Filed Date: March 3, 2009
Closed Date: 2013
Clearinghouse coding complete
On March 3, 2009, several citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who were or had been married to same-sex partners under Massachusetts law filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, under the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201-2202, and the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 701-706, against several agencies of the federal government. The plaintiffs, represented by public interest and private counsel, asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief and for a review of administrative action, alleging equal protection violations. Specifically, the plaintiffs claimed that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates Equal Protection by refusing to recognize lawful same-sex marriages for purposes of the laws governing benefits for federal employees and retirees, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Social Security laws, thereby denying plaintiffs protections and benefits that would be available to them were their spouses of the opposite sex.
On July 8, 2010, the Court (Judge Joseph L. Tauro) granted the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment. Gill v. Office of Pers. Mgmt., 699 F.Supp.2d 374 (D. Mass. 2010). (The decision was issued the same day as Judge Tauro's decision striking down DOMA on federalism grounds, in Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services, 698 F.Supp.2d 234 (D. Mass. 2010), and the two cases were consolidated on appeal.) The court found that there was no rational justification for denying benefits and protections to married same-sex couples that were provided to their opposite-sex counterparts, and thus held that the federal government violated the equal protection principles of the Fifth Amendment by doing so. The next month, the court issued an injunction barring the federal government from applying DOMA against plaintiffs, but on motion by the defendants agreed to stay the injunction for the duration of the appeals process.
On February 24, 2011, the Department of Justice indicated to the Court of Appeals that it had come to the conclusion that DOMA is unconstitutional and would cease defending it. (It would later file a brief in support of the plaintiffs' case on September 22.) In response, the "Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives" intervened to defend the act.
On August 23, 2011, the plaintiffs moved for an initial en banc hearing to expedite the case, but despite a supporting brief from the Department of Justice, the Court of Appeals (Chief Judge Sandra L. Lynch) denied the motion. After hearing arguments on April 4, 2012, on May 31 a three-judge panel of the First Circuit (Chief Judge Lynch, Judge Michael Boudin, and Judge Juan R. Torruella) unanimously affirmed the District Court's judgment in an opinion by Judge Boudin. Massachusetts v. U.S. Dep't of Health & Human Services, No. 10-2204, 2012 WL 1948017 (1st Cir. May 31, 2012). While the Court of Appeals refrained from applying heightened scrutiny, it also declined to employ hyper-deferential rational basis review; instead, the Court held that Supreme Court precedent in cases implicating the interests of historically disadvantaged minority groups (e.g. United States Department of Agriculture v. Moreno, 413 U.S. 528 (1973), City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center, 473 U.S. 432 (1985), Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620 (1996)) and cases considering federal action in areas of traditional state concern (e.g. United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000), United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995)) suggested a more searching form of rational basis inquiry (so-called 'rational basis with bite'), and that the rationales given for DOMA did not hold up under this closer scrutiny. Injunctive relief has been stayed pending likely review by the Supreme Court; both the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives and the Department of Justice filed for certiorari review on June 29 and July 3, respectively.
On June 27, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States denied the petition for certiorari. 133 S. Ct. 2884 (2013). On July 1, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a mandate making the May 31, 2012 judgment the formal mandate of the Court.
