mr. Sun continued: “God gave this country the flag which 

showed that God is the authority, but President Obama is 

not following that authority.” Oral Arg. at 3:41 (translation).2

Upon review, we discern no allegation of violation of 

statute or precedent within the jurisdiction of the Court of 

Federal Claims. “The First Amendment mandates governmental neutrality between religion and religion, and 

between religion and nonreligion.” Epperson v. State of 

Ark., 393 U.S. 97, 104 (1968). We agree with the Court of

Federal Claims that an actionable claim has not been 

presented.

No costs.

AFFIRMED

 

2 Mr. Sun was accompanied at the podium by a 

translator, whose simultaneous translation was recorded 

in accordance with the court’s procedures.

Case: 16-1783 Document: 21-2 Page: 3 Filed: 09/06/2016