Filed Date: 2011
Closed Date: March 11, 2014
Clearinghouse coding complete
Plaintiff is a disabled Navy veteran who was legally married to her same-sex spouse in Connecticut, but was denied an increase in her monthly disability benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs because she and her spouse were a same-sex couple; the VA said that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) precluded recognition of their same-sex marriage. Plaintiff appealed the decision to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) on October 13, 2011. The case was stayed pending the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Windsor v. United States. Following that decision, on March 11, 2014, the CAVC dismissed the case as moot after the Department of Veterans Affairs said that it would neither defend nor enforce DOMA.
Summary Authors
Darren Miller (11/26/2012)
Clearinghouse (11/6/2014)
Canady, Charles (Florida)
Campbell, R. Randall (District of Columbia)
Bartolomucci, H. Christopher (District of Columbia)
Clement, Paul D. (District of Columbia)
Davenport, Christine (District of Columbia)
Canady, Charles (Florida)
Eskenazi, Laura H. (District of Columbia)
Kasold, Bruce E. (District of Columbia)
Bartolomucci, H. Christopher (District of Columbia)
Clement, Paul D. (District of Columbia)
Davenport, Christine (District of Columbia)
Kircher, Kerry W. (District of Columbia)
Nelson, Nicholas J. (District of Columbia)
Pittard, William (District of Columbia)
Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:26 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Connecticut
Case Type(s):
Public Benefits/Government Services
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: 2011
Closing Date: March 11, 2014
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Plaintiff is a disabled Navy veteran legally married to her same-sex spouse in Connecticut, but denied an increase disability benefits because she and her spouse were the same sex.
Attorney Organizations:
Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization (Yale)
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal
Case Details
Constitutional Clause(s):
Special Case Type(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General:
Public benefits (includes, e.g., in-state tuition, govt. jobs)
Discrimination-area:
LGBTQ+:
Discrimination-basis: