Alberta Merritt, Complainant,v.Togo D. West, Jr., Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionJan 13, 2000
01993240 (E.E.O.C. Jan. 13, 2000)

01993240

01-13-2000

Alberta Merritt, Complainant, v. Togo D. West, Jr., Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency.


Alberta Merritt, )

Complainant, )

) Appeal No. 01993240

v. ) Agency No. 98-0457

)

Togo D. West, Jr., )

Secretary, )

Department of Veterans Affairs, )

Agency. )

____________________________________)

DISMISSAL OF APPEAL

By Notice of Appeal postmarked March 13, 1999, complainant filed an

appeal with this Commission from the February 22, 1999, final agency

determination that it did not breach the August 3, 1998 settlement

agreement between the parties.<1> Complainant's appeal to this

Commission requests that her complaint be reinstated from the point at

which processing ceased pursuant to Volume 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,660

(1999)(to be codified as 29 C.F.R. �1614.504(a)).

On November 8, 1999, complainant filed a civil action (identified as

Civil Action No. C 3 99-594) in the United States District Court for the

Southern District of Ohio, Western Division. The record further discloses

that the allegations raised therein are the same as those raised in the

instant complaint. 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999)(to be codified and

hereinafter referred to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.409) provides that the filing

of a civil action "shall terminate Commission processing of the appeal."

Commission regulations mandate dismissal of the EEO complaint under these

circumstances so as to prevent a complainant from simultaneously pursuing

both administrative and judicial remedies on the same matters, wasting

resources, and creating the potential for inconsistent or conflicting

decisions, and in order to grant due deference to the authority of the

federal district court. See Stromgren v. Department of Veterans Affairs,

EEOC Request No. 05891079 (May 7, 1990); Sandy v. Department of Justice,

EEOC Appeal No. 01893513 (October 19, 1989); Kotwitz v. USPS, EEOC Request

No. 05880114 (October 25, 1988). Accordingly, complainant's March 13,

1999 appeal is hereby DISMISSED. See 29 C.F.R. � 1614.409.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M1199)

The Commission may, in its discretion, reconsider the decision in this

case if the complainant or the agency submits a written request containing

arguments or evidence which tend to establish that:

1. The appellate decision involved a clearly erroneous interpretation

of material fact or law; or

2. The appellate decision will have a substantial impact on the policies,

practices, or operations of the agency.

Requests to reconsider, with supporting statement or brief, MUST BE FILED

WITH THE OFFICE OF FEDERAL OPERATIONS (OFO) WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR

DAYS of receipt of this decision or WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS

OF RECEIPT OF ANOTHER PARTY'S TIMELY REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION. See

64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter

referred to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405). All requests and arguments must be

submitted to the Director, Office of Federal Operations, Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission, P.O. Box 19848, Washington, D.C. 20036. In the

absence of a legible postmark, the request to reconsider shall be deemed

timely filed if it is received by mail within five days of the expiration

of the applicable filing period. See 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,661 (1999)

(to be codified and hereinafter referred to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.604).

The request or opposition must also include proof of service on the

other party.

Failure to file within the time period will result in dismissal of your

request for reconsideration as untimely, unless extenuating circumstances

prevented the timely filing of the request. Any supporting documentation

must be submitted with your request for reconsideration. The Commission

will consider requests for reconsideration filed after the deadline only

in very limited circumstances. See 29 C.F.R. � 1614.604(c).

COMPLAINANT'S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S1199)

You have the right to file a civil action in an appropriate United States

District Court WITHIN NINETY (90) CALENDAR DAYS from the date that you

receive this decision. If you file a civil action, YOU MUST NAME AS

THE DEFENDANT IN THE COMPLAINT THE PERSON WHO IS THE OFFICIAL AGENCY HEAD

OR DEPARTMENT HEAD, IDENTIFYING THAT PERSON BY HIS OR HER FULL NAME AND

OFFICIAL TITLE. Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of your

case in court. "Agency" or "department"

means the national organization, and not the local office, facility

or department in which you work. If you file a request to reconsider

and also file a civil action, filing a civil action will terminate the

administrative processing of your complaint.

RIGHT TO REQUEST COUNSEL (Z1199)

If you decide to file a civil action, and if you do not have or cannot

afford the services of an attorney, you may request that the Court appoint

an attorney to represent you and that the Court permit you to file the

action without payment of fees, costs, or other security. See Title VII

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. � 2000e et seq.;

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. �� 791, 794(c).

The grant or denial of the request is within the sole discretion of

the Court. Filing a request for an attorney does not extend your time

in which to file a civil action. Both the request and the civil action

must be filed within the time limits as stated in the paragraph above

("Right to File A Civil Action").

FOR THE COMMISSION:

Jan. 13, 2000

__________________________________

Date Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director

Office of Federal Operations

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING

For timeliness purposes, the Commission will presume that this decision

was received within five (5) calendar days of mailing. I certify that

the decision was mailed to complainant, complainant's representative

(if applicable), and the agency on:

_______________ ______________________________

Date Equal Employment Assistant

1On November 9, 1999, revised regulations governing the EEOC's federal

sector complaint process went into effect. These regulations apply to all

federal sector EEO complaints pending at any stage in the administrative

process. Consequently, the Commission will apply the revised regulations

found at 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644 (1999), where applicable, in deciding the

present appeal. The regulations, as amended, may also be found at the

Commission's website at WWW.EEOC.GOV.