Filed Date: March 10, 2025
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
This is a challenge to the second Trump administration's mass firings of federal employees classified as "probationary." (To see the Clearinghouse's collection of civil-service-related legal challenges to actions by the second Trump administration, click here.)
On March 11, 2025, eight probationary employees previously employed by various federal agencies filed this class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, naming the agency heads of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, and the Government Services Administration as defendants. They were represented by the Center for Employment Justice. The Plaintiffs challenged the termination of their employment, and they brought the lawsuit on behalf of "all probationary employees of the Defendant Agencies terminated between January 20, 2025, to the present that received a termination communication stating that termination was due to poor performance, poor conduct, or performance not in the public interest, without any evidence of said poor performance, poor conduct, or performance not in the public interest." They alleged that their termination violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act. The Plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief.
On March 13, the case was assigned to District Judge Rudolph Contreras. Judge Contreras already had before him Schechter v. Collins, another case challenging the firing of a federal employee as "probationary" and for "poor performance" (which the Clearinghouse summarized here).
The Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on March 21, 2025. It included an additional individual plaintiff, as well as the agency heads of the Navy and the Office of Personnel Management as defendants.
On March 27, 2025, the Plaintiffs filed a preliminary injunction motion. Additional briefing is scheduled through April 30.
This case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Lacie Melasi (3/23/2025)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69723263/parties/gober-v-collins/
Keith, Pamela M. (District of Columbia)
Eckrote, Kaitlin Kerry (District of Columbia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69723263/gober-v-collins/
Last updated April 21, 2025, 3:13 p.m.
State / Territory: District of Columbia
Case Type(s):
Presidential/Gubernatorial Authority
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government (Appointments/Civil Service)
Key Dates
Filing Date: March 10, 2025
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Nine probationary employees previously employed by various federal agencies on behalf a class "of similarly situated federal probationary employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of the Treasury, Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Government Services Administration."
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Pending
Defendants
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (- United States (national) -), Federal
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (- United States (national) -), Federal
U.S. Department of the Treasury (- United States (national) -), Federal
U.S. Department of Commerce (- United States (national) -), Federal
U.S. Government Services Administration (- United States (national) -), Federal
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (- United States (national) -), Federal
U.S. Navy (- United States (national) -), Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Presidential/Gubernatorial Authority: