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LITIGATION REPORT

[[underlined]] NEW CASES: [[/underlined]]

1. [[underlined]] Cofield v. Burford [[/underlined]]

This suit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in February 1986. It is unclear from the complaint received whether this is an action arising from the complaint of discrimination currently pending administratively within the Institution or from an appeal of his removal during probation from his Smithsonian security guard position currently pending at the Merit Systems Protection Board. The U.S. Department of Justice is handling the case on behalf of the Institution.

2. [[underlined]] In re Estate of William H. Burnette [[/underlined]]

Filed in the Probate Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, this is a petition for instruction as to the proper interpretation of the Last Will and Testament of the decedent William H. Burnette. At issue is the proper distribution of certain assets of the estate (art work, World War I memorabilia, photographs, antiques, etc.) to the beneficiaries named in the Will. The Smithsonian's Anacostia Neighborhood Museum is a named beneficiary. The assets in questions were delivered by the former executor of the estate to the Moorland Spingarn Research Center and Collection of Howard University in 1983. The U.S. Department of Justice is handling the case on behalf of the Institution. Settlement negotiations are in progress.

3. [[underlined]] Heckman v. Executive Branch, United States Government [[/underlined]]

This [[underlined]] pro se [[/underlined]] suit was filed January 14, 1986, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Plaintiff alleges violations of various statutes, including the Civil Rights Acts and the Freedom of Information Act, and the First Amendment, by twelve entities of the United States. The specific allegations against the Smithsonian relate to denial of a fellowship and denial of employment at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The U.S. Department of Justice is handling the case on behalf of the Institution.

[[underlined]] CASES PREVIOUSLY REPORTED: [[/underlined]

4. [[underlined]] Colhoun v. Smithsonian Institution [[/underlined]]

This suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on March 29, 1985. Plaintiff alleges that some of the Smithsonian's activities on lands at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center that were purchased 15 years ago from the Colhoun family have been in violation of covenants restricting the uses of those lands and seeks an order whereby the Court would direct the Smithsonian to convey the lands to him pursuant to a repurchase option allegedly triggered by Smithsonian activities. A motion to