Lee A. Black, Complainant,v.John W. Snow, Secretary, Department of the Treasury, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionDec 29, 2004
01A42242_r (E.E.O.C. Dec. 29, 2004)

01A42242_r

12-29-2004

Lee A. Black, Complainant, v. John W. Snow, Secretary, Department of the Treasury, Agency.


Lee A. Black v. Department of the Treasury

01A42242

December 29, 2004

.

Lee A. Black,

Complainant,

v.

John W. Snow,

Secretary,

Department of the Treasury,

Agency.

Appeal No. 01A42242

Agency Nos. 00-3272, 01-1005T, 01-1005TS,

01-1078T, 01-1078TS, 01-1148T, 01-1148TS, 02-3001,

02-3001S, 02-3042, 02-3042S, 02-3080, 02-3081, 02-3082<1>

DECISION

Complainant filed an appeal with this Commission regarding the terms of

the June 25, 2002 settlement agreement into which the parties entered.

The Commission observes that complainant initially notified the agency of

his allegations, concurrent with his notice to the agency of the instant

appeal on November 8, 2002. The agency responded by filing a brief with

the Commission on February 19, 2003. In light of the agency's response

to complainant's appeal statement and in the absence of any agency

decision, we deem the agency to have determined that the settlement

agreement is valid.

The settlement agreement provided, in pertinent part, that:

(1) The [agency] will:

Pay the Complainant the lump sum of $2,000, subject to any applicable

state and federal taxes.

Take action to issue payment no later than 30 calendar days after the

date this agreement is signed by both parties.

. . . .

In consideration for the [agency's] compliance with the provisions of

paragraph 1, the Complainant agrees:

To withdraw all of the above-referenced complaints with prejudice.

The Complainant's signature on this agreement will serve as withdrawal

of those complaints.

. . . .

Not file an application for employment with the [agency] or any of its

Bureaus or Offices, and to withdraw any pending applications, if any.

Not to institute any further legal and/or administrative appeals

on the matter(s) raised in the above-referenced complaints. This

includes a specific waiver of rights or claims arising out of the

Age Discrimination in Employment Act; however, it does not [affect]

new rights or claims arising subsequent to this agreement.

By signing this agreement, Complainant waives all rights and claims under

the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended,

as to the above referenced complaints. To ensure compliance with

the requirements of the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA)

29 U.S.C. 626(f), the Complainant, by signing this agreement, agrees

with the following. The Complainant:

Understands that this waiver is part of an agreement between the

complainant and the [agency];

Has fully read and understood the agreement;

Intends to waive any and all rights or claims under the ADEA as to

matters raised in the above-captioned complaint(s) as of the date of

the execution of this agreement;

Does not waive any rights or claims that may arise after the date that

this agreement has been executed;

Is waiving rights or claims in exchange for valuable consideration

in addition to anything of value to which the Complainant is already

entitled;

Has been advised to consult with an attorney before executing this

agreement; and

Has been given a reasonable period of time within which to consider

this agreement.

In his appeal, complainant requests that the Commission order the agency

to reopen his complaints and to continue processing thereof, on the

grounds that the agency failed to include in the settlement agreement,

a provision whereby complainant could rescind the agreement within

7 days and also allow him to have 21 days to review the agreement.

Alternatively, complainant asks that the Commission order the agency to

remove the lifetime ban that prohibits complainant from submitting an

application for employment with the agency and increase the settlement

award by $1,500; or, pay him $13,500, in addition to the $2,000 already

provided, if the lifetime ban is not removed. Complainant claims that

the settlement agreement violates the Older Workers' Benefit Protection

Act (OWBPA) and that he was not aware of his rights under OWBPA at the

time he signed the settlement agreement.

In its February 19, 2003 response to complainant's appeal, the agency

concluded that complainant's appeal is untimely, and also that his

request should be denied. The agency found that complainant was given

a reasonable time to consider the agreement and that the agreement is

not in violation of the OWBPA.

EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. � 1614.504(a) provides that any settlement

agreement knowingly and voluntarily agreed to by the parties, reached at

any stage of the complaint process, shall be binding on both parties.

The Commission has held that a settlement agreement constitutes a

contract between the employee and the agency, to which ordinary rules

of contract construction apply. See Herrington v. Department of Defense,

EEOC Request No. 05960032 (December 9, 1996). The Commission has further

held that it is the intent of the parties as expressed in the contract,

not some unexpressed intention, that controls the contract's construction.

Eggleston v. Department of Veterans Affairs, EEOC Request No. 05900795

(August 23, 1990). In ascertaining the intent of the parties with regard

to the terms of a settlement agreement, the Commission has generally

relied on the plain meaning rule. See Hyon O v. United States Postal

Service, EEOC Request No. 05910787 (December 2, 1991). This rule states

that if the writing appears to be plain and unambiguous on its face,

its meaning must be determined from the four corners of the instrument

without resort to extrinsic evidence of any nature. See Montgomery

Elevator Co. v. Building Eng'g Servs. Co., 730 F.2d 377 (5th Cir. 1984).

The OWBPA amended the ADEA, effective October 16, 1990, and provides the

minimum waiver requirements for ADEA claims. To meet the standards of the

OWBPA, if applied to the federal administrative process, a waiver of a

complainant's rights to pursue relief for his claims of discrimination

based on age, such as that contained in the settlement agreement at

issue herein, would not be considered knowing and voluntary unless at

a minimum: the waiver is clearly written, from the viewpoint of the

employee; the waiver specifically refers to rights or claims under the

ADEA; the employee does not waive rights or claims following execution of

the waiver; valuable consideration is given in exchange for the waiver;

the employee is advised in writing to consult with an attorney prior

to executing the agreement; and the employee is given a "reasonable"

period of time in which to consider the settlement agreement. 29 U.S.C. �

626(f)(2). See Juhola v. Department of the Army, EEOC Appeal No. 01934032

(June 30, 1994).

Here, the settlement agreement of June 25, 2002, specifically refers to

complainant's claims based upon age. Additionally, the agency found,

and we agree, that complainant had an opportunity to consult with an

attorney from May 7, 2002, when he received the first draft of the

proposed settlement agreement and July 2, 2002, the date by which the

agency last requested that complainant return the signed agreement,

with only minor modifications by the agency, if he intended to settle his

complaints as agreed. We therefore find that complainant had been given a

reasonable period of time in which to consider the settlement agreement

when he signed it on June 25, 2002 and returned it to the agency.

We further find (and complainant does not dispute) that complainant's

decision to enter into the settlement agreement dated June 25, 2002,

was both knowing and voluntary under the OWBPA. Accordingly, we find

that the settlement agreement of June 25, 2002 does not violate the OWBPA.

The Commission finds therefore that the settlement agreement is

enforceable, that complainant received consideration pursuant to its

terms, and there is no basis for voiding the agreement or reinstating

the settled matters.

The agency's determination that the agreement is valid is AFFIRMED.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0701)

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 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 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 (S0900)

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:

______________________________

Carlton M. Hadden, Director

Office of Federal Operations

December 29, 2004

__________________

Date

1The settlement agreement resolved �all

administrative complaints filed by complainant from September 26,

2000 until the date this agreement is signed by both parties...� The

agreement was signed by the agency's representative on June 20, 2002,

and last signed by complainant on June 25, 2002.