Alonso T.,1 Complainant,v.Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service (Southern Area), Agency.Download PDFEqual Employment Opportunity CommissionSep 21, 20160120151553 (E.E.O.C. Sep. 21, 2016) Copy Citation U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION Office of Federal Operations P.O. Box 77960 Washington, DC 20013 Alonso T.,1 Complainant, v. Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service (Southern Area), Agency. Appeal No. 0120151553 Agency No. 4G752005515 DECISION Complainant filed a timely appeal with this Commission from the Agency's decision dated March 24, 2015, dismissing his complaint of unlawful employment discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. Upon review, the Commission finds that Complainant's complaint was properly dismissed pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(1) for failure to state a claim. BACKGROUND At the time of events giving rise to this complaint, Complainant worked as a Rural Carrier at the Agency’s Coit Station in Plano, Texas. On March 9, 2015, Complainant filed a formal complaint alleging that the Agency subjected him to discrimination on the bases of race (African-American), sex (male), religion (Muslim), and color (black) when he was told at 7:45 A.M. on November 12, 2014, to take his Delivery Point Sequence (DPS)2 mail “to the street” and “to be back” by 6:00 P.M. 1 This case has been randomly assigned a pseudonym which will replace Complainant’s name when the decision is published to non-parties and the Commission’s website. 2 Delivery Point Sequence mail is presorted by an automated process and does not require manual sorting by a carrier. 0120151553 2 ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS The Commission finds that the complaint fails to state a claim under the EEOC regulations because Complainant failed to show that he suffered harm or loss with respect to a term, condition, or privilege of employment for which there is a remedy when the Agency instructed him to begin delivering his DPS mail, a function that was apparently within the normal scope of his duties as a Rural Carrier. See Diaz v. Dep’t of the Air Force, EEOC Request No. 05931049 (April 21, 1994); Dismus v. United States Postal Serv., EEOC Appeal No. 0120123177 (December 20, 2012), req. for recons. den. EEOC Request No. 0520130229 (February 4, 2014). Nor would the Agency’s issuance of such directions on a single occasion support a claim of hostile workplace harassment. See Gray v. United States Postal Serv., EEOC Appeal No. 0120091101 (May 13, 2010)(routine work assignments, instructions, and admonishments do not rise to the level of harassment because they are common workplace occurrences.) CONCLUSION Accordingly, the Agency's final decision dismissing Complainant's complaint is affirmed. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL RECONSIDERATION (M0416) 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 29 C.F.R. § 1614.405; Equal Employment Opportunity Management Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO MD-110), at Chap. 9 § VII.B (Aug. 5, 2015). All requests and arguments must be submitted to the Director, Office of Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The requests may be submitted via regular mail to P.O. Box 77960, Washington, DC 20013, or by certified mail to 131 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20507. 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 29 C.F.R. § 1614.604. The request or opposition must also include proof of service on the other party. 0120151553 3 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 (S0610) 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 (Z0815) If you want to file a civil action but cannot pay the fees, costs, or security to do so, you may request permission from the court to proceed with the civil action without paying these fees or costs. Similarly, if you cannot afford an attorney to represent you in the civil action, you may request the court to appoint an attorney for you. You must submit the requests for waiver of court costs or appointment of an attorney directly to the court, not the Commission. The court has the sole discretion to grant or deny these types of requests. Such requests do not alter the time limits for filing a civil action (please read the paragraph titled Complainant’s Right to File a Civil Action for the specific time limits). FOR THE COMMISSION: ______________________________ Carlton M. Hadden’s signature Carlton M. Hadden, Director Office of Federal Operations September 21, 2016 Date Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation