JPL: The Fight Against Presidential Directive 12

In Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD12), President Bush directed the Secretary of Commerce to develop a uniform standard of identification for access to federal facilities, including NASA centers. In doing so, the Department of Commerce expanded the directive to include extensive, open-ended background investigations of employees and contractors. Through its contract with Caltech, NASA mandated that the requirements be applied to all JPL employees and on-site contractors, even though 97% were deemed to be low-risk employees doing nonsensitive work. Caltech management developed procedures and decided that any JPL employee who did not comply would be deemed to have "voluntarily resigned."

Unable to resolve concerns with NASA or with Caltech, 28 JPL employees filed a lawsuit on behalf of all concerned employees to stop the process. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction halting the background investigations until issues can be resolved in the courts; the government has appealed this ruling.

The issues in this case are complex, including concerns about privacy rights, open scientific inquiry, impact on science funds, and Caltech's role in executing NASA's potentially unconstitutional actions. JPL scientists and plaintiffs, including Senior Research Scientist Robert Nelson, will discuss the issues surrounding HSPD12's implementation at JPL. Prof. Mary Kenennedy will discuss the legal issues involved with this case, from her point of view as a scientist, faculty member, and citizen.

This event is part of The Caltech Y's Social Activism Speaker Series, which focuses attention on current social and political issues by inviting prominent activists to speak to the Caltech community and the public, and to share their experiences and perspectives.

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