The U.S. Capitol Rotunda is reflected outside in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. The U.S. Capitol Rotunda is reflected outside in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)

In what disciplinary officials called an "extraordinary" case, the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility moved Wednesday to disbar a lawyer after he asked for the sanction, telling the board he would wear disbarment as a badge of honor.

Attorney Glenn Stephens was assigned by an outside contracting company in 2013 to investigate employment complaints at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In a string of at least four disciplinary matters related to his two-year tenure there and his behavior afterward, Stephens was accused of a range of improper conduct, including harassing an employer; threatening to seek disciplinary charges to obtain an advantage in a civil matter; threatening to seek criminal charges to obtain an advantage in a civil matter; and interfering with the administration of justice.

More detail about the complaints against Stephens can be found in the board's lengthy hearing report on his conduct, released in April.

But in the end the board didn't recommend disbarment over the allegations of misconduct or its findings, at least not directly. Instead, it concluded that Stephens "should be disbarred without an analysis of the merits of his case" because he "unequivocally, and colorfully, sought to be disbarred."

"Disbarment by [the Office of Disciplinary Counsel] would be an honor," Stephens wrote in an email March 1. According to the board, Stephens was served with a specification of charges in April 2017, and he did not participate in any proceedings, file an answer to the charges or any pre-hearing documents, or appear at his hearing.

"To date, aside from competing in the triathlon world championships, my greatest honors are my PhD from UCLA and my law degree from Boalt," he continued in the email. "But a disbarment letter from ODC would be framed and go up right alongside those diplomas.

"Please do me the honor of disbarring me," he wrote. "I would be so very very proud."

The board's majority obliged in a report and recommendations issued Wednesday, in which it noted the disciplinary counsel was seeking Stephen's disbarment and recommended his disbarment to the Court of Appeals.

"Respondent's email to disciplinary counsel indicated his desire to be disbarred," the board wrote, adding that it would recommend the court disbar the respondent on consent.

Two members of the board dissented with the order, writing they disagreed with the decision to take Stephen's email, which they categorized as "regrettable," as consent to be disbarred, and instead believed the board should review complaints made against him.