Case Explained: CASANDRA ANN HERNÁNDEZ v. TODD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL,*

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Filed: 2026-07-07

The First Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the government, dismissing Casandra Ann Hernández’s Title VII retaliation and Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) claims regarding her termination from the Drug Enforcement Agency. The court held that Hernández failed to demonstrate good cause for a Rule 56(d) motion seeking additional discovery because she had ample prior opportunity to obtain the requested information during earlier litigation phases and failed to comply with local rules requiring a good faith meet-and-confer effort. Regarding the merits, the court applied the de novo standard of review to the district court’s summary judgment decision and the substantial evidence standard to the Merit Systems Protection Board’s (MSPB) administrative findings. The panel concluded that the MSPB’s determination that Hernández was terminated for insubordination and lack of candor was supported by substantial evidence, as she willfully refused lawful orders to communicate with her supervisor. Furthermore, even assuming Hernández established a prima facie case of retaliation, the court found she failed to provide sufficient evidence that the government’s stated reasons for her termination were pretextual, noting that the MSPB’s decision not to sustain the “lack of candor” charge did not preclude the agency from relying on it as a legitimate justification for dismissal. Consequently, Hernández’s appeal was denied, and the district court’s judgment in favor of the DEA remains in effect.

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