Jacqueline Shorter, Complainant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionMay 11, 2000
01993693 (E.E.O.C. May. 11, 2000)

01993693

05-11-2000

Jacqueline Shorter, Complainant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.


Jacqueline Shorter, )

Complainant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01993693

) Agency No. 1-H-378-0027-98

William J. Henderson, )

Postmaster General, )

United States Postal Service, )

Agency. )

____________________________________)

DECISION

On April 1, 1999, complainant filed a timely appeal with this Commission

from a final agency decision dated March 10, 1999, concerning her

complaint of unlawful discrimination in violation of Title VII of the

Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. � 2000e et seq.<1>

The appeal is accepted pursuant to 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644 37,659 (1999)

(to be codified at EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405).

Based on a review of the record, this Commission finds that the agency

properly limited the scope of its investigation of the complaint at

issue here to whether complainant was harassed when she was asked to

provide additional medical evidence and denied light duty status after

she received a decision regarding her workers' compensation claim from

the Office of Workers' Compensation Program.

On appeal, no persuasive arguments or evidence were presented to convince

us that the issue in the complaint was defined incorrectly. Accordingly,

we hereby AFFIRM the agency's final decision.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M1199)

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). 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).

COMPLAINANTS' RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0400)

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:

May 11, 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

(if applicable), and the agency on:

______________________ ______________________________

Date Employment Opportunity Assistant

FOR OFO INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY

FOR PROCEDURAL CASES

TO: CARLTON M. HADDEN, ACTING DIR.

OFFICE OF FEDERAL OPERATIONS

APPEAL NUMBER:

01993693

AGENCY NUMBER:

1-H-378-0027-98

(APPROVED) (DATE)

REQUEST NUMBER:HEARING NUMBER:

THE ATTACHED DECISION IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL:

TITLE

NAMES

INITIAL

DATE REVIEWED

(ATTORNEY):

Oscar M. Holloway, II

5/3/00

(SUPERVISOR:

Mary Jean Moore

(DIVISION DIRECTOR):

Marie Fitzgerald

1.) (COMPLAINANT(S)

Jacqueline Shorter

2.) (AGENCY)

USPS

3.) (DECISION)

Affirmed

4.) (STATUTE(S)

Title VII

5.) (BASIS(ES)

OR

6.) (ISSUE(S)

H1

7.) (TYPIST/DATE/DISK)

oh0-5/3/00-p:x folder

SPELL CHECK:

YES

(PLEASE CHECK ALL APPLICABLE CODES)

PROCEDURAL CODES

LETTER CLOSURE CODES

X 3K - PROCEDURAL DECISION

? 3N - APPEAL DENIED/DISMISSED

? 3P - ADVERSE INFERENCE RAISED

? 4H - OFO AFFIRMED FAD

? 3M - OFO REVERSED AND REMANDED

? 4J - OFO MODIFIED FAD

? 3L - OFO VACATED/REMANDED ALL OF

AGENCY'S MERITS DECISION

? 4Q - COMPLIANCE REQUIRED

? 3B - FAD RESCINDED

? 3C - DUPLICATE DOCKET NUMBER

? 3D - WITHDRAWAL

? 3E - COMPLAINT SETTLED

? 3G - OTHER LETTER CLOSURE

? 3R - RETURN TO AG FOR CONSOLIDATION

? 3S - RETURN TO AJ FOR CONSOLIDATION

? 7N - CIVIL ACTION FILED

REVISED AS OF 2/3/00

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.