Defendant has moved for summary judgment over plaintiff’s opposition.
FACTS
In stating the operative facts, the court draws heavily on plaintiff’s affidavit executed on January 30,1983, and has accorded plaintiff’s factual contentions the most favorable reading the record can support. Plaintiff, an electrical engineer, with over 17 years’ experience, including eleven months’
During August 1975, the Veterans Administration notified plaintiff that he was under consideration for the position of electrical engineer with the Northampton Veterans Administration Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts (“VA Hospital”). The pоsition was to be filled by appointment from a register. Personal and telephone interviews followed with personnel of the VA Des Moines facility and the VA Hospital. Plaintiff was not advised at any time before accepting employment that the position would be subject to a probationary period, and plaintiff avers his understanding that the position was permanent.
Plaintiff began his career-conditional appointment with the VA Hospital as a GS-11 electrical engineer on October 28,1975, and was separated on October 15, 1976, for fаilure to meet acceptable job performance standards. Plaintiff states that he per
Prior to plaintiffs separation, his supervisors afforded counseling sessions regarding his performance. On August 25, 1976, plaintiff was subjected to a certification by his supervisor that his performance was unsatisfactory. On September 28, 1976, a report recommending against a within-grade step increase indicated that plaintiff’s work was not of an acceptable level of competence, and he was notified by lеtter dated September 30,1976, that he would be terminated. The termination letter recited the following reasons for plaintiff’s separation:
[It is] based on your inability to carry out assigned duties as an Electrical Engineer at the Grade 11 level. You did not recognize the electrical sub-contractor’s variance from drawings made in connection with electrical work on the Ward 3 elevator project. You were unable to write specifications or sketches for Ward 12 drawings, nor for the hold-open device for the fire door. You do not take initiative in carrying out projects to be accomplished as expected at your grade level.
Thereafter, in December 1976, plaintiff initiated a formal EEO complaint based on discrimination, the only ground available for a probationary employee to challenge dismissal under 5 C.F.R. § 315.806 (1976), other than an appeal based on improper procedure. A final agency decision in January 1978 sustained the termination. On February 14, 1979, plaintiff filed his complaint in the Massachusetts federal district court,
On December 2, 1982, defendant moved for summary judgment, which plaintiff resisted in a brief filed on January 31, 1983. Thereafter, defendant replied on March 9, and oral argument, as requested by plaintiff, followed on April 15, 1983.
DISCUSSION
Jurisdiction
The initial hurdle in this case is jurisdictional. Plaintiff fails to allege jurisdiction in this court, and, as pointed out by Hon. Frank H. Freedman in his August 25, 1982 Memorandum incident to transferring plaintiff’s case to the Court of Claims, the many other jurisdictional predicates advanced by plaintiff both in that court (and here)
However, Judge Freedman stated:
With regard to plaintiff’s alternative claim for relief of a hearing comporting with due process, I find this is also a question for the Court of Claims. Although plaintiff’s claim for injunctive and declaratory relief for alleged due process violations is within the jurisdiction of this court, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331, it is coupled with a claim for damages in excess of $10,000. By joining all claims, jurisdiction lies exclusively in the Court of Claims.
In transferring plaintiff’s monetary, declaratory, injunctive, and constitutional claims, Judge Freedman relied on Cook v. Arentzen,
Plaintiff in Smith sought appointment to a position he had never held, rendering the Back Pay Act inapplicable. Plaintiff here asks for back pay and reinstatement to a position previously held, which ancilliary relief the Court of Claims has power to grant “as an incident to a money judgment.”
Scope of Plaintiff’s Claims
Plaintiff advances two theories of recovery: wrongful termination of employment and equitable estoppel to enforce probаtionary status based on the failure timely to advise plaintiff that he was subject to a one-year probation. An alleged property or liberty interest appears to be an aspect of the latter theory. While the former theory is set forth as a cause of action in the complaint, the second emerged
Promissory and Equitable Estoppel
Plaintiff’s second theory is first discussed. One issue is whether plaintiff makes out a claim for equitable estoppel or whether he actually is advancing a claim based on promissory estoppel.
Jablon v. United States,
The difference between the doctrines can best be explained by observing that promissory estoppel is used to create a cause of action, whereas equitable estop-pel is used to bar a party from raising a defense or objection it otherwise would have, or from instituting an action which it is entitled to institute. Promissory es-toppel is a sword, and equitable estoppel is a shield.
