Opinion ID: 406603
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Claim for Damages Based on the Privacy Act

Text: 24 Appellant claimed in the district court a right to actual damages suffered as a result of the government's willful or intentional failure to comply with the Privacy Act. 25 Although the contours of his claim are a bit difficult to discern, appellant apparently contends that the release by the agency appellees of inaccurate information regarding him, as well as the delayed surrender of that information, constituted violations of the Privacy Act giving rise to a claim for damages. As appellant notes, 5 U.S.C. §§ 552a(g)(1)(C) and (D) (1976) provide an individual with a cause of action against an agency that, inter alia, maintains inaccurate or incomplete records, the subsequent dissemination of which affects the individual adversely. But the United States is liable for damages for violations of subsections (C) and (D) only when the agency acted in a manner which was intentional or willful .... 5 U.S.C. § 552a(g)(4) (1976). See, e.g., Parks v. IRS, 618 F.2d 677, 683 (10th Cir. 1980); Zeller v. United States, 467 F.Supp. 487, 503 (E.D.N.Y.1979). 25 Appellant's Privacy Act claim must fail. As appellees note, no evidence submitted by Perry suggests that the actions of the government in this case, however disjointed or confused, were willful or deliberate in the sense demanded by the Privacy Act. There is no demonstration whatsoever of any alleged inaccuracies in the records assembled and disseminated by appellees. Nor does anything in the record demonstrate the existence of any adverse effect on appellant following as a result of the supposed Privacy Act violations, as required by both subsections (C) and (D) of section 552a(g)(1). Although in certain cases a claim for damages for delayed release of covered information might lie under the Privacy Act, the record before us reveals only that requested documents were disclosed in a delayed fashion through administrative oversight. The district judge thus properly dismissed appellant's claim for damages under the Privacy Act.