Premachandra v. Mitts

• Decision Date: 03 March 1981
• Docket Number: No. 81-46 C (2).,81-46 C (2).
• Citation: 509 F. Supp. 424
• Parties: Dr. Bhartur N. PREMACHANDRA, Plaintiff, v. Dr. Murray G. MITTS et al., Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Missouri

509 F. Supp. 424

Dr. Bhartur N. PREMACHANDRA, Plaintiff, v. Dr. Murray G. MITTS et al., Defendants.

No. 81-46 C (2).

United States District Court, E. D. Missouri, E. D.

March 3, 1981.

Marilyn S. Teitelbaum and Tara Levy, Schuchat, Cook & Werner, St. Louis, Mo., for plaintiff.

Anne T. Shapleigh, Asst. U. S. Atty., U. S. Dept. of Justice, St. Louis, Mo., for defendants.

MEMORANDUM

This case is now before the Court on plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction. Plaintiff brought this suit pursuant to the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution and 5 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.¹ Plaintiff seeks to enjoin his dismissal by defendants² until he is given a full evidentiary hearing on the charges brought against him. Defendants propose to afford plaintiff such a hearing, but only after his dismissal. Evidence was adduced on plaintiff's motion on January 26, 1981. The following shall constitute this Court's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, as required by Rule 52, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Plaintiff, Dr. Bhartur N. Premachandra, is a Research Endocrinologist employed by the VA Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri. He has been so employed for the last eighteen years. He is a "career employee" of the VA and can be dismissed only for "cause." 5 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.

As a Research Endocrinologist, plaintiff's primary responsibility is to plan and conduct research dealing with physiological, biochemical, and immunological activities of the endrocine glands in animals and humans. This research is ultimately relevant to the understanding of genetic, metabolic and other disorders and diseases, as well as the aging process.

Plaintiff conducts this research both independently and in collaboration with other scientists. These collaborators may or may not be affiliated with the VA and are located both locally and around the world.

Plaintiff has had a distinguished career in endocrinological research, and has made substantial contributions in the field. The field is not such, however, that if he was not allowed to continue his research, his prospective contributions would go undiscovered. Rather, it is more likely that someone else would undertake the research plaintiff would have otherwise undertaken, but such research may be delayed substantial periods of time.

Plaintiff conducts his research in a ten room laboratory on the grounds of the VA Medical Center in St. Louis. Approximately three years' effort was necessary when plaintiff began his employment with the VA in order to render this laboratory fully operational. Plaintiff has continually expanded and improved the laboratory throughout his employment.

Approximately one-third of the equipment utilized by plaintiff in this laboratory is owned by the VA. The remainder is owned by Washington University and loaned to plaintiff.

Two VA employees work for plaintiff in this laboratory. Plaintiff supplements these employees' VA salaries with his own funds.

Plaintiff is currently in the midst of several experiments, these experiments having been in progress for a number of months. Daily measurements are required in order to continue these experiments. The results of one of plaintiff's ongoing experiments are expected to be presented at a scientific symposium in a few months. In his experiments, plaintiff uses various serums and blood samples. He also uses laboratory rats, which must be specially acclimatized to plaintiff's laboratory conditions before they can be used.

By letter dated September 16, 1980, plaintiff was notified by defendant J. H. Caldwell, Jr., Regional Director of the VA, that his dismissal had been proposed. This notification specified in some detail the charges against plaintiff.³ Plaintiff was informed that he had the right to reply to the charges either orally or in writing, and that he could submit affidavits in support of his reply. He was told that the evidence against him was available for his review in the Personnel Office of the Medical Center, and that he was allowed eight hours of official duty time in which to review this evidence. He was also told that his proposed dismissal would not become effective until at least thirty days from the date of the notice. A decision upon the proposed dismissal was promised as soon as possible after plaintiff responded to the charges.

By letter dated October 14, 1980, addressed to defendant Dr. Turner Camp, the Associate Deputy Chief Medical Director of the VA, plaintiff responded to the charges. This reply was lengthy and quite detailed, and leaves no doubt that plaintiff understood the charges. By letter dated October 31, 1980, plaintiff's attorney similarly responded to the charges. Though plaintiff's attorney in this letter requests further specification of certain of the allegations against plaintiff in order that she might more fully respond to these charges on plaintiff's behalf, she responds to the charges in great detail, leaving no doubt that she, too, was fully aware of the charges. In light of this response, the request for further information is properly viewed as nothing more than rhetorical questions. Plaintiff's attorney supplemented her response on November 4, 1980.