The Ninth Circuit further stated:
*308 Dr. Jablon’s promissory estoppel theory is not included within the parameters of the Tucker Act because it is not an “express or implied-in-fact contract” theory.... Moreover, our research reveals no cases construing the Tucker Act that have included awards based upon a promissory estoppel theory. We therefore conclude that the government has not waived its sovereign immunity with regard to a promissory estoppel cause of action.
Id. at 1070 (emphasis added). The Court of Claims in Radioptics, Inc. v. United States,
Insofar as plaintiff is using estoppel to regain his employment based on a contract implied in law — arguing that he was offered a permanent position, as opposed to arguing that defendant is precluded from asserting the probationary period a bar to his claim — this case can be viewed as based on promissory estoppel. Chief Judge Kozinski remarked in a lawsuit brought by another probationary employee:
[T]his is a court of very limited jurisdiction. Because all claims brought are against the United States and therefore involve a waiver of sovereign immunity ..., the court must exercise not only the traditional reluctance of federal courts to act absent specific statutory authorization ..., but an additional measure of restraint growing from the principle that waivers of sovereign immunity must be narrowly construed.
Connolly v. United States,
Assuming arguendo, however, that plaintiff’s claim is based on equitable estoppel, the result dоes not change. Plaintiff relies on Kaye v. United States,
Liberty Interest
Although plaintiff refers to a “property right,” in his complaint,
If the consent to be sued here ever included the back pay claim of one having no property interest in his job, and legally aggrieved solely because of derogatory material in government files generated by his firing, we think that consent is withdrawn by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a. It provides an administrative remedy for one so aggrieved, and if he is unsuccessful with that, he can sue in the U.S. District Court, including a suit for correction of his record. 5 U.S.C. § 552a(g)(1).
Malicious and Arbitrary Termination
Plaintiff’s employment with the VA Hospital terminated pursuant to 5 C.F.R. § 315.804, which provides in full:
When an agency decides to terminate an employee serving a probationary or trial period because his work performance or conduct during this period fails to demonstrate his fitness or his qualifications for continued emрloyment, it shall terminate his services by notifying him in writing as to why he is being separated and the effective date of the action. The information in the notice as to why the employee is being terminated shall, as a minimum, consist of the agency’s conclusions as to the inadequacies of his performance or conduct.
(Emphasis added.)
The standards for judicial review of administrative action in civilian pay cases, and particularly those involving probation
An impediment to summary disposition is that Horne and Dargo issued after trial as to whether thе termination was undertaken in good faith in circumstances where the notices of termination, as here, gave reasons related to job performance.
Plaintiff does not dispute that he was advised of the VA Hospital’s conclusions as to the inadequacies of his performance or conduct. Under the Horne-Dargo approach, he alleges that the reasons offered were so lacking in rational support that they must be characterized as arbitrаry and capricious:
21. On information and belief, the allegations that my work in any capacity— including non-electrical engineer work— were completely pre-textural and entirely groundless.
22. On at least three occasions, even until the every end of my tenure with the Veterans Administration, there was no hesitancy whatsoever in appointing me acting Chief Engineer for the entire Veterans Administration Medical Center.
23. I was terminated within the year after beginning my employment with the Veterans Administration Hospital in Northampton, and this termination was not justified by my work performance. There is absolutely no rational support for my firing.
24. I believe that the Veterans Administration acted arbitrarily, capriciously and maliciously in terminating my employment as an electrical engineer with the Veterans Administration.
Biagioli Affidavit, ¶¶ 21-24.
Plaintiff cites Heaphy v. United States Treasury Department,
The Court of Claims reacted similarly in Baginsky v. United States,
The court concludes that under Shaw and Perlongo and later cases, which were decided on summary judgment, plaintiff’s allegations must supply a substantial justification to overturn the agency determination, given that the VA Hospital set forth work-related reasons for the termination.
