Steffan v. Aspin
| Decision Date | 07 January 1994 |
| Docket Number | No. 91-5409,91-5409 |
| Citation | 8 F.3d 57,303 U.S.App.D.C. 404 |
| Parties | 63 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. (BNA) 300, 63 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 42,668, 303 U.S.App.D.C. 404, 62 USLW 2309, 87 Ed. Law Rep. 32 Joseph C. STEFFAN, Appellant, v. Les ASPIN, Secretary of Defense, et al. |
| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals — District of Columbia Circuit |
Midshipman brought action challenging Department of Defense (DOD) regulations prohibiting persons with homosexual orientation from serving in the Navy or attending the Naval Academy. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Oliver Gasch, Senior District Judge, ruled that regulations did not violate equal protection, 780 F.Supp. 1, and midshipman appealed. The Court of Appeals, Mikva, Chief Judge, held that regulations under which Navy compelled midshipman to resign from Naval Academy solely because he admitted his homosexual orientation violated the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment's due process clause.
Reversed.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (D.C. Civ. No. 88-3669).
Marc Wolinsky, argued the cause for appellant. With him on the briefs were Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Norman Redlich, William C. Sterling, Jr., and Vineet Bhatia, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Calvin Steinmetz, Steinmetz, Weinberg and Moats.
Anthony J. Steinmeyer, Atty., U.S. Dept. of Justice, argued the cause, for appellees. With him on the brief were J. Ramsey Johnson, Acting U.S. Atty., and E. Roy Hawkins, Atty., U.S. Dept. of Justice.
On the brief for amici curiae, the American Jewish Committee was David McBride. With him on the briefs, the Asian-American Legal Defense Fund, the American Jewish Congress and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund.
On the brief for amicus curiae The American Ass'n of University Professors were Robert C. Post, Scott L. Nelson, and Ann H. Franke. Mark D. Laponsky entered an appearance.
On the brief for amici curiae NOW Legal Defense and Educ. Fund, et al., were Deborah A. Ellis and Anne L. Clark.
On the brief for amici curiae The American Civil Liberties Union AIDS Project, et al., were Steven R. Shapiro and Arthur B. Spitzer.
Before: MIKVA, Chief Judge, WALD and EDWARDS, Circuit Judges.
Opinion for the Court filed by Chief Judge MIKVA.
Joseph Steffan was, by all accounts, an exceptional midshipman as he prepared to graduate from the United States Naval Academy in 1987. Mr. Steffan's exemplary performance at the Academy had earned him numerous honors and the respect and praise of his superior officers. Most notably, he was selected in his senior year to serve as Battalion Commander, one of the Academy's ten highest ranking midshipmen. But only six weeks before his expected graduation, the Academy forced Mr. Steffan to resign--denying him a degree and a commission in the Navy--after he truthfully answered, "Yes, sir" to a superior officer's question, "[A]re you a homosexual?" In dismissing Mr. Steffan, the Academy applied Department of Defense Directives instructing that "[h]omosexuality is incompatible with military service," and mandating discharge of any servicemember who "has stated that he or she is a homosexual or bisexual, unless there is a further finding that the member is not a homosexual or bisexual." 32 C.F.R. Part 41, App.A §§ H.1.a, H.1.c(2). Mr. Steffan argues that his constructive discharge, based solely on his homosexual orientation, violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause. He further argues that the truncated procedures the Navy used in effecting that discharge were arbitrary and capricious, violating both the equal protection component and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Because we find no rational basis for the Directives under which the Navy excluded Mr. Steffan solely because he truthfully admitted his sexual orientation, we hold that these Directives are facially unconstitutional. We need not and do not decide the alternative procedural claims because, under the plain mandate of the Directives, Mr. Steffan's discharge was inevitable and would have occurred under any procedures through which the Navy may have chosen to effectuate it.
In February 1987, Joseph C. Steffan was one of the most promising students at the United States Naval Academy ("Academy"). He had received consistently outstanding marks for his leadership and military performance. By his sophomore year, his instructors considered him "gifted," an "outstanding performer" who had "exhibited excellent leadership." He was praised as an "asset to the Academy." In his junior year, Mr. Steffan was selected as the Regimental Commander of one half of his class. His stellar evaluations continued: Mr. Steffan was a "model for his classmates and subordinates," whose "training [was] best characterized by his constant dedication to superior performance." None questioned that he would "undoubtedly make an outstanding naval officer." In his senior year, Mr. Steffan was selected as Battalion Commander, one of the ten highest ranking midshipmen at the Academy. In this capacity, Mr. Steffan had direct command over one-sixth of the Academy's 4,500 midshipmen.
