Patrick M. Travis, Complainant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionMar 14, 2000
01991154 (E.E.O.C. Mar. 14, 2000)

01991154

03-14-2000

Patrick M. Travis, Complainant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.


Patrick M. Travis v. United States Postal Service

01991154

March 14, 2000

Patrick M. Travis, )

Complainant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01991154

) Agency Nos. 4-B-020-1101-96

William J. Henderson, ) 4-B-020-1114-96

Postmaster General, ) 4-B-020-1147-96

United States Postal Service, ) 4-B-020-0084-97

Agency. )

____________________________________)

DECISION

On November 25, 1998, complainant filed a timely appeal with this

Commission from a final agency decision (FAD) received by his attorney

on November 19, 1998, pertaining to his complaints of unlawful employment

discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

as amended, 42 U.S.C. � 2000e et seq.<1> In his complaints, complainant

alleged that he was subjected to discrimination on the bases of sex

(male) and in reprisal for prior EEO activity.

The agency accepted each complaint for investigation. Complainant

requested a hearing in each complaint, and the claims were consolidated

for a single decision before an EEOC Administrative Judge (AJ). The AJ

scheduled a pre-hearing conference for October 28, 1998, but neither

complainant nor his attorney attended. The pre-hearing conference

was rescheduled for November 5, 1998, but complainant again failed

to appear. That same day, the agency moved to have the claims remanded

to the agency for dismissal for failure to prosecute, and the AJ issued

an Order-to-Show-Cause. Neither complainant nor his attorney responded

to the Order, and, consequently, the AJ remanded the complaints to the

agency, and recommended that they be dismissed. By FAD dated November

16, 1998, the agency dismissed the complaints for failure to cooperate

The record includes a Counselor's Report, formal complaint, notice of

processing, and investigation for each complaint. Each investigation

includes a completed investigative report, affidavits from relevant

officials, and numerous exhibits.

Dismissal for failure to prosecute is only appropriate in limited

circumstances. The agency must provide a written request for

relevant information, and the request must notify complainant that his

complaint will be dismissed if he fails to address the request. See 64

Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,656 (1999)(to be codified and hereinafter cited

as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.107(a)(7)). Further, if sufficient information is

available to adjudicate the complaint, dismissal may not be appropriate.

See id; see also Ross v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Request

No. 05900693 (August 17, 1990); Brinson v. United States Postal Service,

EEOC Request No. 05900193 (April 12, 1990). It is only in cases where

the complainant has engaged in delay or contumacious conduct and the

record is insufficient to permit adjudication that the Commission has

allowed a complaint to be dismissed for failure to cooperate. See Card

v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05970095 (April 23,

1998); Kroeten v. United States Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05940451

(December 22, 1994). Therefore, the Commission finds that complainant's

failure to cooperate with the AJ justifies a forfeit of his right to

a hearing, but not dismissal of his complaint. Adequate information

exists to issue a final decision on the merits of the claims.

CONCLUSION

Accordingly, the agency's dismissal is REVERSED, and the complaints are

REMANDED for a final decision on the merits.

ORDER

The agency is ORDERED to issue a final decision on the merits of the

remanded complaints within sixty (60) calendar days of the date this

decision becomes final, pursuant to 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,657 -

37,658 (1999) (to be codified as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.110(b)). The agency

shall send a copy of its final decision to the Compliance Officer as

referenced below.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMISSION'S DECISION (K1199)

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 64

Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659-60 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter

referred to as 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 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999)

(to be codified and hereinafter referred to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.409).

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 (R1199)

This is a decision requiring the agency to continue its administrative

processing of your complaint. However, if you wish to file a civil

action, you have the right to file such action in an appropriate United

States District Court WITHIN NINETY (90) CALENDAR DAYS from the date

that you receive this decision. 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:

March 14, 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 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.