By letter dated December 30, 1980, plaintiff was informed by Dr. Murray Mitts, Acting Associate Deputy Chief Medical Director of the VA, that the decision had been made to dismiss him, effective January 16, 1980. Plaintiff was informed of his right to appeal the decision to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Plaintiff subsequently filed such an appeal on January 14, 1981.

By mailgram dated January 9, 1981, plaintiff requested of Dr. Mitts that the dismissal not be made effective until plaintiff received an opportunity for a hearing before the Merit Systems Protection Board. This request was denied.⁴

The Merit Systems Protection Board is empowered to restore plaintiff to his position and award back pay should it subsequently be determined that his dismissal was not justified. There is no assurance, however, as to when a decision by the Board would be forthcoming. In the meantime, plaintiff has been instructed to make arrangements to dismantle and discontinue the operations of his laboratory.

Upon the effective date of his discharge, plaintiff would be required to make arrangements for the return of his equipment to Washington University. Once the equipment is returned to Washington University, it is out of plaintiff's control and there can be no assurance that he would be able to retrieve the equipment should he subsequently be reinstated. The VA has agreed to store this equipment pending the Board's decision, if that arrangement is suitable to Washington University. The VA has indicated that it will take control of the equipment owned by the government presently in plaintiff's laboratory. Should plaintiff be reinstated, the VA would provide him with equipment necessary for his work, though it has not guaranteed that plaintiff would receive the same equipment again.

Likewise, though the VA has assured plaintiff that he will be given appropriate laboratory space for his research should he be reinstated, it can not be guaranteed that plaintiff will again be assigned to this ten room laboratory. Furthermore, it would take many months to again make the laboratory operational.

The two VA employees presently working for plaintiff would be reassigned by the VA. Should plaintiff be reinstated, these employees would be reassigned to plaintiff should they so request.

In dismantling and discontinuing the operation of his laboratory, plaintiff's blood and serum samples would be ruined. Though it is possible to freeze such samples, the scientific validity of future experiments would be undermined by such actions. Some of plaintiff's samples are quite rare and would be difficult to reobtain.

Perhaps most importantly, the many months of research and experimentation invested in plaintiff's ongoing experiments would be wasted if plaintiff was forced to discontinue those experiments pending the outcome of the Board's hearing. Plaintiff would be required to begin these experiments anew after his laboratory was again in operation.

Plaintiff claims that due to these substantial hardships he should be afforded a full hearing prior to the effective date of his dismissal. He claims that subsequent reinstatement with back pay can not compensate for the substantial harm caused by dismantling and discontinuation of his laboratory operations, should the discharge subsequently be found to be wrongful. Plaintiff claims that he has a Due Process right under the Fifth Amendment not to be discharged without a prior hearing, and that defendants have failed to follow the applicable statutory procedures in connection with his discharge.

The Eighth Circuit has recently reviewed the showing necessary to the grant of a preliminary injunction. The Court concluded in Dataphase Systems, Inc. v. C L Systems, Inc., 640 F.2d 109 at 114 (1981) that:

In sum, whether a preliminary injunction should issue involves a consideration of (1) the threat of irreparable harm to the plaintiff, (2) the state of balance between this harm and the injury that granting the injunction will inflict on the other parties litigant; (3) the probability that plaintiff will succeed on the merits; and (4) the public interest.

None of the above factors is necessarily determinative. The determination of whether to grant a preliminary injunction involves a consideration of all these factors. Id. at 113. In effect, the Eighth Circuit has adopted a sliding-scale analysis, in which a strong showing on one criterion may lessen the showing necessary for the others. Cf. State of Texas v. Seatrain International, S. A., 518 F.2d 175 (5th Cir. 1975); Baker v. School Bd. of Marion County, Fla., 487 F.Supp. 380 (M.D.Fla.1980); Schrank v. Bliss, 412 F.Supp. 28 (M.D.Fla.1976). In view of all the evidence, this Court must conclude that plaintiff's request for a preliminary injunction...