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3. [[underlined]] Empire Galleries, Ltd. [[/underlined]] v. [[underlined]] Smithsonian Institute [[/underlined]]

This action, seeking damages for insufficient recognition of the plaintiff by the Institution for plaintiff's "instrumental role" in obtaining a donation to the Institution was dismissed July 12, 1979, by the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

4. [[underlined]] Expeditions Unlimited Aquatic Enterprises, Inc., et al. [[/underlined]] v. [[underlined]] Smithsonian Institution [[/underlined]]

In this libel action, on July 12, 1979, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered summary judgment for the individual defendant, a Smithsonian employee, finding that he had been acting within the scope of his official duties when he wrote the allegedly libelous letter and, therefore, was entitled to absolute immunity. Plaintiff has not appealed this decision. (The U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in an opinion handed down September 16, 1977, previously had found that the Institution was immune from suit in libel because it is covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act.)

5. [[underlined]] Winston [[/underlined]] v. [[underlined]] Smithsonian Science Information Exchange, Inc. [[/underlined]]

This suit was filed in the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 1975 by a former SSIE, Inc., employee, alleging that the SSIE and its President had engaged in discriminatory employment practices and seeking monetary damages for back pay. In a September 7, 1977, decision, the court found that the plaintiff had failed to make any showing of racial discrimination and observed that the statistical analysis of the entire work force at SSIE was consistent with a "nondiscriminatory, or at least a neutral employment policy." The September 7, 1977, decision was affirmed by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on April 12, 1979. No further appeal of the case was taken.