LGBTQ+ Veterans File Class Action Against Department of Defense

King & Spalding, along with the Impact Fund and Legal Aid at Work, filed a proposed class action lawsuit on behalf of a group of LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and similar earlier policies against the U.S. Department of Defense seeking to end ongoing discrimination perpetuated by their discharge papers. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks relief for more than 35,000 veterans in the form of removal of narratives and separation codes that disclose the veteran’s actual or perceived sexual orientation and, when needed, seeks upgraded discharge statuses.