Home > Great American Court Cases > Cammermeyer v. Aspin

Legal Citation: 850 F.Supp. 910 (1994)

Plaintiff
Margarethe Cammermeyer, Colonel

Defendants
Les Aspin, U.S. Secretary of Defense, et al.

Plaintiff's Claim
That her discharge from service in the National Guard—based solely on her statement that she is a lesbian—was in violation of her constitutional rights.

Chief Lawyers for Plaintiff
Jeffrey I. Tilden, Michael H. Himes, Mary Newcombe

Chief Defense Lawyer
David M. Glass

Judge
Thomas Zilly

Place
Seattle, Washington

Date of Decision
1 June 1994

Decision
Cammermeyer's discharge violated her equal protection and substantive due process rights but not her right to freedom of speech and association.

Significance
As the highest ranking and most highly decorated officer ever to have been discharged for...