Justices Will Rules Whether Government Violated Privacy Rights of Federal Contractors By Requiring New Expansive Background Checks.

The plaintiffs in this case were a class of 9,000 ?low risk? NASA contractors who worked at Cal. Tech.?s Jet Propulsion Lab.?? ?The government required them to undergo a new broad-ranging? background? investigation including questions regarding drug use, mental stability, sexual identity, and financial integrity, under penalty of termination.?? They filed for a preliminary injunction against the questionnaire on the basis that the information requested violated their right to privacy, which the district court denied.?? The Ninth Circuit reversed, and granted ?the ?injunction.?? ?En ?banc ?review ?was denied. ?Nelson v. NASA, 568 F.3d 1028 (9th Cir. 2009). ?The Supreme Court granted certiorari on March 8.? NASA v. Nelson, No. 09-530.