0120160231
03-15-2016
Debroah C.,1 Complainant, v. Robert McDonald, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency.
U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
Office of Federal Operations
P.O. Box 77960
Washington, DC 20013
Debroah C.,1
Complainant,
v.
Robert McDonald,
Secretary,
Department of Veterans Affairs,
Agency.
Appeal No. 0120160231
Agency No. 2003-0674-2015102942
DECISION
Complainant filed a timely appeal with this Commission from the Agency's decision dated October 5, 2015, dismissing her 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. For the reasons stated below, we affirm the Agency's findings that Complainant failed to state a claim.
BACKGROUND
At the time of events giving rise to this complaint, Complainant worked as a Registered Nurse Case Manager at the Agency's Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple, Texas. On July 28, 2015, Complainant filed a formal complaint alleging that the Agency subjected her to discrimination on the basis of sex (female) when:
1. The Director of Primary Care created a Hostile Work Environment from July 20, 2014, to June 8, 2015, and
2. Complainant attended a meeting on April 2, 2015, where the Director of Primary Care, ignored, avoided, and skipped over Complainant.
ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Under the regulations set forth at 29 C.F.R. Part 1614, an Agency shall accept a complaint from an 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, or disabling condition. 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. Diaz v. Dep't of the Air Force, EEOC Request No. 05931049 (April 21, 1994). If Complainant cannot establish that she is aggrieved, the Agency shall dismiss a complaint for failure to state a claim. 29 C.F.R. � 1614.107(a)(1).
Additionally, in Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 510 U.S. 17, 21 (1993), the Supreme Court reaffirmed the holding of Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57, 67 (1986), that harassment is actionable if it is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the Complainant's employment. Thus, not all claims of harassment are actionable.
In this case, Complainant alleges that the Director of Primary Care delegated duties to her that he himself should have been doing. Complainant also maintains that the Director ignored, avoided, and skipped over her during a meeting on April 2, 2015. Complainant argues that the Director of Primary Care was "set[ting her] up to fail." We find that the incidents, taken together, do not show that Complainant suffered a harm or loss with respect to a term, condition, or privilege of employment for which there is a remedy. Therefore, we find that the complaint fails to state a claim under the EEOC regulations because Complainant failed to identify an adverse personnel action and therefore is not aggrieved. We also find that Complainant has not established that she was subjected to harassing conduct that was sufficiently severe or pervasive enough to establish a viable claim of a hostile work environment.
CONCLUSION
Accordingly, the Agency's final decision dismissing Complainant's complaint is affirmed.
STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL
RECONSIDERATION (M0815)
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, P.O. Box 77960, Washington, DC 20013. 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 (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 Mdden's signature
Carlton M. Hadden, Director
Office of Federal Operations
_3/15/16_________________
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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