The PennZone

WASHINGTON - PennZone -- Oral arguments have been scheduled for next month in the case of Anthony Perry vs Gina Raimondo, et. al, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Nathaniel A.G. Zelinsky, with Hogan Lovells, filed an amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on behalf of Anthony Perry. The brief states the District Court erred when it declined to consider Perry's discrimination claims de novo against his former employer, the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Perry, who served as a Supervisory Information Technology Specialist with Commerce's Census Bureau, says officials trumped up charges against him. They then used a settlement agreement to pressure him into dropping EEO complaints against the department.

"After 29 years of dedicated federal service I was pressured into early retirement or face termination without a pension," said Perry.

More on The PennZone

• Top 5 Most Reliable Used Vans in the UK in 2026
• Dominican Fashion Designer Raiza Bonaparte presents the Sovereign Despampanante Collection at the Library of Congress
• Roohid Parast on How AI Is Changing What Bench Scientists Can Do
• What Happens When Congress Says No? New Book Examines the Boland Amendments, Iran-Contra Affair & Jamaican Posse, as US Congress Debate Over Military
• Warm, Dry Summer Forecast Points to a Stronger Wasp and Yellowjacket Season Across the Pacific Northwest

After signing the agreement, Perry fought to have his case heard in judicial forums including the Merit Systems Protection Board and later the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. However, both claimed they had no jurisdiction to hear the case. Eventually, Perry made it to the Supreme Court.

In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that judicial review of Perry's case rested in the district court. It sent the case back to the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Rather than review Perry's case, Presiding Judge Chutkan dismissed it. In 2022, Chutkan rejected the high court's ruling. On September 30, 2022, in a Memorandum of Opinion, Judge Chutkan opined:

"Unfortunately for Perry, this Court will not reach his discrimination claims either but instead will affirm the Merit Systems Protection Board's (MSPB or "Board") decision dismissing his claims for lack of jurisdiction."

More on The PennZone

• Qscription Technologies Appoints Anurag Velekkatt Sunil Kumar to Drive Enterprise Scale
• SafeBets Named Presenting Sponsor of IMCX 2026, Bringing Its No-Deposit Prediction Platform to the Creator Economy's Deal-Making Conference
• Turnstone Creative's Ashley Russo Serves as Emcee for United Way's 2026 NERC and Women's Summit
• A New Pulse for Cardiac Care in Baltimore: St. Elizabeth Rehab & Nursing Welcomes Dr. Hakim Uqdah and Expands Advanced Heart Program
• Lighthouse 153 Brings Fresh Seafood, Craft Beer, and Coastal Charm to Downtown Hanover This Summer

David Grogan a retired supervisory deputy U.S. marshal who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, relates an account of a similar settlement. "I will attend the Perry case oral arguments," says Grogan, who led a $300 million lawsuit against the Justice Department. "Like Anthony Perry and many truth-telling employees, I was subjected to tremendous retaliation from my employer and forced to drop claims against the Department.

"Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C) members applaud Anthony Perry's resolve to challenge government coercion," say Tanya Ward Jordan, C4C's President. " It is common for rogue federal officials to come up with settlement agreements and then use them to silence employees who report unlawful acts. MSPB and EEOC protection rarely extend to civil servants who are victimized and public safety is often compromised."

The oral argument is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., February 12, 2024, in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.