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ISCR Case 24-00024 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-00024

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date2/19/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Pamela C. Benson
Government Counsel: Cynthia Ruckno
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 57-year-old system reliability engineering architect who applied for a Department of Defense (DOD) security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption), Guideline H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse), and Guideline I (Psychological Conditions). The core allegations included the applicant's history of severe alcohol and drug use, as well as psychological issues, which raised doubts about his judgment and reliability.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to the allegations in the SOR, acknowledging a long history of alcohol and drug misuse, including severe alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. He also admitted to leaving a treatment facility against medical advice after five days. Although he claimed to have made personal commitments to abstain from substance use, he did not provide documentation to support his assertions of recovery or completion of treatment programs. The applicant's history included significant financial and personal consequences related to his substance use, and he had not successfully completed any substance abuse program.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to mitigate the security concerns associated with his alcohol and drug use, as well as his psychological conditions. The judge noted the applicant's lack of successful treatment completion and the severity of his past substance use, which included a significant risk of relapse. The ruling emphasized that the applicant's admissions and the evidence presented did not sufficiently demonstrate that he had resolved the issues that raised concerns about his eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline GAlcohol Consumption · Against Applicant
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
- Guideline IPsychological Conditions · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00024

deniedFeb 19, 2025· Hon. Pamela C. Benson· hearing

Summary

A 57-year-old federal contractor was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption), Guideline H (Drug Involvement), and Guideline I (Psychological Conditions). The applicant admitted to a history of severe alcohol and drug abuse, including daily vodka consumption and opioid misuse.

In January 2018, the applicant was admitted to a treatment facility for alcohol and drug disorders but left against medical advice after five days. Subsequent mental health evaluations in February 2018 and January 2020 resulted in diagnoses including cyclothymic disorder, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and social anxiety disorder. A September 2023 evaluation by a licensed psychologist further identified an unspecified anxiety disorder.

The denial was based on the applicant's admitted history of severe substance abuse, his failure to complete a substance abuse program, and ongoing psychological issues that raised doubts about his judgment and reliability. He failed to demonstrate a sustained period of sobriety or compliance with treatment recommendations.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to a long history of severe alcohol and drug abuse, including daily consumption of vodka and opioid misuse.
He left a treatment facility against medical advice after only five days, failing to complete any substance abuse program.
The applicant's psychological evaluations indicated ongoing issues that could impair his judgment and reliability.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 22(b)appliedAlcohol-related Incidents at Work
AG ¶ 22(d)appliedDiagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder
AG ¶ 25(a)appliedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(d)appliedFailure to Complete a Drug Treatment Program
AG ¶ 28(b)appliedOpinion of a Mental Health Professional Regarding Impairment
AG ¶ 28(c)appliedVoluntary Inpatient Treatment
AG ¶ 28(d)appliedFailure to Follow a Prescribed Treatment Plan

Key Rule Quoted

“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for access to classified information will be resolved in favor of the national security.”
— Directive, Enclosure 2 ¶ 2(b)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMay 2, 2024
Answer filedMay 22, 2024
Hearing heldOct 16, 2024via video teleconference
Decision dateFeb 19, 2025

Cite For

Failure to Mitigate Alcohol Consumption Concerns Under Guideline G
Failure to Mitigate Drug Involvement Concerns Under Guideline H
Failure to Mitigate Psychological Conditions Concerns Under Guideline I

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: deniedAUD DIAGNOSED

The judge found that the applicant failed to mitigate security concerns related to alcohol consumption. The applicant admitted to a severe alcohol use disorder and left treatment against medical advice after only five days, which contributed to the denial of his security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Incident	Response	Disqualifying (¶22)	Mitigating applied (¶23)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant failed to mitigate security concerns under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption).	Against Applicant	Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnosed	Admitted	(a) alcohol-related incident away from work (DUI, fighting, etc.) (b) alcohol-related incident at work	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline G). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline H (Drug Involvement) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant failed to mitigate security concerns related to drug involvement and substance misuse. The applicant admitted to severe opioid use disorder and mild cocaine use disorder, having left treatment against medical advice after five days. The outcome of the case was denied, reflecting the applicant's inability to demonstrate sufficient rehabilitation or control over his substance use issues.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant failed to mitigate security concerns under Guideline H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse).	Against Applicant	Prescription Opioid Misuse	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline H). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline I (Psychological Conditions) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the Applicant failed to mitigate security concerns related to psychological conditions. The Applicant admitted to having suicidal ideations and was diagnosed with cyclothymic disorder and ADHD, but did not successfully complete treatment, which contributed to the negative findings against him.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶28)	Mitigating applied (¶29)	Mitigation
3.a	In January 2018, Applicant was admitted into a treatment facility for his alcohol and drug disorders. He left treatment against medical advice after five days.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Psychological Condition	Admitted	(b) an opinion by a duly qualified mental health professional that the individual has a condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustwort… (c) voluntary or involuntary inpatient hospitalization (d) failure to follow a prescribed treatment plan related to a diagnosed condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustworthiness (incl. f…	—	—
3.b	In approximately February 2018, Applicant was evaluated at a mental health facility. He was diagnosed with cyclothymic disorder, in partial remission, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).	Against Applicant	Mood Disorder Diagnosed	Admitted	(b) an opinion by a duly qualified mental health professional that the individual has a condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustwort… (c) voluntary or involuntary inpatient hospitalization (d) failure to follow a prescribed treatment plan related to a diagnosed condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustworthiness (incl. f…	—	—
3.c	In approximately January 2020, Applicant was evaluated at a mental health facility. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, in partial remission, ADHD, and social anxiety disorder.	Against Applicant	Mood Disorder Diagnosed	Unknown	(b) an opinion by a duly qualified mental health professional that the individual has a condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustwort… (c) voluntary or involuntary inpatient hospitalization (d) failure to follow a prescribed treatment plan related to a diagnosed condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustworthiness (incl. f…	—	—
3.d	SOR ¶ 3.d alleges that Applicant was evaluated by a licensed psychologist on September 5, 2023. Based on the clinical interview, available medical records and mental health treatment records, testing observations, and results of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), the psychologist determined that he met criteria for unspecified anxiety disorder.	Against Applicant	PTSD or Anxiety Diagnosed	Unknown	(b) an opinion by a duly qualified mental health professional that the individual has a condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustwort… (c) voluntary or involuntary inpatient hospitalization (d) failure to follow a prescribed treatment plan related to a diagnosed condition that may impair judgment/stability/reliability/trustworthiness (incl. f…	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline I). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text — footnotes and signatures included — is in the original PDF.