Dorothy D. Hatchett, Complainant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, (Mid-Atlantic Area), Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionNov 3, 2000
05990121 (E.E.O.C. Nov. 3, 2000)

05990121

11-03-2000

Dorothy D. Hatchett, Complainant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, (Mid-Atlantic Area), Agency.


Dorothy D. Hatchett v. United States Postal Service

05990121

November 3, 2000

.

Dorothy D. Hatchett,

Complainant,

v.

William J. Henderson,

Postmaster General,

United States Postal Service,

(Mid-Atlantic Area),

Agency.

Request No. 05990121

Appeal No. 01964256

Agency No. 4D-1246-93; 4D-1616-93

Hearing No. 120-94-5322X; 120-94-5323X

DENIAL OF REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION

The agency initiated a request to the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC or Commission) to reconsider the decision in Dorothy

D. Hatchett v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Appeal No. 01964256

(October 1, 1998).<1> EEOC Regulations provide that the Commission may,

in its discretion, 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(b).

After a review of the agency's request for reconsideration, 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(b), and it is the

decision of the Commission to deny the request. The decision in EEOC

Appeal No. 01964256 remains the Commission's final decision, and the

agency shall comply with the relief awarded therein, restated in the

following ORDER. There is no further right of administrative appeal of

the decision of the Commission on this request for reconsideration.

ORDER

The agency is ORDERED to take the following remedial action:

(A) Within thirty (30) calendar days of the date this decision

becomes final, the agency is directed to rescind the suspension at

issue and expunge from complainant's personnel files all reference to

the suspension and the proposed removal action from which the suspension

originated. Complainant shall be provided with appropriate back pay and

benefits, with interest, as indicated below.

(B) The agency shall determine the appropriate amount of back pay,

interest and other benefits due complainant, pursuant to 29 C.F.R. �

1614.501, no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the date this

decision becomes final. The complainant shall cooperate in the agency's

efforts to compute the amount of back pay and benefits due, and shall

provide all relevant information requested by the agency. If there is a

dispute regarding the exact amount of back pay and/or benefits, the agency

shall issue a check to the complainant for the undisputed amount within

thirty (30) calendar days of the date the agency determines the amount

it believes to be due. The complainant may petition for enforcement or

clarification of the amount in dispute. The petition for clarification

or enforcement must be filed with the Compliance Officer, at the address

referenced in the statement entitled "Implementation of the Commission's

Decision."

(C) Within thirty calendar days of the date this decision becomes final,

the agency shall solicit from complainant an accounting of all costs

associated with the prosecution of this complaint. Within thirty days

of receipt of that information from complainant, the agency shall issue

her a check reimbursing her for all reasonable costs. As part of this

process, the agency shall review the amount of official time requested

by complainant to prepare for her hearing on these matters, and if any

reasonable amount of official time was denied, the agency should restore

the leave complainant used for that purpose.

(D) Within thirty calendar days of the date this decision becomes final,

the agency shall award complainant the amount of $20,000 in non-pecuniary

compensatory damages for mental and physical distress.

(E) The agency shall post at the Midlothian, Virginia Post Office copies

of the attached notice. Copies of the notice, after being signed by the

agency's duly authorized representative, shall be posted by the agency

within thirty (30) calendar days of the date this decision becomes final,

and shall remain posted for sixty (60) consecutive days, in conspicuous

places, including all places where notices to employees are customarily

posted. The agency shall take reasonable steps to ensure that said

notices are not altered, defaced, or covered by any other material. The

original signed notice is to be submitted to the Compliance Officer

at the address cited in the paragraph entitled "Implementation of the

Commission's Decision," within ten (10) calendar days of the expiration

of the posting period.

(F) The agency shall provide training in the obligations and duties

imposed by the Title VII to the officials responsible for the action at

issue.

(G) The agency is further directed to submit a report of compliance, as

provided in the statement entitled "Implementation of the Commission's

Decision." The report shall include supporting documentation of the

agency's calculation of back pay and other benefits due complainant,

including evidence that the corrective action has been implemented.

ATTORNEY'S FEES (H0900)

If complainant has been represented by an attorney (as defined by

29 C.F.R. � 1614.501(e)(1)(iii), he/she is entitled to an award of

reasonable attorney's fees incurred in the processing of the complaint.

29 C.F.R. � 1614.501(e). The award of attorney's fees shall be paid

by the agency. The attorney shall submit a verified statement of fees

to the agency -- not to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,

Office of Federal Operations -- within thirty (30) calendar days of this

decision becoming final. The agency shall then process the claim for

attorney's fees in accordance with 29 C.F.R. � 1614.501.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMISSION'S DECISION (K0900)

Compliance with the Commission's corrective action is mandatory.

The agency shall submit its compliance report within thirty (30)

calendar days of the completion of all ordered corrective action. The

report shall be submitted to the Compliance Officer, Office of Federal

Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, P.O. Box 19848,

Washington, D.C. 20036. The agency's report must contain supporting

documentation, and the agency must send a copy of all submissions to

the complainant. If the agency does not comply with the Commission's

order, the complainant may petition the Commission for enforcement of

the order. 29 C.F.R. � 1614.503(a). The complainant also has the right

to file a civil action to enforce compliance with the Commission's order

prior to or following an administrative petition for enforcement. See 29

C.F.R. �� 1614.407, 1614.408, and 29 C.F.R. � 1614.503(g). Alternatively,

the complainant has the right to file a civil action on the underlying

complaint in accordance with the paragraph below entitled "Right to File

A Civil Action." 29 C.F.R. �� 1614.407 and 1614.408. A civil action

for enforcement or a civil action on the underlying complaint is subject

to the deadline stated in 42 U.S.C. � 2000e-16(c)(Supp. V 1993). If the

complainant files a civil action, the administrative processing of the

complaint, including any petition for enforcement, will be terminated.

See 29 C.F.R. � 1614.409.

COMPLAINANT'S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (P0900)

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 (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:

______________________________

Carlton M. Hadden, Director

Office of Federal Operations

November 3, 2000

__________________

Date

NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES

POSTED BY ORDER OF THE

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

An Agency of the United States Government

This Notice is posted pursuant to an Order by the United States Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission dated_______________ which found that

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

42 U.S.C. �2000e et seq., has occurred at this facility.

Federal law requires that there be no discrimination against any employee

or applicant for employment because of the person's RACE, COLOR, RELIGION,

SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, or PHYSICAL or MENTAL DISABILITY with respect

to hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, or other terms, conditions

or privileges of employment.

The United States Postal Service supports and will comply with such

Federal law and will not take action against individuals because they

have exercised their rights under law.

The United States Postal Service has been found to have discriminated

against the individual affected by the Commission's finding on the

bases of her race when her removal was proposed and she was subsequently

suspended. The agency has been ordered to rescind the suspension, provide

the individual with appropriate back pay and costs for prosecuting her

complaint, and award the individual $20,000 in compensatory damages. The

United States Postal Service will ensure that officials responsible for

personnel decisions and terms and conditions of employment will abide

by the requirements of all Federal equal employment opportunity laws

and will not retaliate against employees who file EEO complaints.

The United States Postal Service will not in any manner restrain,

interfere, coerce, or retaliate against any individual who exercises his

or her right to oppose practices made unlawful by, or who participates

in proceedings pursuant to, Federal equal employment opportunity law.

Date Posted: ___________________

Posting Expires: _________________

29 C.F.R. Part 1614

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 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 in deciding the

present appeal. The regulations, as amended, may also be found at the

Commission's website at www.eeoc.gov.