Summary Authors
Christopher Schad (12/7/2012)
Claire Lally (2/22/2015)
Massachusetts v. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, District of Massachusetts (2009)
Hara v. Office of Personnel Management, District of Massachusetts (2009)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4273590/parties/gill-v-office-of-personnel-management/
Abell, Kenneth M. (Massachusetts)
Abernathy, Terri J (Massachusetts)
Addington, Gregory W. (Massachusetts)
Altman, Stephen D (Massachusetts)
Acker, G. Norman (Massachusetts)
Boudin, Michael (Massachusetts)
Lynch, Sandra Lea (Massachusetts)
Tauro, Joseph Louis (Massachusetts)
Torruella, Juan R. (Puerto Rico)
Abell, Kenneth M. (Massachusetts)
Abernathy, Terri J (Massachusetts)
Addington, Gregory W. (Massachusetts)
Altman, Stephen D (Massachusetts)
Armijo, Rumaldo R (Massachusetts)
Auchterlonie, Jennifer D (Massachusetts)
AUSA, Deborah M (Massachusetts)
Babu, Kavitha J (Massachusetts)
Bacchus, Renee A. (Massachusetts)
Barr, Russell D. (Massachusetts)
Barrett, David K (Massachusetts)
Bartlett, Anastasia D. (Massachusetts)
Bennett, Jared C. (Massachusetts)
Bennett, Richard Wesley (Massachusetts)
Bickett, Samuel P. (Massachusetts)
Blesi, Samuel D (Massachusetts)
Bogden, Daniel G. (Massachusetts)
Bonauto, Mary L. (Massachusetts)
Borichewski, Lisca N (Massachusetts)
Bortnick, Yael (Massachusetts)
Branda, Joyce R (Massachusetts)
Brandon, Susan S. (Massachusetts)
Brinckerhoff, Matthew D. (Massachusetts)
Brown, Aimee Woodward (Massachusetts)
Brown, Geoffrey J.L. (Massachusetts)
Burke, Matthew (Massachusetts)
Burrell, Meredith (Massachusetts)
Buseck, Gary D. (Massachusetts)
Butcher, Daniel Everett (Massachusetts)
Butler, Michael J. (Massachusetts)
Camacho, Renee L (Massachusetts)
Carman, Sean Kevin (Massachusetts)
Castorina, Janine (Massachusetts)
Chahal, Harpreet Kaur (Massachusetts)
Chan, Priscilla To-Yin (Massachusetts)
Chanoine, Hannah W (Massachusetts)
Cipriani, Cindy M (Massachusetts)
Clark, Caroline Jane (Massachusetts)
Clayton, Lindsay Laurie (Massachusetts)
Cohen, Richard Edward (Massachusetts)
Corcoran, Thomas F (Massachusetts)
Costello, James (Massachusetts)
Cotiguala, Jac A. (Massachusetts)
Cox, Melissa A. (District of Columbia)
Darmstadter, Henry C (Massachusetts)
Deneke, Catherine C. (Massachusetts)
Diaz, J. Michael (Massachusetts)
Dimock, Christina Nicole (Massachusetts)
Dishong, Megan L. (Massachusetts)
Doyle, Stephen Michael (Massachusetts)
Drake, Daniel R (Massachusetts)
Dunne, Matthew J. (District of Columbia)
Durham, Jessie Huff (Massachusetts)
Dworkin, Howard Sheldon (Massachusetts)
Eichenholtz, Seth D. (Massachusetts)
Epperley, Linda A. (Massachusetts)
Eshghi, Nima R (Massachusetts)
Euliss, Richard D (Massachusetts)
Farby, Lesley Rebecca (Massachusetts)
Fernandez, Wilfredo (Massachusetts)
Ferrera, Isabelle (Massachusetts)
Fisher, Douglas M. (Massachusetts)
Flake, Troy K. (Massachusetts)
Francis, Eneid A. (Massachusetts)
Franze-Nakamura, Francis (Massachusetts)
Freeman, Mark R (Massachusetts)
Fuchs, Siegmund F. (Massachusetts)
Gallagher, Mark A. (Massachusetts)
Garcia, Stephen L. (Massachusetts)
Gershengorn, Ara B. (Massachusetts)
Goldberg, Arthur R (Massachusetts)
Goodwin, Karen L. (Massachusetts)
Greenberg, Todd (Massachusetts)
Greene, Gavin L (Massachusetts)
Groom, Deborah Fennell (Massachusetts)
Guadagnino, Charles A (Massachusetts)
Guarino, Gary M. (Massachusetts)
Guthrie, Robert Gay (Massachusetts)
Habeas, US Attorney (Massachusetts)
Hall, Jennifer Lynne (Massachusetts)
Halmkin, William E. (Massachusetts)
Hambrick, Jonathan Holland (Massachusetts)
Harrington, Quinn Patrick (Massachusetts)