CONCLUSION
Defendant’s motion for summary judgment is granted, and the complaint will be dismissed.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Notes
. Although plaintiff’s affidavit recites that he completed a full year of prior federal service (Affidavit of Dario P. Biagioli, ¶ 3 (Jan. 30, 1983)), defendant offered plaintiffs standard Form 50 Notification of Personnel Action and Resignation for that employment, which revealed that he served from February 15, 1951, through January 18, 1952 — a period of eleven months. Because plaintiff does not dispute the accuraсy of these records, his claim that the Veterans Administration could have credited him with the completion of one year in probationary status, 5 C.F.R. § 315.801(a)(2) (1976), and reinstated him as a permanent employee, 5 C.F.R. § 315.401 (1976), will not be considered further. In any event, plaintiff was appointed to the position, not reinstated. Plaintiff, moreover, does not dispute defendant’s assertion that his veteran’s preference fails to augment his creditable service or qualify him for permanent status. Counsel for plaintiff advised in oral argument that plaintiff’s prior federal service and veteran’s preference were factors relevant to plaintiff’s equitable estoppel argument, i.e., that they bear on the reasonable expectation of an offer of permanent employment. See Biagioli Affidavit, ¶ 10.
Concomitant with oral argument on April 15, 1983, plaintiff filed motions for leave to file an amended complaint and an amended affidavit. The former was denied as untimely; the latter, also untimely, was allowed because the amended affidavit does not differ from the January 30, 1983 affidavit as to any material fact, and only supplements the earlier version. All references herein are to the January 30, 1983 affidavit.
. While plaintiff claims in his affidavit that representations of permanent employment were express, as well as implied (Biagioli Affidavit, ¶ 18), his deposition in federal district court proceedings, see infra note 3, is to the contrary:
Q: Was there any mеntion as to the status of your position here?
A: No.
Q: As a former government employee, did you know that you begin every position as a probationary employee?
Mr. Newman: I object.
Witness: No.
* * * * * *
Q: ... Did you make any inquiry as to what your status was going to be?
Mr. Newman: I object.
Witness: No.
Deposition of Dario P. Biagioli, at 36-37 (Feb. 4, 1982). The conflict is resolved by the affidavit itself which specifies implied representations. Biagioli Affidavit, ¶¶ 8, 9, 12.
. Biagioli v. Cleland, et al., Civ.Act. No. 79-0310-F (D.Mass., filed Feb. 14, 1979).
. 5 U.S.C. §§ 701-706 (1976) (judicial review of final agency action); 28 U.S.C. § 1361 (original jurisdiction in nature of mandamus to compel a U.S. officer or employee to perform a duty owed to plaintiff); 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (original jurisdiction based on Constitution or laws of United States with over $10,000 in issue); 28 U.S.C. § 1337 (original jurisdiction of civil action arising under an act of Congress regulating commerce); 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201-02 (the Declaratory Judgment Act).
. Paragraph 17 of plaintiff’s complaint avers that “he had a legitimate expectation of permanent federal employment....” based on representations made to him at the time of hiring by the Veterans Administratiоn and the VA Hospital.
. The facts of the case cannot support an implied-in-fact contract because “it is well established that the federal employment relationship is a statutory rather than contractual one.... ” Connolly v. United States,
. Complaint, ¶ 8.
. While one’s reputation and good name are an element of the liberty interest in federal employment, Wisconsin v. Constantineau,
Thus, in order to invoke deрrivation of due process with respect to a liberty interest, plaintiff “must establish that in the course of terminating his employment, the agency prepared a report, without giving him notice and an opportunity to be heard which was (a) false, (b) stigmatizing, and (c) published.” Huffstutler v. Bergland,
As stated in defendant’s brief, the reasons for plaintiffs termination have not been made public. (Indeed, none of the rejection letters from prospective employers attached to his brief makes any reference to plaintiffs termination.) Based on the foregoing, assuming that plaintiff properly alleged jurisdiction on this claim, neither stigma nor publicity has been sufficiently delineated to withstand defendant’s motion for summary judgment. RUSCC 56(e); see Lehner v. United States,
. Plaintiffs supplemental affidavit, see supra note 1, added thrеe additional paragraphs elaborating on these claims that the VA Hospital’s motivations in terminating him were not work related, that he was given assignments and instructions calculated to create the appearance of an inability to meet job standards, and that his superiors made false representations concerning his work.
. A comparison of plaintiffs job description with the reasons in the termination letter demonstrates the requisite relationship. Plaintiff’s claim that he was only given his formal job description after eight months’ employment (Biagioli Affidavit, ¶ 20) has been accepted by the court for purposes of this motion. But see Biagioli Dep. at 32-34.
