Full text
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
NAVY SEALS 1-26, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
v.
LLOYD AUSTIN, III, in his individual capacity and
in his official capacity as Secretary of Defense, et al.,
Defendants.
Case No. 4:21-cv-01236-O
OFFICIAL CAPACITY DEFENDANTS’ APPENDIX
IN SUPPORT OF THEIR MOTION TO DISMISS
Table of Appendix
Bates Stamps
Description
App001–005
Declaration of Captain Peter J. DiCaro
App006–010
Declaration of Captain Mery-Angela Sanabria Katson
Dated: January 14, 2022
Respectfully submitted,
BRIAN M. BOYNTON
Acting Assistant Attorney General
ALEXANDER K. HAAS
Director, Federal Programs Branch
ANTHONY J. COPPOLINO
Deputy Director
/s/Courtney D. Enlow
ANDREW E. CARMICHAEL
AMY E. POWELL
Senior Trial Counsel
STUART J. ROBINSON
Senior Counsel
ZACHARY A. AVALLONE
COURTNEY D. ENLOW (NC Bar No. 46578)
LIAM HOLLAND
CASSANDRA SNYDER
Trial Attorneys
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 1 of 13 PageID 2614
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 1 of 13 PageID 2614
United States Department of Justice
Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch
1100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 616-8467
Fax: (202) 616-8470
Email: courtney.d.enlow@usdoj.gov
Counsel for Official Capacity Defendants
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 2 of 13 PageID 2615
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 2 of 13 PageID 2615
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on January 14, 2022, I electronically filed the foregoing paper with the
Clerk of Court using this Court’s CM/ECF system, which will notify all counsel of record of such
filing.
/s/Courtney D. Enlow
COURTNEY D. ENLOW
Trial Attorney
United States Department of Justice
Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch
1100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 616-8467
Fax: (202) 616-8470
Email: courtney.d.enlow@usdoj.gov
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 3 of 13 PageID 2616
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 3 of 13 PageID 2616
Defs.' App001
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 4 of 13 PageID 2617
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 4 of 13 PageID 2617
Defs.' App002
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 5 of 13 PageID 2618
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 5 of 13 PageID 2618
Defs.' App003
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 6 of 13 PageID 2619
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 6 of 13 PageID 2619
Defs.' App004
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 7 of 13 PageID 2620
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 7 of 13 PageID 2620
Defs.' App005
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 8 of 13 PageID 2621
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 8 of 13 PageID 2621
1
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
U.S. NAVY SEALs 1-26;
U.S. NAVY SPECIAL WARFARE
COMBATANT CRAFT CREWMEN 1-5;
U.S. NAVY EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE
DISPOSAL TECHNICIAN 1; and
U.S. NAVY DIVERS 1-3,
Plaintiffs,
v.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., in his official
capacity as President of the United States of
America; LLOYD J. AUSTIN, III,
individually and in his official capacity as
United States Secretary of Defense; UNITED
STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE;
CARLOS DEL TORO, individually and in
his official capacity as United States
Secretary of the Navy,
Defendants.
Case No. 4:21-CV-01236-O
DECLARATION OF CAPTAIN MERY-ANGELA SANABRIA KATSON, U.S. NAVY
I, Captain Mery-Angela Sanabria Katson, U.S. Navy, hereby state and declare as follows:
1.
I am a captain in the United States Navy, currently serving as the Branch Head,
Enlisted Plans and Policy (OPNAV N132), located in Arlington, Virginia. I make this
declaration in my official capacity, based upon my personal knowledge and upon information
that has been provided to me in the course of my official duties.
2.
All but one of the Plaintiffs submitted requests for religious accommodations with
respect to compliance with the Navy’s order that service members receive a vaccination against
COVID-19. Exhibit A to this declaration and the following describe the status of each Plaintiff’s
religious accommodation request, according to Navy records as of January 8, 2022:
Defs.' App006
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 9 of 13 PageID 2622
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 9 of 13 PageID 2622
2
(a) Navy SEAL 22 has not submitted a request for a religious accommodation as
of January 8, 2022.
(b) Navy SEAL 18 and SWCC 2 submitted requests for religious accommodation.
Decisions are pending for those requests.
(c) Navy SEALs 1, 10, 13, 19, and 23, SWCC 1 and 3, and Navy Diver 3
submitted requests for religious accommodations which were denied. Appeals of the denials
have not been received as of January 8, 2022.
