Case: Doe v. Collins

President Donald Trump

COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-11543818) filed by Jane Doe, et al.. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons)(Branch, David) (Entered: 03/14/2025)

1 Civil Cover Sheet

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2 Summons

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3 Summons

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4 Summons

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SEALED MOTION to Proceed Under Pseudonym filed by Jane Doe, et al. (Attachments: # 1 Affidavit)(Branch, David) (Entered: 03/14/2025)

NOTICE OF RELATED CASE by All Plaintiffs. Case related to Case No. 1:25-cv-00716. (Branch, David) (Entered: 03/27/2025)

MEMORANDUM OPINION and ORDER: The Court ORDERS that: 1) Plaintiffs' 2 Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART, subject to any further consideration by the United States District Judge to whom this case is randomly assigned; 2) All parties shall use the pseudonyms listed in the Complaint in all documents filed in this action; and 3) Within 14 days of this Order, Plaintiffs shall file: (i) a pseudonymous version of their 2 Motion and any attachments on the public docket; and (ii) a Notice containing their real names and addresses, filed under seal. Signed by Chief Judge James E. Boasberg on April 9, 2025. (lcjeb2) (Entered: 04/09/2025)

MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order by JANE DOE 1-6. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Exhibit, # 3 Exhibit, # 4 Exhibit, # 5 Exhibit, # 6 Exhibit, # 7 Exhibit, # 8 Exhibit, # 9 Exhibit, # 10 Text of Proposed Order)(Branch, David) (Entered: 04/18/2025)

1 Memorandum in Support

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2 Exhibit

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3 Exhibit

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4 Exhibit

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5 Exhibit

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6 Exhibit

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7 Exhibit

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8 Exhibit

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9 Exhibit

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10 Text of Proposed Order

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SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to DOUGLAS A. COLLINS, U.S. Attorney, and U.S. Attorney General. (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent) (zjd) (Entered: 04/18/2025)

Case Assigned/Reassigned

.Order

Case Assigned to Judge Beryl A. Howell. (zjd)

MINUTE ORDER (paperless), upon consideration of plaintiffs' 1 Complaint in this case, which was directly, rather than randomly assigned to the undersigned Judge, this Court concludes that plaintiffs' 3 Notice of Related Case ("Notice"), indicating that this case is "related" to another case in front of this Court, Perkins Coie LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice et al., 25-cv-716 (BAH), is erroneous, since these two cases are not related in a manner contemplated by D.D.C. LCvR 40.5(a)(3) (defining related civil cases) and 40.5(c)(1) (allowing direct assignment of "new case to the judge to whom the oldest related case is assigned").LCvR 40.5(a)(3) provides that cases may properly be deemed related when, as pertinent here, they "(ii) involve common issues of fact, or (iii) grow out of the same event or transaction..." This case and Perkins Coie do not involve common issues of fact or arise out of the same event or transaction. While both cases involve challenges to Executive Orders issued by the Trump administration, the factual similarities end there. The instant case involves a challenge, by former employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Benefit Administration ("VBA") Office of Equity Assurance ("OEA"), to the designation of that office as a DEIA office and the subsequent closure of that office and termination of plaintiffs' employment, pursuant to Executive Order 14151, 90 Fed. Reg. 8339 (Jan. 20, 2025), entitled "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing," id. See generally 1 Compl. Perkins Coie, meanwhile, involves a challenge to a wholly different EO, Executive Order 14230 ("EO 14230"), 90 Fed. Reg. 11781 (Mar. 6, 2025), which targeted a specific private law firm for punitive measures based on the President's dislike of that law firm's representation of his political opponent (i.e., "Hillary Clinton"), id. § 1, and the firm's representation, sometimes pro bono, of clients seeking enforcement of voting rights (i.e., "Perkins Coie has worked with activist donors... to judicially overturn popular, necessary, and democratically enacted election laws"; referring to work for what the E.O. calls "anti-democratic election changes"), id. §§ 1, 3, and rights to continue service as transgender individuals in the U.S. Military (i.e., "Perkins Coie LLP has filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration, including one designed to reduce military readiness"), see Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Addresses Risks from Perkins Coie LLP (Mar. 6, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-adresses-risks-from-perkins-coie-llp/. The mere fact that Perkins Coie also involves some claims by the government about diversity issues, see id.; EO 14230 § 1, 90 Fed. Reg. at 11781, provides no basis to find these two cases, which arise from entirely separate factual circumstances, should be related. Strict adherence to the normal process of random case assignment is crucial to ensure "fair and equal distribution of cases to all judges, avoid[] public perception or appearance of favoritism in assignments, and reduce[] opportunities for judge-shopping," Tripp v. Exec. Off. of President, 196 F.R.D. 201, 202 (D.D.C. 2000), and the reasons given to justify these orders do not involve the same underlying events or facts in the way contemplated by LCvR 40.5(a)(3). Accordingly, the Clerk of the Court is directed to reassign this case randomly, pursuant to D.D.C. LCvR 40.3, since the exception provided for "related case" assignment in D.D.C. LCvR 40.5 does not apply. Signed by Judge Beryl A. Howell on April 18, 2025. (lcbah2)

