Beller v. Middendorf

• Decision Date: 23 October 1980
• Docket Number: 77-1671 and 77-2461,Nos. 77-1354,s. 77-1354
• Citation: 632 F.2d 788
• Parties: 24 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. 289, 24 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 31,378 AG 1 Dennis R. BELLER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. The Honorable J. William MIDDENDORF, Secretary of the Navy, et al.,Defendants-Appellees. James Lee MILLER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Donald H. RUMSFELD, Secretary of Defense, et al., Defendants-Appellees. Mary Roseann SAAL, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. J. William MIDDENDORF, Secretary of the United States Navy, in his officialcapacity, Defendant-Appellant.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

Page 788

632 F.2d 788

24 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. 289,

24 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 31,378

AG 1 Dennis R. BELLER, Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

The Honorable J. William MIDDENDORF, Secretary of the Navy,

et al.,Defendants-Appellees.

James Lee MILLER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Donald H. RUMSFELD, Secretary of Defense, et al.,

Defendants-Appellees.

Mary Roseann SAAL, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. J. William MIDDENDORF, Secretary of the United States Navy, in his officialcapacity, Defendant-Appellant.

Nos. 77-1354, 77-1671 and 77-2461.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Submitted Nov. 8, 1978.

Decided Oct. 23, 1980.

Rehearing Denied in No. 77-1354 Nov. 21, 1980.

Richard P. Fox, Los Angeles, Cal., for Beller.

John Vaisey, San Francisco, Cal., for Miller.

James L. Browning, Jr., San Francisco, Cal., on brief; Harland F. Leathers, Washington, D.C., Mary C. Dunlap, San Francisco, Cal., for Middendorf.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Before BROWNING and KENNEDY, Circuit Judges, and CHRISTENSEN, ^* District Judge.

KENNEDY, Circuit Judge:

Although the factual and procedural settings of these three consolidated appeals differ, the broad outlines are similar: an enlisted person in the Navy, with an otherwise fine performance record, admitted engaging in homosexual acts, conduct prohibited by Navy regulations. Following proceedings before an administrative discharge board and review by the Secretary of the Navy, each was ordered discharged. Plaintiffs raise constitutional challenges to the Navy's regulations and proceedings. We recognize that to many persons the regulations may seem unwise, but if that be the case the political branches of the Government, which most certainly are on notice of the controversy here or in similar cases, have the right and the prerogative to declare a different policy. Our role is more confined. We are limited to determining whether or not the Constitution prohibits the Navy from adopting the rule before us. We cannot say that constitutional limitations have been exceeded here, and therefore we do not find the regulation is invalid.

We first state the relevant facts of each case, relying extensively on the respective district court opinions.

I Saal

Plaintiff Mary Saal enlisted in the United States Navy on December 17, 1971. Following training she was assigned as an air traffic controller at Alameda Naval Air Station. In January, 1972, she entered into a three-year enlistment contract. In March, 1973, after an investigation by the Navy into plaintiff's activities, she signed a statement admitting homosexual relations with another Navy member assigned to the Air Operations Department. Thereafter, administrative proceedings to separate plaintiff were instituted pursuant to Navy regulations. An administrative discharge board was convened on July 6, 1973, and, after a hearing, it recommended on the basis of plaintiff's admitted homosexual activity that she should be separated from the service with a general discharge. At the hearing Saal admitted to having had homosexual relations since her March statement and indicated that she intended to continue her homosexual relationship.

This action was filed on July 27, 1973, seeking injunctive relief to prevent the Navy from discharging plaintiff for her homosexual activity as well as damages for back pay and lost promotional opportunities. In August, 1973, the district court granted preliminary injunctive relief staying the discharge pending a decision on the merits. In November, 1973, the Chief of Naval Personnel notified plaintiff that he had directed her separation with a general discharge, although the discharge remained stayed by court order. In January, 1974, defendant moved for summary judgment contending that (1) plaintiff had failed to exhaust her administrative remedies, (2) the administrative hearing accorded plaintiff satisfied due process, and (3) the discharge was lawful. On July 10, 1974, the district court denied the motion, rejecting the first contention and holding that the other two contentions were not ripe for disposition by summary judgment.