(d) Navy SEALS 2-9, 11, 12, 14-17, 20, 21, 24-26, SWCC 4 and 5, Navy Diver 1
and 2, and EOD1 submitted requests for religious accommodations which were denied. These
Plaintiffs appealed the denials of their requests. As of January 8, 2022, those appeals are pending
adjudication.
3.
A Navy service member whose religious accommodation request is denied is
required to commence vaccination within 5 days of being notified of the denial, unless the
exemption adjudicating authority specifies otherwise. See NAVADMIN 256/21 ¶ 2.c. Bureau of
Naval Personnel Instruction (“BUPERSINST”) 1730.11A, Standards and Procedures Governing
the Accommodation of Religious Practices (Mar. 16, 2020) does not provide a specific timeline
within which a requestor must submit an appeal; however, commanders have discretion to delay
taking administrative actions to give service members additional time to appeal a religious
accommodation request. Some examples of factors that commanders may consider in delaying
administrative actions to give service members additional time may include, but are not limited
to, local practice, the service member’s unavailability, and good cause shown. Both initial
requests and appeals will be considered and adjudicated as required by BUPERSINST 1730.11A
regardless of when submitted. Once an initial religious accommodation request or an appeal is
Defs.' App007
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 10 of 13 PageID 2623
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 10 of 13 PageID 2623
3
accepted for submission, any pending administrative separation is suspended. If the request or
the appeal is granted, then a previously initiated administrative separation is cancelled.
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true
and correct. Executed this 14th day of January, 2022.
Mery-Angela Sanabria Katson
Captain, U.S. Navy
Defs.' App008
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 11 of 13 PageID 2624
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 11 of 13 PageID 2624
Katson Declaration - Exhibit A
Defs.' App009
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 12 of 13 PageID 2625
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 12 of 13 PageID 2625
Pseudonym
RA Request submitted?
(Y/N)
Date adjudicated, or still
pending?
RA request appealed?
(Y/N)
Date of appeal
Date appeal adjudicated
Add'l info (if required)
Navy SEAL 6
Y
3-Dec-21
Y
13-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 8
Y
24-Nov-21
Y
17-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
SWCC 5
Y
4-Dec-21
Y
17-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 11
Y
9-Nov-21
Y
27-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 20
Y
18-Nov-21
Y
3-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 9
Y
23-Nov-21
Y
7-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 2
Y
2-Dec-21
Y
10-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 21
Y
16-Dec-21
Y
22-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 24
Y
26-Oct-21
Y
19-Nov-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy Diver 2
Y
29-Nov-21
Y
7-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 5
Y
30-Nov-21
Y
10-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 15
Y
7-Dec-21
Y
17-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 12
Y
6-Dec-21
Y
14-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
SWCC 4
Y
30-Nov-21
Y
10-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 4
Y
1-Dec-21
Y
13-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
EOD 1
Y
5-Oct-21
Y
27-Oct-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 16
Y
27-Oct-21
Y
19-Nov-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 3
Y
22-Nov-21
Y
27-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy Diver 1
Y
4-Dec-21
Y
16-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 14
Y
15-Nov-21
Y
29-Nov-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 7
Y
23-Nov-21
Y
3-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 17
Y
26-Nov-21
Y
17-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 25
Y
16-Dec-21
Y
22-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
Navy SEAL 26
Y
19-Nov-21
Y
14-Dec-21
N/A
Appeal Pending
SWCC 3
Y
30-Dec-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
Navy Diver 3
Y
4-Dec-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
Navy SEAL 13
Y
17-Nov-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
Navy SEAL 23
Y
18-Nov-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
Navy SEAL 10
Y
17-Dec-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
Navy SEAL 1
Y
14-Dec-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
SWCC 1
Y
7-Dec-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
Navy SEAL 19
Y
30-Nov-21
N
N/A
N/A
Not in receipt of an appeal
SWCC 2
Y
Pending
N/A
N/A
N/A
OPNAV received their initial request 18OCT21
Navy SEAL 18
Y
Pending
N/A
N/A
N/A
OPNAV received their initial request 19NOV21
Navy SEAL 22
N
N/A
N
N/A
N/A
Search of the shared drive working folders, archives, and elsewhere could not locate a package
Defs.' App010
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 13 of 13 PageID 2626
Case 4:21-cv-01236-O Document 75 Filed 01/14/22 Page 13 of 13 PageID 2626