Joseph Steffan
Encyclopedia
Joseph Steffan is an American
lawyer
and gay
activist. He was expelled from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1987 after revealing his homosexuality
to his commanding officer. At the time he was six weeks from graduation and one of the six highest-ranking midshipmen in the Academy. In 1988, Steffan, represented by the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
, sued for reinstatement. His case was unique in that he was accused of no homosexual conduct; his separation from the military was predicated solely upon his admission of homosexuality. An appellate court panel rebuffed the trial judge's order that Steffan disclose his sexual activity while at the academy. In 1991, U.S. District Judge Oliver Gasch
ruled in favor of the Navy
in the case of Steffan v. Cheney. Upon appeal, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1993 reversed the district court decision and found in favor of Steffan, but the full court overturned the decision the next year and Steffan decided not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
While the case was pending, Steffan finished college at North Dakota State University
and law school at the University of Connecticut
. His collected papers from the case now comprise the largest collection within the University of Connecticut Law School archives.http://www.law.uconn.edu/library/services/archives.html Steffan is now a lawyer in New York City
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
activist. He was expelled from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1987 after revealing his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
to his commanding officer. At the time he was six weeks from graduation and one of the six highest-ranking midshipmen in the Academy. In 1988, Steffan, represented by the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.Lambda's founder William J. Thom, Esq...
, sued for reinstatement. His case was unique in that he was accused of no homosexual conduct; his separation from the military was predicated solely upon his admission of homosexuality. An appellate court panel rebuffed the trial judge's order that Steffan disclose his sexual activity while at the academy. In 1991, U.S. District Judge Oliver Gasch
Oliver Gasch
Oliver Gasch was a United States federal judge.Born in Washington, D.C.., Gasch received an A.B. from Princeton University in 1928 and an LL.B. from George Washington University Law School in 1932. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C. from 1932. He was an Assistant corporation counsel,...
ruled in favor of the Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
in the case of Steffan v. Cheney. Upon appeal, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1993 reversed the district court decision and found in favor of Steffan, but the full court overturned the decision the next year and Steffan decided not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
While the case was pending, Steffan finished college at North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
and law school at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
. His collected papers from the case now comprise the largest collection within the University of Connecticut Law School archives.http://www.law.uconn.edu/library/services/archives.html Steffan is now a lawyer in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Court proceedings
- District court ruling that Steffan must answer questions about his sexual conduct
- Appellate court ruling that Steffan need not answer questions about his sexual conduct
- District court ruling on motion for summary judgment
- Ruling of 3-judge appellate panel
- Ruling of full appellate court
- Index to various briefs in the case