01A21303
09-29-2003
Anthony Coleman, Complainant, v. John E. Potter, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.
Anthony Coleman v. United States Postal Service
01A21303
09-29-03
.
Anthony Coleman,
Complainant,
v.
John E. Potter,
Postmaster General,
United States Postal Service,
Agency.
Appeal No. 01A21303
Agency No. 1G-756-0063-01
DECISION
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. In a complaint dated May 28, 2000, complainant alleged
that he was subjected to discrimination on the bases of race and color
(Black), sex and retaliation for previously filing equal employment
opportunity (EEO) complaints and agency grievances when on April 21, 2001,
his supervisor referred to complainant as a dummy and called him stupid.
The Commission finds that the complaint fails to state a claim under the
EEOC regulations because this event of harassment, even when viewed with
complainant's earlier filed complaints and grievances, is not so severe,
threatening or humiliating to state a claim of harassment or a hostile
work environment. Cobb v. Department of the Treasury, EEOC Request
No. 05970077 (Mar. 13, 1997).<1>
Accordingly, the agency's final decision is affirmed.
STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL
RECONSIDERATION (M0701)
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), 9-18 (November 9, 1999). 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 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 (S0900)
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:
______________________________
Carlton M. Hadden, Director
Office of Federal Operations
___09-29-03_______________
Date
1 Harassment of an employee that would not
occur but for the employee's race, color, sex, national origin, age,
disability, or religion is unlawful. McKinney v. Dole, 765 F.2d 1129,
1138-1139 (D.C. Cir. 1985); Fox v. General Motors Corp., 247 F.3d 169
(4th Cir. 2001) (applying disability basis to harassment analysis). A
single incident or group of isolated incidents will not be regarded as
discriminatory harassment unless the conduct is severe. Walker v. Ford
Motor Co., 684 F.2d 1355, 1358 (11th Cir. 1982). Whether the harassment
is sufficiently severe to trigger a violation of Title VII must be
determined by looking at all the circumstances, including the frequency
of the discriminatory conduct, its severity, whether it is physically
threatening or humiliating, or a mere offensive utterance, and whether
it unreasonably interferes with an employee's work performance. Ford
v. Department of Veterans Affairs, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) Appeal No. 01984630 (Jan. 2, 2002), citing Harris v. Forklift
Systems, 510 U.S. 17 (1993).