Lamar W. Sessoms, Jr., Complainant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionOct 31, 2000
05980973 (E.E.O.C. Oct. 31, 2000)

05980973

10-31-2000

Lamar W. Sessoms, Jr., Complainant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.


Lamar W. Sessoms, Jr. v. United States Postal Service

05980973

October 31, 2000

.

Lamar W. Sessoms, Jr.,

Complainant,

v.

William J. Henderson,

Postmaster General,

United States Postal Service,

Agency.

Request No. 05980973

Appeal No. 01973440, et al.

Agency No. 1-K-221-1073-96, et al.

DENIAL OF REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION

The complainant initiated a request to the Equal Employment Opportunity

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

W. Sessoms, Jr. v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Appeal No. 01973440,

et al. (June 11, 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 complainant'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. 01973440, et al., remains the Commission's final decision.

There is no further right of administrative appeal on the decision of

the Commission on this request for reconsideration.

ORDER

The agency is ORDERED to process claim 6 of Agency No. 1K-221-0067-97 in

accordance with 29 C.F.R. �1614.108. The agency shall acknowledge to the

complainant that it has received the remanded claim within thirty (30)

calendar days of the date this decision becomes final. The agency shall

issue to complainant a copy of the investigative file and also shall

notify complainant of the appropriate rights within one hundred fifty

(150) calendar days of the date this decision becomes final, unless the

matter is otherwise resolved prior to that time. If complainant requests a

final decision without a hearing, the agency shall issue a final decision

within sixty (60) days of receipt of complainant's request.

A copy of the agency's letter of acknowledgment to complainant and a

copy of the notice that transmits the investigative file and notice of

rights must be sent to the Compliance Officer as referenced below.

The agency shall conduct a supplemental investigation to determine whether

complainant was denied a reasonable amount of official time in violation

of 29 C.F.R. �1614.605(b) on May 30, 1996, as alleged in claim 6 of Agency

No. 1-K-221-1047-96. Thereafter, the agency shall issue a decision as

to whether complainant was denied a reasonable amount of official time,

as alleged in the above claim, and provide him with appeal rights to

the Commission. If the agency determines that complainant was denied a

reasonable amount of official time, then it shall reimburse complainant

for any time he spent on May 30, 1996, engaged in EEO activity that

was not designated official time. The agency's final decision must be

issued within sixty (60) calendar days of the date that this decision

becomes final. A copy of the agency's decision must be submitted to the

Compliance Officer, as referenced below.

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 (Q0900)

This decision affirms the agency's final decision/action in part, but it

also requires the agency to continue its administrative processing of a

portion of your complaint. 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 on both that portion

of your complaint which the Commission has affirmed and that portion

of the complaint which has been remanded for continued administrative

processing 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 (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

October 31, 2000

__________________

Date

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.