In addition to his outstanding military performance, Mr. Steffan also excelled at extracurricular activities. In his senior year, he served as President and Cantor of the Catholic Choir and as premier soloist of the Glee Club. In his junior and senior years he sang the National Anthem as a soloist on national television at the Army-Navy game, for which he earned a Citation from the Superintendent of the Academy. It appeared that the sky was the limit for Mr. Steffan's career in the United States Navy.
But Joseph Steffan's promising military career was not to be realized. In February 1987, the Naval Intelligence Service ("NIS") received a report from the Academy alleging that Mr. Steffan had stated to another student that he was gay. The NIS commenced an investigation. When Mr. Steffan learned of the investigation, he asked an Academy Chaplain to intercede on his behalf with the Commandant of Midshipmen, Captain H.W. Habermeyer, in hopes that he would be allowed to graduate. The Chaplain was unable to convince Captain Habermeyer, who advised only that Mr. Steffan seek legal counsel. Several days later, Mr. Steffan himself approached Captain Habermeyer to request a meeting with the Superintendent. Captain Habermeyer asked him, "Are you willing to state at this time that you are a homosexual?" Mr. Steffan responded, "Yes, sir." He then asked Captain Habermeyer if he would be allowed to graduate. The Captain told him it was unlikely and asked him what he would do in that event. Mr. Steffan responded, "I guess I would have to leave the Naval Academy." Captain Habermeyer then informed Mr. Steffan that he would convene a Brigade Military Performance Board the next day and that he would arrange for a psychological evaluation.
At the Performance Board hearing, Mr. Steffan declined to present any evidence to show that he was not a homosexual. Captain Konetzni, the Deputy Commandant and presiding officer, stated that Mr. Steffan's performance at the Academy had been "outstanding." Captain Konetzni then asked Mr. Steffan, "I'd like your word, are you a homosexual?" Mr. Steffan responded, "Yes, sir." At that point, the hearing was terminated. After secret deliberations, the Board decided to change Mr. Steffan's military performance rating from an "A" to an "F", to suspend him from classes, and to recommend his discharge for "insufficient aptitude for commissioned service."
Based on this recommendation, an Academic Board was convened on April 1, 1987; after a hearing, it too recommended Mr. Steffan's discharge. Subsequently, Mr. Steffan met with the Conduct Officer, Major Funk, who advised him to resign. Major Funk noted that Mr. Steffan's discharge was a foregone conclusion and that it would necessitate a notation on the record of his homosexuality. Major Funk opined that Mr. Steffan's job prospects would suffer from such a notation. Mr. Steffan followed the Major's advice. On April 1, 1987, a mere six weeks before he was to graduate after nearly four years of exemplary performance, Mr. Steffan submitted his resignation from the Academy.
But on December 9, 1988, Mr. Steffan wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, asking that his resignation be withdrawn and that he be awarded his diploma. On February 9, 1989, based on the advice of the Superintendent of the Naval Academy, the Secretary denied that request. The sole stated basis of this denial was Mr. Steffan's status as a homosexual, as revealed by his unrebutted admission before the Performance Board.
Mr. Steffan filed this action on December 29, 1988. He claims that the defendants, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, the Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and the Academy's Commandant of Midshipmen (collectively, "Secretary"), denied him the equal protection of the laws when they forced him to resign solely because of his homosexual orientation. In the alternative, Mr. Steffan alleges that the Secretary both denied him equal protection and violated the Administrative Procedure Act when the Academy truncated his discharge proceedings. His case has reached this Court on two prior occasions. On the first occasion, we reversed the district court's order dismissing this case for discovery violations when Mr. Steffan refused to answer questions in deposition designed to elicit whether he had engaged in any homosexual conduct. Steffan v. Cheney, 920 F.2d 74 (D.C.Cir.1990). On the second occasion, in an unpublished opinion, we upheld the district judge's refusal to recuse himself for his prior references to gays and lesbians as "homos."
The district court entered summary judgment for the Secretary on December 9, 1991. In a lengthy opinion, the...
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