Chappell et al. v. Wallace et al. (462 U.S. 296)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided June 13, 1983 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 462 U.S. 296 · 103 S. Ct. 2362
- Decided
- June 13, 1983
- Term
- October Term 1982
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Burger
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Chief Justice Burger delivered the opinion of the Court. We granted certiorari to determine whether enlisted military personnel may maintain suits to recover damages from superior officers for injuries sustained as a result of violations of constitutional rights in the course of military service. Respondents are five enlisted men who serve m the United States Navy on board a eombat naval vessel. Petitioners are the commanding officer of the vessel, four lieutenants, and three noncommissioned officers. Respondents brought action against these officers seeking damages, declaratory judgment, and injunctive relief. Respondents alleged that because of their minority race petitioners failed to assign them desirable duties, threatened them, gave them low performance evaluations, and imposed penalties of unusual severity. App. 5-16. Respondents claimed, inter alia, that the actions complained of “deprived [them] of [their] rights under the Constitution and laws of the United States, including the right not to be discriminated against because of [their] race, color or previous condition of servitude . . . .” Id., at 7, 9, 11, 13, 15. Respondents also alleged a conspiracy among petitioners to deprive them of rights in violation of 42 U. S. C. § 1985. The United States District Court for the Southern District of California dismissed the complaint on the grounds that the actions…
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