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OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE              LA 200, John Adams Building, 110 Second Street, S.E.              Washington, DC 20540-1999
_________________________JOE D. CLARK,       Appellant,             v.                                  Case No. 01-AC-388(RP)                                                  June 17 , 2004OFFICE OF THE ARCHITECTOF THE CAPITOL         Appellee._________________________
Before the Board of Directors: Susan               S. Robfogel, Chair; Barbara L. Camens, Alan V. Friedman; Roberta               L. Holzwarth; Barbara Childs Wallace, Members.

DECISION OF THE BOARD OF               DIRECTORS

 On September 30, 2003, Hearing Officer Sylvia               Bacon issued the attached Decision and Judgment. The Hearing Officer               concluded that the Respondent had not committed an act of retaliatory               discrimination in connection with the May 24, 2001 termination1 of               the Appellant’s employment as a Personnel Assistant, pay grade               GS-6/step 4.

The Board has considered the decision in light               of the record, the petition for review, and the parties’ briefs.               The Board finds that the Hearing Officer’s conclusions are               supported by substantial evidence and affirms the Hearing Officer’s               determination that the record does not establish proscribed discrimination.               *See Office of the Architect of the Capitol v. Office of Compliance,               et al.,* 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 4541 (Fed. Cir. 03/11/2004); *Francisca               Laguna v. Office of the Architect of the Capitol,* Case No.               02-AC-54(CV,FL) (Board of Directors Decision, dated April 8, 2004).               We rely upon the Hearing Officer’s finding and conclusion               that the Appellant did not prove that his prior protected activity               motivated the Appellee’s decision to terminate his employment.

We are satisfied that the Hearing Officer applied               the correct legal standards in analyzing this case notwithstanding               the decision’s omission of reference to specific case law               citation.. We do not agree with the Appellant that the decision               is independently deficient for its failure to cite case law. “[I]t               is the validity of the judgment, not the quality of any opinion               supporting it, that has legal significance, and the court’s               failure to cite any cases has no relevance to whether the court               reached the correct legal result.” *James Constant v. United               States,* 929 F.2d 654, at 657 (Fed Cir. 1991).

Finally, we find without merit the Appellant’s               claim that the Hearing Officer breached applicable confidentiality               requirements by considering an earlier Board decision in which the               Appellant was a party. The Office provided that decision to the               Hearing Officer on July 14, 2003, several weeks after it was posted               on the Office’s website, pursuant to Section 416 (f) [confidentiality]               of the Congressional Accountability Act.

**ORDER**

Pursuant to Section 406(e) of the Congressional               Accountability Act and Section 8.01(d) of the Office’s Procedural               Rules, the Board affirms the Hearing Officer’s merits determination               of no discrimination in this matter.

*It is so ordered.*

Issued, Washington, D.C.: June 17, 2004

  

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

 I hereby certify that on this 17th day of June,               2004, I delivered a copy of this Decision of the Board of Directors               to the following parties by the below identified means:

**First-Class Mail Postage-Prepaid**

 Jeffrey H. Leib, Esq.              Attorney at Law              5104 34th Street, N.W.              Washington, D.C. 20008

**First-Class Mail Postage-Prepaid,               & Facsimile Mail**(w/o Hearing Officer Decision)

 Peggy Tyler, Esq.              Office of Architect of the Capitol              Office of Employment Counsel              Ford House Building, Room H2-202              Washington, D.C. 20515

              ___________________              Kisha L. Harley              Office of Compliance 

1               The Hearing Officer assumed, *arguendo*, that the Appellant’s               resignation on the eve of his scheduled involuntary separation date               did not constitute a voluntary resignation. The Board, for purposes               of this decision, as did the Hearing Officer, finds it unnecessary               to resolve that question.

 

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