Dennis J. McQuade, Appellant,v.Bill Richardson, Secretary, Department of Energy, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionOct 5, 1999
01984223 (E.E.O.C. Oct. 5, 1999)

01984223

10-05-1999

Dennis J. McQuade, Appellant, v. Bill Richardson, Secretary, Department of Energy, Agency.


Dennis J. McQuade, )

Appellant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01984223

) Agency No. 95(20)OR

Bill Richardson, )

Secretary, )

Department of Energy, )

Agency. )

______________________________)

DECISION

On April 25, 1998, appellant filed an appeal with this Commission from a

March 12, 1998, final agency decision (FAD) finding no discrimination.

Upon review, the Commission finds that appellant received the FAD on

March 16, 1998. Review of the FAD reveals that the agency correctly

advised appellant to file an appeal within thirty (30) calendar days

of receipt of the FAD. To be timely, appellant had to file his appeal

no later than Wednesday, April 15, 1998. See 29 C.F.R. �� 1614.402(a)

and 604(d). In justification of his untimely appeal, appellant explained

that during March and April of 1998, he suffered from �a variety of

ailments� including: depression; a sinus/respiratory infection; peptic

ulcer disease; erosive gastritis; and gastroesphogeal reflex disease.

Appellant also included an unsworn �declaration� from a woman, alleged to

be engaged to appellant, who certified that appellant was incapacitated

and bedridden �most of the time.� Appellant contends that his depression

was �seriously exacerbated� by his receipt of the FAD. However, even

considering the alleged severity of appellant's conditions, appellant

failed to provide any evidence from a medical doctor or an attending

physician which would attest to the veracity of his justification.

See Sohal v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05970461

(April 24, 1997); Crear v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Request

No. 05920700 (October 29, 1992); Johnson v. Department of Health and

Human Services, EEOC Request No. 05900873 (October 5, 1990); and Zelmer

v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05890164 (March 8,

1989). Moreover, by May 1998, appellant was sufficiently recovered from

these various ailments to craft a thirty one page handwritten brief in

support of his appeal.

The Commission finds that appellant's justification for his untimely

appeal lacks credibility. Accordingly, appellant's appeal is hereby

DISMISSED.

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:

October 5, 1999

DATE Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director

Office of Federal Operations