Elgin v. Department of Treasury

Elgin v. Department of Treasury
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued February 27, 2012
Decided June 11, 2012
Full case nameMichael B. Elgin, et al., Petitioners v. Department of the Treasury, et al.
Citations567 U.S. 1 (more)
132 S. Ct. 2126, 183 L. Ed. 2d 1, 2012 U.S. LEXIS 4461, 115 FEP Cases 257, 33 IER Cases 1505, 80 U.S.L.W. 4417
Case history
PriorAppeal of removal dismissed, unpublished (MSPB); partial summary judgment granted sub nom. Elgin v. United States, 594 F. Supp. 2d 133 (D. Mass. 2009); reconsidered and vacated, 697 F. Supp. 2d 187 (D. Mass. 2010); affirmed, 641 F.3d 6 (1st Cir. 2011); cert. granted, 565 U.S. 962 (2011).
Holding
The CSRA gives exclusive jurisdiction to suits rising under the act to the MSPB, with appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and further appeals to the Supreme Court. Federal District Courts cannot rule on issues regarding the act or on adverse employment actions of the federal departments. The MSPB can hear constitutional arguments for adverse employment actions.
Court membership
Chief Justice
John Roberts
Associate Justices
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
Clarence Thomas · Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Stephen Breyer · Samuel Alito
Sonia Sotomayor · Elena Kagan
Case opinions
MajorityThomas, joined by Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Breyer, Sotomayor
DissentAlito, joined by Ginsburg, Kagan
Laws applied
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978; 5 U.S.C. § §3328; 5 U.S.C. § §7512

Elgin v. Department of the Treasury, 567 U.S. 1 (2012), was a United States Supreme Court case where the Court ruled that the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) gives exclusive jurisdiction for claims under the Act to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.[1] Additionally, the Court held that the Act bars federal district courts from ruling on matters related to the act including adverse employment actions of the federal departments, and allows the Merit Systems Protection Board to hear constitutional arguments for wrongful employee severance and adverse employment actions.[2] It was a 6–3 decision, with the majority opinion delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas. The case greatly limited the recourse of federal employees to the courts for adverse employment practices, allowing such recourse only to a few, specific courts as aforementioned.

  1. ^ Elgin v. Department of Treasury, 567 U.S. 1 (2012).
  2. ^ Favreau, JM (June 11, 2012). "Elgin v. Department of Treasury: Employees Covered by CSRA May Not Challenge Dismissal in District Court". Peer, Gan, and Gisler LLP. Retrieved August 10, 2012.