Haas v. Overholser

• Decision Date: 07 April 1955
• Docket Number: No. 12195.,12195.
• Citation: 96 US App. DC 22,223 F.2d 314
• Parties: Vernon G. HAAS, Appellant, v. Dr. Winfred OVERHOLSER, Superintendent, St. Elizabeths Hospital, Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — District of Columbia Circuit

96 US App. DC 22, 223 F.2d 314 (1955)

Vernon G. HAAS, Appellant, v. Dr. Winfred OVERHOLSER, Superintendent, St. Elizabeths Hospital, Appellee.

No. 12195.

United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit.

Argued February 21, 1955.

Decided April 7, 1955.

Mr. Wesley E. McDonald, Washington, D. C., with whom Mr. B. Austin Newton, Jr., Washington, D. C., was on the brief, for appellant.

Mr. Joseph M. F. Ryan, Jr., Asst. U. S. Atty., with whom Mr. Leo A. Rover, U. S. Atty., and Mr. Lewis Carroll, Asst. U. S. Atty., were on the brief, for appellee.

Before PRETTYMAN, FAHY and DANAHER, Circuit Judges.

PRETTYMAN, Circuit Judge.

Haas was employed as an attendant at St. Elizabeths Hospital. December 8, 1949, he was notified in writing that he had been reported for mistreating a patient and that if the charges were found to be correct he might be separated from the Hospital. He was directed to submit a written explanation within five days and to appear before the Board of Review at a named hour and day. December 20, 1949, he was advised in writing that his explanation was not satisfactory.¹ He was also advised he had a right to appeal his removal under Agency grievance procedure within ten days of the notification, and also a right to appeal to the Fourth U. S. Civil Service Regional Office within thirty days.² Thus Haas was advised of two routes of appeal. He proceeded by the grievance procedure, but, without waiting for the decision of the Grievance Hearing Committee, he wrote the Director of the Fourth Civil Service Region on April 8, 1950.³ This letter, described by Haas as a formal appeal, was thus more than 100 days after the notification of December 20, 1949. On April 17, 1950, Haas was advised that the Grievance Hearing Committee had sustained the decision to remove him. April 26, 1950, the Director of the Fourth Civil Service Region wrote him his appeal of April 8, 1950, to that office was too late but he could request the Board of Appeals and Review of the Central Office of the Commission to review the action.

Haas says in his complaint "That after receiving said communication the letter of April 26, 1950 plaintiff proceeded to exhaust every administrative remedy available." He also says, in his objections to the motion to dismiss, that he had a hearing before the Board of Appeals of the Civil Service Commission, which affirmed the Fourth Regional Office, and that thereafter the Chairman of the Commission by letter affirmed the prior action. Nowhere in the papers before us does it appear that Haas appealed to the Federal Security Administrator in accordance with the Agency grievance procedure.⁴

On May 27, 1952, slightly more than two years after the last letters above described, Haas filed his complaint in the District Court seeking an order which would set aside the agencies' actions and restore his employment. The Government moved to dismiss, and the court granted the motion.

Haas attacked the hearing given him by the Grievance Hearing Committee in a number of respects. The Government replied that such hearings are specifically committed by statute to the discretion of the officer directing the removal of the employee,⁵ and that the Administrative Procedure Act, upon which Haas relied, excepts from its provisions for judicial review agency action committed by law...