Case Reassigned to Judge Rudolph Contreras. Judge Beryl A. Howell is no longer assigned to the case. (zjd)

NOTICE of Appearance by M. Jared Littman on behalf of DOUGLAS A. COLLINS (Littman, M.) (Entered: 04/21/2025)

.Order

SCHEDULING MINUTE ORDER: It is hereby ORDERED that the following briefing schedule shall govern further proceedings in this matter: Defendant shall file a response to 5 Plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order on or before April 25, 2025; and Plaintiffs shall file a reply on or before April 27, 2025. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 04/21/2025. (lcrc3)

Memorandum in opposition to re 5 MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order filed by DOUGLAS A. COLLINS. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration Declaration of Tracey Therit, # 2 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 1 (DEIA RIF Plan, Jan. 31, 2025), # 3 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 2 (VA Functional Organization Manual - Office of Equity Assurance), # 4 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 3 (Example of Administrative Leave Notice), # 5 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 4 (Example of Specific Reduction in Force Notice), # 6 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 5 (Example of Rescission Notice), # 7 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 6 (Example of Initial RIF Notice), # 8 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 7 (DEIA RIF Plan, Mar. 13, 2025), # 9 Exhibit Declaration Ex. 8 (Example of Specific RIF Notice))(Littman, M.) (Entered: 04/25/2025)

MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply by JANE DOE 1-6. (Branch, David) (Entered: 04/27/2025)

REPLY to opposition to motion re 5 Motion for TRO, filed by JANE DOE 1-6. (Branch, David) (Entered: 04/28/2025)

Order on Motion for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply

MINUTE ORDER granting 9 Plaintiffs' Motion for Extension of Time: It is hereby ORDERED that Plaintiffs shall file a reply in support of their motion for a temporary restraining order on or before April 28, 2025. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 04/28/2025. (lcrc3)

MINUTE ORDER: It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall appear for a hearing on 5 Plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order on May 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM in Courtroom 23A before Judge Rudolph Contreras. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 04/30/2025. (lcrc3)

.Order

Set/Reset Hearings

Set/Reset Hearings: Motion Hearing set for 5/2/2025 at 11:00 AM in Courtroom 23A- In Person before Judge Rudolph Contreras. (tj)

NOTICE of Supplement to Defendant's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order by DOUGLAS A. COLLINS re 8 Memorandum in Opposition,,, (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Suppl. Ex. 1 (DRP 1.0), # 2 Exhibit Suppl. Ex. 2 (DRP 2.0), # 3 Exhibit Suppl. Ex. 3 (Job Announcements), # 4 Exhibit Suppl. Ex. 4 (DRP Participants), # 5 Exhibit Suppl. Ex. 5 (DRP 2.0 Extension))(Littman, M.) (Entered: 05/01/2025)

ORDER denying 5 Plaintiffs' Motion for TRO. See document for details. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 05/02/2025. (lcrc3) (Entered: 05/02/2025)

Motion Hearing

Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Rudolph Contreras: Motion Hearing held on 5/2/2025 re 5 MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order filed by JANE DOE 1-6 and John Doe 7-12. Oral argument heard and the motion is DENIED for reasons stated on the record. Parties to meet and propose a briefing schedule (for the court's review) on a motion for preliminary injunction during the seek of May 5, 2025. (Court Reporter: Tim Miller) (tj)

NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Brenda A. Gonzalez Horowitz on behalf of DOUG COLLINS Substituting for attorney Jared Littman (Gonzalez Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 06/27/2025)

.Order

MINUTE ORDER: It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall meet, confer, and submit a joint status report on or before July 17, 2025. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 07/03/2025. (lcrc3)

Set/Reset Deadlines

Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 7/17/2025 (tj)

STATUS REPORT by DOUG COLLINS. (Gonzalez Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 07/17/2025)

NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE by JANE DOE 1-6 (Branch, David) (Entered: 07/17/2025)

Notice of Voluntary Dismissal