Hasday-DOJ, Lisa Robin (Massachusetts)
Heiman, Julia Alexandra (Massachusetts)
Hendry, Melanie Dyani (Massachusetts)
Henry, Vickie L. (Massachusetts)
Hertz, Michael F (Massachusetts)
Hikida, Katherine M (Massachusetts)
Hoffman, Grayson A (Massachusetts)
Hong, Shunyi Joonho (Massachusetts)
Horwitz, Matthew Joseph (Massachusetts)
Houten, Kathryn E (Massachusetts)
Hurtado, Samuel A. (Massachusetts)
Iannarone, Liberatore Joseph (Massachusetts)
Jackson, E. Fletcher (Massachusetts)
Jacobus, Wendy A. (Massachusetts)
Jennings, David Reese (Massachusetts)
Jensen, Michelle D. (Massachusetts)
Johnson, Lisa Hammond (Massachusetts)
Johnson, Kristin Berger (Massachusetts)
Jones, Richard L. (Massachusetts)
Jordan, Aaron O (Massachusetts)
JR, Joseph Patrick (Massachusetts)
Kaminski, Gerald Francis (Massachusetts)
Kaufman-Cohen, Eric (Massachusetts)
Kawakami, Kent A (Massachusetts)
Keefe, Kerry Jane (Massachusetts)
Keegan, Ruth Fuess (Massachusetts)
Keehn, Douglas (Massachusetts)
Kennebrew, Delora (Massachusetts)
Kern, Charles Douglas (Massachusetts)
Kim, Letitia R (Massachusetts)
Kinner, Russell B (Massachusetts)
Kipnis, Brian C (Massachusetts)
Kirwan, Tanya I. (Massachusetts)
Knepel, Susan M (Massachusetts)
Kotz, Stephen R. (Massachusetts)
Lagoa, Barbara (Massachusetts)
Laporte, Claire (Massachusetts)
Larkin, William F. (Massachusetts)
Larsen, Christian R (Massachusetts)
Larson, Kari Madrene (Massachusetts)
Lawrence, Kathleen O'Malley (Massachusetts)
Leiderman, Joel David (Massachusetts)
Levingston, Luttrell (Massachusetts)
Lindsey, Marilynn Koonce (Massachusetts)
Long, Kenneth Gordon (Massachusetts)
Lowe, Virginia Cronan (Massachusetts)
Lucero, Manuel (Massachusetts)
Mallon, Robyn Jennifer (Massachusetts)
Maragani, Goud P (Massachusetts)
Mark, Carolyn G (Massachusetts)
McClanahan, Cathryn Dawn (Massachusetts)
McCord, Stacey Elise (Massachusetts)
McEvoy, Lauren Mary (Massachusetts)
McFadden, Lane M. (Massachusetts)
Midian, Kathleen Lucille (Massachusetts)
Miller, Damon C. (Massachusetts)
Miller, Eugene L (Massachusetts)
Miller, Matthew E. (Massachusetts)
Murphy, Michael D (Massachusetts)
Murray, Jeffrey (Massachusetts)
Mysliwiec, Paul (Massachusetts)
Nagle, David J. (Massachusetts)
Nathanson, John Alexander (Massachusetts)
Nisson, Peter L. (Massachusetts)
O'Brien, Thomas Peter (Massachusetts)
Office, United States (Massachusetts)
O'Hale, K. Paige (Massachusetts)
Olson, Lisa Ann (Massachusetts)
Padden, Amy L. (Massachusetts)
Pahl, Michael R (Massachusetts)
Paxton, Lauren Mary (Massachusetts)
Pease, William H. (Massachusetts)
Pence, Richard M. (Massachusetts)
Perez, Alfred Juarez (Massachusetts)
Perros, Nicholas C. (Massachusetts)
Phillips, Heather (Massachusetts)
Piemonte, Eve A. (Massachusetts)
Platzer, Luke C. (District of Columbia)
Podolak, Stephanie (Massachusetts)
Poliakoff, Steven J (Massachusetts)
Purcell, Joseph J (Massachusetts)
Roberts, Darwin P (Massachusetts)
Robinson, Stuart Justin (Massachusetts)
Rodriguez, Marlene (Massachusetts)
Sady, Michael P. (Massachusetts)
Saffles, Kenny L (Massachusetts)
Sampson, Colin C. (Massachusetts)
Sanchez, Aloyma Mercedes (Massachusetts)
Saylor, Elizabeth S. (Massachusetts)
Schwab, Mikel W. (Massachusetts)
Schwartz, Richard Adam (Massachusetts)
Schweiner, Dianne (Massachusetts)
Seff, Daniel A. (Massachusetts)
Serafyn, Jennifer A. (Massachusetts)
Service, United States (Massachusetts)
Shaitelman, Kenneth Lee (Massachusetts)
Shapiro, Samuel (Massachusetts)
Sharinn, Harvey (Massachusetts)
Shippee, R. Seth (Massachusetts)
Siekert, Friedrich A. (Massachusetts)
Sievert, Jessica (Massachusetts)
Simmons-Jones, Monica M. (Massachusetts)
Smith, Bruce C (Massachusetts)
