Source: http://openjurist.org/630/f2d/622
Timestamp: 2015-07-08 06:56:21
Document Index: 514922222

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 1010', '§ 1985', '§ 315', '§ 1985']

630 F2d 622 Beeson v. E Hudson D C | OpenJurist
630 F. 2d 622 - Beeson v. E Hudson D C Home
630 F2d 622 Beeson v. E Hudson D C 630 F.2d 622
Travis N. BEESON, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.Henry E. HUDSON, Individually and as the former Director,Veterans Administrative Regional Office, Little Rock,Arkansas; Rufus Wilson, Individually and as former Chief ofthe Department of Veterans Benefits, Washington, D. C.;Donald Johnson, Individually and as the formerAdministrator, Veterans Administration, Nationally,Washington, D. C.; Fred B. Rhodes, Individually and as theformer Deputy Administrator, Veterans Administration,Central Office, Washington, D. C.; Clark Mollenhoff,Individually and as the former Counsel to the President ofthe United States of America, Washington, D. C.; Richard L.Roudebush, Individually and as the present Administrator,Veterans Administration, Central Office, Washington, D. C.;Roy R. Moore, Individually and as the Director, VeteransAdministration, Regional Office, Little Rock, Arkansas,Defendant-Appellees.
No. 79-2015.
Submitted June 12, 1980.Decided Sept. 17, 1980.
Bobby E. Shepherd, Spencer, Spencer & Shepherd, El Dorado, Ark., for appellant.
Neal B. Kirkpatrick, Asst. U. S. Atty., Fort Smith, Ark., argued. Larry R. McCord, U. S. Atty., Fort Smith, Ark., on brief, for appellee.
This appeal presents prematurely a constitutional question which, under the circumstances, we decline now to decide. We vacate the judgment of the district court and remand the case for further proceedings.
The appellant, Travis N. Beeson, received a "career-conditional" appointment in August 1969, as staff assistant to the Regional Director of the Veterans Administration (VA) in Little Rock, Arkansas. Under the terms of this appointment, Beeson's first year of service was a probationary period, during which the VA had the right to terminate his employment should it determine either that his work performance or conduct failed to demonstrate his fitness or qualifications for continued employment, or that "conditions arising before his appointment" justified his termination. See generally 5 C.F.R. §§ 315.801-.07. The termination procedures required by the regulations are set out in the margin.1 We invite attention to the fact that the required procedures differ significantly, depending on the reasons for the probationer's termination. Those terminated for "conditions arising before appointment" are entitled to significantly greater procedural protection than are those terminated for "unsatisfactory performance or conduct" during the probationary period. Compare, § 315.805 1 with § 315.804.1 Moreover, the former may appeal administratively on the ground that their termination was not effected in accordance with the procedural requirements of the regulations; the latter may not. See 315.806.1.
In late January of 1970, officials of the VA in Washington learned that Beeson had been investigated by the FBI and would probably be indicted on criminal charges. The investigation concerned activities that Beeson had been engaged in prior to his appointment to the VA.2 This information was relayed to the VA's Regional Director in Little Rock, who was told that he must give Beeson the option of either resigning or "facing the termination of his assignment." The Regional Director imposed this dilemma on Beeson on January 29, 1970. Beeson requested and was granted the rest of the day off to consider his options. He called an acquaintance of his on the White House staff, Niles Jackson (apparently a counsel to President Nixon), and explained his predicament. Jackson investigated the matter and then re-contacted Beeson, informing him that an indictment was indeed forthcoming and advising him to resign so that he would be eligible for back pay and reinstatement if he were acquitted of the charges.3 On January 30, 1970, Beeson resigned. The VA never initiated § 315.805 termination proceedings against him; and, as far as the record discloses, Beeson never initiated or attempted to initiate § 315.806 appeal proceedings in connection with his separation from employment with the VA.
An indictment was returned against Beeson in July of 1972, charging him with making false statements on loan applications submitted to the Federal Housing Administration in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1010. He was subsequently tried and acquitted of these charges. Thereafter, he made repeated requests of the VA to reinstate him, but to no avail. He ultimately filed this action on January 29, 1976. The complaint is in three counts. Counts II and III purport to state causes of action against the defendants4 under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1985 and 1986, respectively. Count I alleges a cause of action directly under the Fifth Amendment: Beeson claims that he had a property interest in his continued employment, and that his resignation was a "constructive discharge" that deprived him of this property interest without due process of law-without, in particular, the process due him under 5 C.F.R. § 315.805. He seeks compensatory and punitive damages against defendants in the total amount of $1,150,000.
Following a year of discovery, defendants moved to dismiss Counts II and III of the complaint and for summary judgment on Count I. As to Counts II and III, defendants argued that Beeson had failed to state claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1985 and 1986 upon which relief could be granted, because he had alleged neither that defendants had acted under color of state law nor that he was a member of a "suspect class" who had been subjected to invidious discrimination. Beeson conceded these points in the district court; the court held that defendants were entitled to dismissal of Counts II and III for these reasons; and that ruling is not at issue in this appeal.
As to Count I, the Fifth Amendment claim, defendants argued that they were entitled to summary judgment on three independent grounds: (1) that the undisputed facts establish that Beeson was not constructively discharged, but instead that he voluntarily resigned, and that he was therefore not deprived by them of any property interest or due process rights he may have had; (2) that the undisputed facts establish that defendants' actions were performed as part of their official functions, thus making them immune from any personal liability to Beeson;