With the term of her enlistment contract nearing its end, plaintiff in September, 1974 submitted a written request for extension to her commanding officer in accordance with Navy regulations. The commanding officer, aware of the pending litigation and not wanting to take action which might affect it, forwarded the request without recommendation to the Chief of Naval Personnel, the final authority in such matters, and asked for advice. On December 12, 1974, the Chief of Naval Personnel replied by denying plaintiff's request for extension and ordering her separation with an honorable discharge upon expiration of her enlistment. The prior directive ordering her discharge by reason of unfitness was cancelled and her discharge was "characterized as warranted by the average performance evaluation marks which have been earned during her period of service." At the same time, plaintiff was assigned a reenlistment code of RE-4, which designates a person as ineligible for reenlistment.

Plaintiff's enlistment expired on January 6, 1975. Defendant immediately moved to dismiss this action as moot. By order dated August 19, 1975, the district court granted the motion, lifted the prior stay order (thereby permitting issuance of an honorable discharge to plaintiff), but gave plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint. On August 22, 1975, plaintiff was discharged from the Navy. On September 15, 1975, she filed her first amended complaint in which she contended she was deprived of due process by reason of having been rendered ineligible for reenlistment under Instruction 1900.9A. In the amended complaint plaintiff sought declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief. The district court granted partial summary judgment for Saal, holding due process required that plaintiff's application for extension of service or reenlistment receive the same consideration as that of other Navy personnel similarly situated without reference to policies or regulations substantially mandating exclusion or processing for discharge of persons who engage in homosexual activity. Saal v. Middendorf, 427 F.Supp. 192 (N.D.Cal.1977).

Miller

Plaintiff James Miller, currently a Yeoman Second Class, enlisted in the Navy in February, 1965. He had reenlisted twice, the most recent reenlistment being in 1972 for a period of six years. As a result of an unrelated incident, a Naval Investigative Service (NIS) inquiry began in 1975, and in an interview with the NIS investigator, after being advised of his rights, plaintiff admitted that he had participated recently in homosexual acts with two Taiwanese natives while he was stationed in Taiwan. Pursuant to orders issued prior to the institution of the NIS investigation, plaintiff was transferred to the USS ORISKANY at Alameda, California. He served on board for over one year and was given a Secret clearance by his commander, who had knowledge of the NIS investigation.

On April 12, 1976, a hearing board was convened to consider Miller's discharge for homosexuality. The board heard testimony from the NIS investigator, several witnesses as to Miller's good character and service in the Navy, and Miller on his own behalf. It found that plaintiff had admitted to committing homosexual acts during his assignment in Taiwan, but nevertheless recommended, by vote of two to one, that plaintiff be retained in the Navy. The dissenting member of the board voted that plaintiff be administratively discharged under honorable conditions.

Plaintiff was subsequently examined by the Senior Medical Officer who found that despite plaintiff's admitted homosexual episodes, he did not appear to be "a homosexual," and that he found no evidence of psychosis or neurosis. The medical officer recommended retention. The convening authority, the Commanding Officer of the USS ORISKANY, then forwarded the board proceedings to the Chief of Naval Personnel and recommended that plaintiff be retained in the Navy.

The Assistant Director of the Enlisted Performance Division recommended that plaintiff be separated with a General Discharge under honorable conditions by reason of misconduct, for his admitted participation in in-service homosexual acts. That recommendation was approved by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and plaintiff was then scheduled for separation on June 23, 1976.

On that date, Miller brought suit in the district court, asking that his discharge be restrained and in the alternative that he be given not less than an honorable discharge. The Chief of Naval Personnel subsequently ordered Miller separated with an honorable discharge, but this discharge was stayed by the district court until, relying largely on its decision in Beller, it granted summary judgment for the Navy. This court, however, stayed Miller's discharge pending disposition of this appeal. Miller has been retained in the Navy pursuant to this court's order. He currently works for the Commanding Officer, Enlisted Personnel, Treasure Island. His commanding officer there requested that the Navy retain him.

Miller has tried to reenlist; the Navy denied his application.

Beller

Plaintiff Dennis Beller enlisted in the United States Navy in 1960. On August 29, 1972, he reenlisted for a six-year term. In the latter part of 1975 plaintiff was informed that the Navy desired to upgrade his security clearance to permit him access to "Top Secret" information. During the course of a routine background investigation of plaintiff, Navy personnel discovered that plaintiff had had contacts with homosexual groups since entering the Navy.

This information was forwarded to the Naval Investigative Service. Plaintiff provided investigators a sworn statement which recited in pertinent part:

Regarding my sexual activities I first engaged in sexual activity with males after my enlistment in the Navy. Since that time I...