No. 19-586

Devona Hollingsworth v. Department of Veterans Affairs

Lower Court: Federal Circuit
Docketed: 2019-11-06
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Experienced Counsel
Tags: due-process employment-rights federal-employment merit-systems-protection-board military-service opm-regulations probationary-period reemployment-rights termination uniformed-services userra
Key Terms:
Environmental SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2020-04-24
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Are USERRA's reemployment rights applicable to federal employees during their probationary period?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1984 (USERRA) provides reemployment rights to all employees serving in the uniformed services. See 38 U.S.C. §§ 4312-4318. Congress delegated the responsibility to promulgate regulations protecting the reemployment rights of federal employees serving in the uniformed services to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). See 38 U.S.C. § 4331(b)(1). In turn, OPM’s regulations state that a federal employee may not be terminated while performing duty with the uniformed services except for cause. See 5 C.F.R. § 353.209. The questions presented are: 1. Are USERRA’s reemployment rights applicable to federal employees during their probationary period? If so, may an agency-employer terminate an employee during a probationary period without considering reasonableness of the termination for the conduct in question and providing fair notice that the conduct in question would be constitute case for discharge, despite OPM’s regulations? 2. Whether the Merit Systems Protection Board committed harmful error by applying a legal standard to the reemployment rights of a probationary employee serving in the uniformed services that conflicts with USERRA and the corresponding regulations as promulgated by OPM? i PARTIES The petitioner is Devona Hollingsworth. The respondent is the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Docket Entries

2020-04-27
Petition DENIED.
2020-04-08
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/24/2020.
2020-04-06
Reply of petitioner Devona Hollingsworth filed. (Distributed)
2020-03-20
Motion of petitioner to delay distribution of the petition for a writ of certiorari under Rule 15.5 from March 25, 2020 to April 8, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
2020-03-20
Motion to delay distribution of the petition for a writ certiorari until April 8, 2020, granted.
2020-03-06
Brief of respondent Department of Veterans Affairs in opposition filed.
2020-01-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including March 6, 2020.
2020-01-29
Motion to extend the time to file a response from February 5, 2020 to March 6, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
2020-01-02
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including February 5, 2020.
2019-12-31
Motion to extend the time to file a response from January 6, 2020 to February 5, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
2019-12-04
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including January 6, 2020.
2019-12-03
Motion to extend the time to file a response from December 6, 2019 to January 6, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
2019-11-01
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 6, 2019)

Attorneys

Department of Veterans Affairs
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Devona Hollingsworth
Joseph D MagriMerkle & Magri, PA, Petitioner
Joseph D MagriMerkle & Magri, PA, Petitioner