Danielle F. Bryan, Appellant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionJan 14, 1999
01974619_r (E.E.O.C. Jan. 14, 1999)

01974619_r

01-14-1999

Danielle F. Bryan, Appellant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.


Danielle F. Bryan, )

Appellant, )

)

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01974619

) Agency No. 4K-210-0051-97

)

William J. Henderson, )

Postmaster General, )

United States Postal Service, )

Agency. )

______________________________)

DECISION

On May 19, 1997, appellant filed a timely appeal with this Commission

from a final agency decision (FAD) dated April 29, 1997, pertaining to

her complaint of unlawful employment discrimination in violation of Title

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

In her complaint, appellant alleged that she was subjected to sexual

harassment because of her sex (female) when:

Beginning August 1993, through may 1995, appellant's supervisor (S1)

approached appellant from behind and rubbed her shoulders and back;

In May 1995, S1 rubbed appellant's shoulders and back on a daily basis,

approached her from behind and pressed the length of his body against

her, and on some occasions, put his hands on her waist and moved them

upward until they came in contact with her breasts;

On multiple occasions in May 1995, S1 made sexual comments toward

appellant, asked her to go out with him, and made comparisons between

her and other employees' bodies;

On May 20, 1996, S1 commented to appellant, �My God, you fill out a

sweater better than Lana Turner�;

During the week of May 28, 1996, S1 commented to appellant, �You have

a nice butt. What's your phone number?�; and

On occasion, when appellant requested an additional hour to complete

her route, S1 responded, �What are you going to do for me?� and �What's

in it for me?�.

On April 29, 1997, The agency issued a FAD accepting allegations (4)

through (6) for investigation, and dismissing allegations (1) through

(3) pursuant to EEOC Regulation 29 U.S.C. �1614.107(b), for failure to

initiate contact with an EEO Counselor in a timely manner. Specifically,

the agency determined that appellant's June 21, 1996 initial EEO Counselor

contact occurred more than forty-five days from the dates of the alleged

incidents of harassment and was, therefore, untimely. Additionally,

the agency concluded that appellant failed to establish a continuing

violation because the incidents about which she complained were of

such permanence and finality to trigger a reasonable person to act to

protect her rights. Finally, the agency noted that appellant contacted

an attorney approximately one year prior to her request for counseling,

but allowed the sexual harassment to continue.

On appeal, appellant contends that she established a continuing violation,

and explains that she did not come forward prior to June 1996, because

she feared that S1 would jeopardize her career, and that her coworkers

would ridicule and retaliate against her.

EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. �1614.105(a)(1) requires that complaints

of discrimination should be brought to the attention of the Equal

Employment Opportunity Counselor within forty-five (45) days of the

date of the matter alleged to be discriminatory or, in the case of a

personnel action, within forty-five (45) days of the effective date of

the action. The Commission has adopted a "reasonable suspicion" standard

(as opposed to a "supportive facts" standard) to determine when the

forty-five (45) day limitation period is triggered. See Ball v. USPS,

EEOC Request No. 05880247 (July 6, 1988). Thus, the limitations period

is not triggered until a complainant reasonably suspects discrimination,

but before all the facts that support a charge of discrimination have

become apparent.

The Commission has held that the time requirements for initiating EEO

counseling could be waived as to certain allegations within a complaint

when the complainant alleged a continuing violation; that is, a series

of related discriminatory acts, one of which fell within the time period

for contacting an EEO Counselor. See McGivern v. U.S. Postal Service,

EEOC Request No. 05901150 (December 28, 1990); Starr v. U.S. Postal

Service, EEOC Appeal No. 01890412 (April 6, 1989).

A determination of whether a series of discrete acts constitutes

a continuing violation depends on the interrelatedness of the past

and present acts. Berry v. Board of Supervisors, 715 F.2d 971, 981

(5th Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 868 (1986). It is necessary to

determine whether the acts are interrelated by a common nexus or theme.

See Vissing v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, EEOC Request No. 05890308

(June 13, 1989); Verkennes v. Department of Defense, EEOC Request

No. 05900700 (September 21, 1990); Maldonado v. Department of the

Interior, EEOC Request No. 05900937 (October 31, 1990). Should such

a nexus exist, appellant will have established a continuing violation

and the agency would be obligated to "overlook the untimeliness of the

complaint with respect to some of the acts" challenged by appellant.

Scott v. Claytor, 469 F. Supp. 22, 26 (D.D.C. 1978).

Relevant to the determination are whether the acts were recurring or were

more in the nature of isolated employment decisions; whether an untimely

discrete act had the degree of permanence which should have triggered

an employee's awareness and duty to assert his or her rights; and,

whether the same agency officials were involved. Woljan v. Environmental

Protection Agency, EEOC Request No. 05950361 (October 5, 1995).

Further, it is important, in determining whether a claim for a continuing

violation is stated, to consider whether an appellant had prior knowledge

or suspicion of discrimination and the effect of this knowledge. Jackson

v. Department of the Air Force, EEOC Request No. 05950780 (June 27, 1997).

In the instant case, the record shows that appellant experienced repeated

acts of physical touching and vulgar sexual comments, innuendo, and

propositions. We find that such actions had the degree of permanence

which should have triggered appellant's awareness and duty to assert

her rights. Moreover, as indicated by her meeting with an attorney

approximately a year prior to initiating EEO Counselor contact, appellant

clearly had prior knowledge or suspicion of discrimination, yet elected

not to exercise her right to file an EEO complaint. Finally, although

appellant asserted that her delay in contacting an EEO Counselor was due

to her fear of retaliation, the Commission has previously held that fear

of retaliation is an insufficient justification for extending the time

limitation for contacting an EEO Counselor. See Simeone v. Department

of the Navy, EEOC Request No. 05930973 (January 25, 1994).

Based on the foregoing, the agency's decision to dismiss allegations

(1) through (3) is hereby AFFIRMED.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0795)

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

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

arguments or evidence which tend to establish that:

1. New and material evidence is available that was not readily available

when the previous decision was issued; or

2. The previous decision involved an erroneous interpretation of law,

regulation or material fact, or misapplication of established policy; or

3. The decision is of such exceptional nature as to have substantial

precedential implications.

Requests to reconsider, with supporting arguments or evidence, MUST

BE FILED WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive this

decision, or WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive

a timely request to reconsider filed by another party. Any argument in

opposition to the request to reconsider or cross request to reconsider

MUST be submitted to the Commission and to the requesting party

WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive the request

to reconsider. See 29 C.F.R. �1614.407. All requests and arguments

must bear proof of postmark and 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 filed on the date it is received

by the Commission.

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

request for reconsideration as untimely. If extenuating circumstances

have prevented the timely filing of a request for reconsideration,

a written statement setting forth the circumstances which caused the

delay and 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).

RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0993)

It is the position of the Commission that 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.

You should be aware, however, that courts in some jurisdictions have

interpreted the Civil Rights Act of 1991 in a manner suggesting that

a civil action must be filed WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS from the

date that you receive this decision. To ensure that your civil action

is considered timely, you are advised to file it WITHIN THIRTY (30)

CALENDAR DAYS from the date that you receive this decision or to consult

an attorney concerning the applicable time period in the jurisdiction

in which your action would be filed. In the alternative, you may file a

civil action AFTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY (180) CALENDAR DAYS of the date

you filed your complaint with the agency, or filed your appeal with the

Commission. 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. Filing a civil

action will terminate the administrative processing of your complaint.

RIGHT TO REQUEST COUNSEL (Z1092)

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. 14, 1999

____________________________

DATE Ronnie Blumenthal, Director

Office of Federal Operations