Anthony F. Cappuccio, Complainant,v.Richard F. Danzig, Secretary, Department of the Navy, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionJul 14, 2000
01a03180 (E.E.O.C. Jul. 14, 2000)

01a03180

07-14-2000

Anthony F. Cappuccio, Complainant, v. Richard F. Danzig, Secretary, Department of the Navy, Agency.


Anthony F. Cappuccio v. Department of the Navy

01A03180

July 14, 2000

Anthony F. Cappuccio, )

Complainant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01A03180

) Agency No. DON-00-00251-015

Richard F. Danzig, )

Secretary, )

Department of the Navy, )

Agency. )

______________________________________)

DECISION

INTRODUCTION

Complainant timely initiated an appeal to the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC) from the final agency decision concerning his equal

employment opportunity (EEO) complaint, which alleged discrimination in

violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42

U.S.C. � 2000e et seq., and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,

29 U.S.C. � 791 et seq. The appeal is accepted by the Commission in

accordance with the provisions of 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999)

(to be codified at 29 C.F.R. �1614.405).<1>

ISSUE PRESENTED

The issue presented is whether the agency properly dismissed complainant's

complaint for failure to state a claim.

BACKGROUND

In an undated complaint received by the agency on December 8, 1999,

complainant, then a Welder, WG-10, alleged that the agency discriminated

against him in violation of the above-referenced statutes when he

was not selected for competitive reassignment to the position of

Pipe Welder,WG-10, from merit opportunity announcement # PSNS009-99.

The agency dismissed the complaint, noting that complainant had not

applied for the position. The agency took note of complainant's various

arguments that he had been mislead into not applying for the position and

that he had not been made aware of the merit opportunity announcement,

but found that the opportunity had been publicly announced during a period

when complainant was present in the workplace, and that the announcement

specifically stated that prior applications would not be considered,

i.e., that all past applicants must re-apply.

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

An agency shall accept a complaint from any aggrieved employee

or applicant for employment who believes that he or she has been

discriminated against by that agency because of race, color, religion,

sex, national origin, age, disabling condition, or in retaliation

for prior protected activity. 29 C.F.R. �� 1614.103, 1614.106(a).

The Commission's federal-sector case precedent has long defined an

�aggrieved employee� as one who suffers a present harm or loss with

respect to a term, condition, or privilege of employment for which there

is a remedy. Riden v. Dept. of the Treasury, EEOC Request No. 05970314

(October 2, 1998).

In this case, complainant alleged unlawful discrimination in connection

with a non-selection. However, complainant did not submit an application

for the position, notwithstanding that the opportunity was publicly

announced during a period when he was present in the workplace, and

that the announcement plainly stated that prior applications would not

be considered. Accordingly, the circumstances which gave rise to the

complaint do not support a finding that complainant in fact sustained a

present harm or loss with respect to a term, condition, or privilege of

his employment. The agency therefore properly dismissed the complaint

for failure to state a claim.

CONCLUSION

Based upon a thorough review of the record, and for the foregoing reasons,

it is the decision of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to

AFFIRM the final agency decision.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0300)

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); 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 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).

COMPLAINANTS' RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0400)

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:

July 14, 2000

DATE Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director

Office of Federal Operations

Date

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.