Smith, Paul M. (District of Columbia)
Snead, Jacqueline E. (Massachusetts)
Spina, Thomas Spina (Massachusetts)
Stanford, Jon K (Massachusetts)
Starita, Paul L (Massachusetts)
Stoll, Kenneth F. (Massachusetts)
Strong, James C. (Massachusetts)
Tait, Monica E (Massachusetts)
Tingle, Michal (Massachusetts)
Torres, Valerie (Massachusetts)
Tyson-Floyd, Angela (Massachusetts)
Underhill, R Michael (Massachusetts)
Valerino, Gary J. (Massachusetts)
Waldorf, James J (Massachusetts)
Warner, Eric Paxton (Massachusetts)
Warwick, Lisa T (Massachusetts)
Welch, Alicia Hayley (Massachusetts)
Wells, Robert Austin (Massachusetts)
Welsh, Blaine T (Massachusetts)
Wenthe, Roger W. (Massachusetts)
Wichers, Christine J. (Massachusetts)
Wiethe, Donetta Donaldson (Massachusetts)
Windmueller, Michelle (Massachusetts)
Wogaman, Paul J (Massachusetts)
Woods, James C. (Massachusetts)
Woods, Thomas M (Massachusetts)
Woychick, Nicholas J (Massachusetts)
Wyatt, Keith Edward (Massachusetts)
Yim, Deborah E (Massachusetts)
Acker, G. Norman (Massachusetts)
Anderson, Gary L. (Massachusetts)
Arulanantham, Ahilan T (Massachusetts)
Atchison, Daryl A. (Massachusetts)
Atkinson, Theodore W (Massachusetts)
AUSA-SSA, AUSA-SSA (Massachusetts)
Barghaan, Dennis Carl (Massachusetts)
Bauer, Jeffrey Michael (Massachusetts)
Berwick, Benjamin Leon (Massachusetts)
Bianco, Anthony Daniel (Massachusetts)
Bloom, Karen S. (Massachusetts)
Bober, David Vincent (Massachusetts)
Bocchini, Walter (Massachusetts)
Boeving, James Nicholas (Massachusetts)
Bole, Bradley M. (Massachusetts)
Bowen, Brigham J (Massachusetts)
Braunstein, Joshua E (Massachusetts)
Bredenberg, Michael D. (Massachusetts)
Bressler, Steven Yale (Massachusetts)
Broyard-Williams, LeRonda M (Massachusetts)
Buck, Lynne Haddad (Massachusetts)
Buckingham, Stephen J. (Massachusetts)
Burkhalter, Crystal DiBenedetto (Massachusetts)
Carlson, Jesi J (Massachusetts)
Castillo, Daniel M. (Massachusetts)
Cheng, Andrew Y.S. (Massachusetts)
Chicago, AUSA - (Massachusetts)
Cortes, David J. (Massachusetts)
Cutler, David Gregory (Massachusetts)
Daeubler, Kirsten L (Massachusetts)
Dannels, Jennifer D (Massachusetts)
DeJute, David A (Massachusetts)
Delery, Stuart F. (District of Columbia)
Dietz, Jennifer Rae (Massachusetts)
Dodson, Robert J. (Massachusetts)
Edwards, Regina S. (Massachusetts)
Ellington, Alicia N. (Massachusetts)
Farel, Lily Sara (Massachusetts)
Fernandez, Carole M. (Massachusetts)
Fesak, Matthew Lee (Massachusetts)
Flentje, August E. (District of Columbia)
Francis, Victoria L. (Massachusetts)
Freeborne, Paul Gerald (Massachusetts)
Gardner, Joshua Edward (Massachusetts)
Gordon, Charles Malcolm (Massachusetts)
Gov, Kristi H. (Massachusetts)
Graham, Caroline Graham (Massachusetts)
Green, Linda H (Massachusetts)
Grinton, John N. (Massachusetts)
Groebner, Benjamin J (Massachusetts)
Halmon, Harriett M. (Massachusetts)
Healy, Christopher Robert (Massachusetts)
Helper, Thomas A. (Massachusetts)
Herb, Kimberly L. (Massachusetts)
Hildebrand, Regan (Massachusetts)
Holder, Eric H. (Massachusetts)
Hollis, Christopher W. (Massachusetts)
Hopkins, Ralph E. (Massachusetts)
Ihsanullah, Neelam (Massachusetts)
Ikari, Carolyn Aiko (Massachusetts)
Inactive, Michael A (Massachusetts)
Kaufman, Richard D. (Massachusetts)
Kelleher, Diane (Massachusetts)
Kelley, Christina A. (Massachusetts)
Kendall, David E. (Massachusetts)
Kingsley, Benjamin S. (District of Columbia)
Kircher, Kerry W. (District of Columbia)
Kish, Ronald W. (Massachusetts)
Kopp, Robert E (District of Columbia)
Kruger, Leondra R. (District of Columbia)
LaCour, Alice Shih (Massachusetts)
LA-SSA, Assistant US (Massachusetts)
