Darius G.,1 Complainant,v.Loretta E. Lynch, Attorney General, Department of Justice (Drug Enforcement Administration), Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionApr 11, 2016
0520160075 (E.E.O.C. Apr. 11, 2016)

0520160075

04-11-2016

Darius G.,1 Complainant, v. Loretta E. Lynch, Attorney General, Department of Justice (Drug Enforcement Administration), Agency.


U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

Office of Federal Operations

P.O. Box 77960

Washington, DC 20013

Darius G.,1

Complainant,

v.

Loretta E. Lynch,

Attorney General,

Department of Justice

(Drug Enforcement Administration),

Agency.

Request No. 0520160075

Appeal No. 0120152125

Agency No. DEA-2014-01066

DECISION ON REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION

Complainant timely requested reconsideration of the decision in EEOC Appeal No. 0120152125 (November 3, 2015). EEOC Regulations provide that the Commission may, in its discretion, grant a request to reconsider any previous Commission decision where the requesting party demonstrates 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. See 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405(c).

During the period at issue, Complainant worked as a Special Agent for the Agency in San Francisco, California. Complainant filed a formal EEO complaint alleging discrimination based on race and retaliation.

Our prior appellate decision affirmed the Agency's dismissal of Complainant's formal complaint.

In his Request for Reconsideration, Complainant argues that the Agency erred in dismissing his formal complaint. We note that Complainant provided extensive arguments in the appeal of our prior decision. His arguments on his request for reconsideration encompass a variety of matters, including the fact that he is "now held to timeliness issues when I did in fact report everything I knew and suspected well within the required timeframe, all while watching DEA and CAO miss every mandated deadline...even if the Commission does not agree with my logic that I did in fact report the violations in my original complaint, there is no legal justification for dismissing an investigation into discrimination prior to [a named Agency official] based on when I discovered the FOIA results and that I filed my complaint in a timely manner."

Complainant on his request to reconsider primarily focuses on the substance of the dismissal of his formal complaint, with arguments that clearly had been raised, or certainly could have been raised, on appeal. In this regard, we emphasize that a request for reconsideration is not a second appeal to the Commission. See EEO MD-110, Ch. 9, � VII.A. Rather, a reconsideration request is an opportunity to demonstrate that the appellate decision involved a clearly erroneous interpretation of material fact or law, or will have a substantial impact on the policies, practices, or operations of the Agency. Complainant has not done so here.

After reviewing the previous decision and the entire record, the Commission finds that the request fails to meet the criteria of 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405(c), and it is the decision of the Commission to deny the request. The decision in EEOC Appeal No. 0120152125 remains the Commission's decision. There is no further right of administrative appeal on the decision of the Commission on this request.

COMPLAINANT'S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (P0610)

This decision of the Commission is final, and there is no further right of administrative appeal from the Commission's decision. 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.

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

April 11, 2016

__________________

Date

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.

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