BROWN v. BURMANIA et al, No. 1:2022cv01708 - Document 3 (D.D.C. 2022)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on 06/21/2022. (zsb)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LEWIS ROSS BROWN, ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Plaintiff, v. TESSA L. BURMANIA et al., Defendants. Civil Action No. 22-1708 (UNA) MEMORANDUM OPINION Lewis Ross Brown, a former employee of the Environmental Protection Agency, alleges that defendants “blacklisted [him] from employment within the Federal Government after [he] was removed for exercising [his] right to file an EEO Complaint and to report [defendants’] misconduct . . . to the Agency OIG” and others. Compl. at 3, Dkt. 1. He purports to bring this action under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. See id. His claim fails because the Declaration does not provide a private right of action. See Sosa v. Alvarez–Machain, 542 U.S. 692, 734 (2004) (“[T]he Declaration does not of its own force impose obligations as a matter of international law.”); Vizi v. Outback Steakhouse, 672 F. App’x 168, 171 n.1 (3d Cir. 2016) (per curiam) (finding that “Universal Declaration of Human Rights . . . is a nonbinding declaration that provides no private rights of action”); Konar v. Illinois, 327 F. App’x 638, 640 (7th Cir. 2009) (finding that appellant “cannot state a claim under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the Vienna Declaration because both are non-binding declarations that provide no private rights of action”); Perry v. Frederick, No. 22-CV-1973, 2022 WL 1810713, at *1 n.3 (E.D. Pa. June 2, 2022) (recognizing Third Circuit’s ruling in United States v. Chatman, 351 F. App’x 740, 741 (3d Cir. 2009), that “the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a nonbinding declaration that provides no private rights of action”). 1 The Court will grant plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis and, for the reasons stated above, dismiss the complaint and this civil action. An Order is issued separately. DATE: June 21, 2022 /s/ DABNEY L. FRIEDRICH United States District Judge 2
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