Lawrence, Victor M. (Massachusetts)
Lesperance, Karen Folster (Massachusetts)
Littleton, Judson O (Massachusetts)
Lorenzen, Donald R. (Massachusetts)
Marcus, Jeffrey David (Massachusetts)
Mays, Vanessa Miree (Massachusetts)
McElvain, Joel (Massachusetts)
Milano, Jessica (Massachusetts)
Mitchell, Gail Y. (Massachusetts)
Moore, Tamra T. (Massachusetts)
Moskowitz, David (Massachusetts)
Navarro, Anthony J (Massachusetts)
Nelson, David Christopher (Massachusetts)
Nelson, Anna Emily (Massachusetts)
Obermeier, Stephen (Massachusetts)
Ortiz, Carmen M. (Massachusetts)
Oswald, Craig Arthur (Massachusetts)
Parker, Ryan B (Massachusetts)
Parks, Elizabeth H. (Massachusetts)
Pineiro, Michael Anthony (Massachusetts)
Pittard, William (District of Columbia)
Powell, Amy E. (Massachusetts)
Prairie, Nicole R (Massachusetts)
Preis, Phillip W. (Massachusetts)
Preis, Caroline Dana (Massachusetts)
Pyle, Michael Thomas (Massachusetts)
Quinlivan, Mark T. (Massachusetts)
Rashbaum, Daniel Lawrence (Massachusetts)
Richter, Zachary C (Massachusetts)
Ridgell-Boltz, Laura (Massachusetts)
Riess, Daniel M. (Massachusetts)
Robins, Jeffrey S (Massachusetts)
Rosenberg, Brad P. (Massachusetts)
Sachelari, Paul H (Massachusetts)
SA-CV, Assistant US (Massachusetts)
Saharia, Amy Mason (Massachusetts)
Seifert, Karen P. (Massachusetts)
Shah, Pratik A. (District of Columbia)
Simmons, Abraham A. (Massachusetts)
Simpson, W. Scott (District of Columbia)
Singer, Michael Jay (District of Columbia)
Srinivasan, Srikanth (District of Columbia)
Stark, Jennifer L. (Massachusetts)
Statkus, Shannon Heath (Massachusetts)
Staub, Keith M (Massachusetts)
Steverson, Carolyn Williams (Massachusetts)
Theis, John Kenneth (Massachusetts)
Thompson, Charles M (Massachusetts)
Turner, Katherine M. (Massachusetts)
Ullman, Susan K. (Massachusetts)
Vanasek, Gary A. (Massachusetts)
Vargas, Jeannette Anne (Massachusetts)
Verrilli, Donald B. Jr. (District of Columbia)
Wagner, Lynnett M. (Massachusetts)
Walker, James Joseph (Massachusetts)
Watson, Derrick K. (Massachusetts)
West, Tony (District of Columbia)
Wilhelm, D Gerald (Massachusetts)
Wilson, Sarah S (Massachusetts)
Wolverton, Caroline Lewis (Massachusetts)
Barry-Smith, Christopher K. (Massachusetts)
Bartolomucci, H. Christopher (District of Columbia)
Boyle, Brian J. (Massachusetts)
Clement, Paul D. (District of Columbia)
Coakley, Martha (Massachusetts)
Davenport, Christine (District of Columbia)
Dugan, Conor Brendan (District of Columbia)
Ellsworth, Felicia H. (Massachusetts)
Fleming, Mark C. (Massachusetts)
Healey, Maura T. (Massachusetts)
Jacobson, Joshua D. (Massachusetts)
Moran, Philip D. (Massachusetts)
Nelson, Nicholas J. (District of Columbia)
O'Grady, Margaret E. (Massachusetts)
Schoenfeld, Alan E. (New York)
Tatelman, Todd B. (District of Columbia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4273590/gill-v-office-of-personnel-management/
Last updated April 12, 2024, 3:15 a.m.
State / Territory: Massachusetts
Case Type(s):
Public Benefits/Government Services
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: March 3, 2009
Closing Date: 2013
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
several citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who were or had been married to same-sex partners under Massachusetts law
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders)
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Office of Personnel Management, Federal
Social Security Administration, Federal
The United States of America, Federal
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 2013 - 0
Issues
General:
LGBTQ+:
Discrimination-basis:
Benefit Source: