Gloria J. Butler, Complainant, v.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionMar 16, 2000
01986299 (E.E.O.C. Mar. 16, 2000)

01986299

03-16-2000

Gloria J. Butler, Complainant, v.


Gloria J. Butler v. Department of Agriculture

01986299

March 16, 2000

Gloria J. Butler, )

Complainant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01986299

) Agency No. 941017

Dan Glickman, )

Secretary, )

Department of Agriculture, )

Agency. )

)

DECISION<1>

Volume 64 Fed. Reg. 37644, 37656 (1999) (to be codified as 29

C.F.R. �1614.107(a)(8)) provides that the agency shall dismiss an

entire complaint that alleges dissatisfaction with the processing of

a previously filed complaint (spin-off complaint).<2> In the instant

case, complainant claimed that she was discriminated against in reprisal

for her previous EEO activity when the agency delayed its processing of

her complaint concerning her performance appraisal rating being "Fully

Successful" for Fiscal Year 1990. Therefore, under the Commission's

regulations, the agency is required to dismiss complainant's claims of

improper processing. When claims of improper processing are raised, the

complainant should be referred to the agency official responsible for

the quality of complaints processing, and the agency should earnestly

attempt to resolve any dissatisfaction with the complaints process as

early and expeditiously as possible. EEOC-MD 110 (5-25), as revised,

November 9, 1999. In the present case, it appears that the agency did

investigate complainant's allegations of improper processing and included

its findings in the record for the underlying complaint in accordance

with EEOC-MD 110 (5-26), as revised, November 9, 1999. Accordingly,

the agency's final decision is AFFIRMED for the reasons set forth above.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0300)

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 64

Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter referred

to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405); Equal Employment Opportunity Management

Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO MD-110), 9-18 (November 9, 1999).

All requests and arguments must 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 timely filed if it is received by

mail within five days of the expiration of the applicable filing period.

See 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,661 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter

referred to as 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 (S1199)

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 (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:

March 16, 2000

_______________________________

DATE Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director

Office of Federal Operations

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING

For timeliness purposes, the Commission will presume that this decision

was received within five (5) calendar days of mailing. I certify that

the decision was mailed to complainant, complainant's representative,

and the agency on:

DATE Equal Employment Assistant

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 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644 (1999), where applicable, in deciding the

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

Commission's website at WWW.EEOC.GOV.

2Although there was no specific provision in the regulations requiring

agencies to dismiss spin-off complaints prior to the revisions, there

was no provision in either the regulations or the management directive

permitting the filing of a separate complaint on this issue. See 64

Fed. Reg. 37644, 37645 (1999).