[Redacted], Faustina L., 1 Complainant,v.Robert Wilkie, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Jan 12, 2021

Appeal No. 2021000936 (E.E.O.C. Jan. 12, 2021)

U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION Office of Federal Operations P.O. Box 77960 Washington, DC 20013 Faustina L.,1 Complainant, v. Robert Wilkie, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency. Appeal No. 2021000936 Hearing No. 570-2020-00408X Agency No. 20DR-006-2018104105 DECISION On November 22, 2020, Complainant filed an appeal, pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.403(a), from the Agency’s September 29, 2020 final order concerning her equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaint claiming employment discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. BACKGROUND At the time of events giving rise to this complaint, Complainant worked as a Human Resources Officer at the Agency’s facility in Washington, D.C.2 On October 25, 2018, Complainant filed the instant formal complaint. Complainant claimed that the Agency unlawfully retaliated against her in reprisal for engaging in protected EEO activity when: 1 This case has been randomly assigned a pseudonym which will replace Complainant’s name when the decision is published to non-parties and the Commission’s website. 2 The record reflects that in June 2018, Complainant accepted an offer to work with a different federal agency. 2021000936 2 1. on March 28, 2018, the Deputy Assistant Secretary instructed a subordinate employee to access Complainant’s electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) without Complainant’s permission; and 2. on April 27, 2018, she was detailed to work at VISN 5 located in Lithicum, Maryland.3 After an investigation, the Agency provided Complainant with a copy of the investigative file, and Complainant requested a hearing before an EEOC Administrative Judge (AJ). The AJ assigned to the case issued a Notice of Intent to Issue a Decision Without a Hearing on August 14, 2020. Complainant responded to the Notice of Intent. On September 28, 2020, the AJ issued a decision by summary judgment in favor of the Agency. The Agency thereafter issued the instant final order implementing the AJ’s decision. The instant appeal followed. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS The Commission's regulations allow an AJ to grant summary judgment when he or she finds that there is no genuine issue of material fact. 29 C.F.R. § 1614.109(g). An issue of fact is “genuine” if the evidence is such that a reasonable fact finder could find in favor of the non-moving party. Celotex v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23 (1986); Oliver v. Digital Equip. Corp., 846 F.2d 103, 105 (1st Cir. 1988). A fact is “material” if it has the potential to affect the outcome of the case. In rendering this appellate decision, we must scrutinize the AJ’s legal and factual conclusions, and the Agency’s final order adopting them, de novo. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.405(a) (stating that a “decision on an appeal from an Agency’s final action shall be based on a de novo review…”); see also Equal Employment Opportunity Management Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO-MD- 110), at Chap. 9, § VI.B. (as revised, August 5, 2015) (providing that an administrative judge’s determination to issue a decision without a hearing, and the decision itself, will both be reviewed de novo). To successfully oppose a decision by summary judgment, a complainant must identify, with specificity, facts in dispute either within the record or by producing further supporting evidence, and must further establish that such facts are material under applicable law. Such a dispute would indicate that a hearing is necessary to produce evidence to support a finding that the agency was motivated by discriminatory animus. Here, however, Complainant failed to establish such a dispute. Even construing any inferences raised by the undisputed facts in favor of Complainant, a reasonable fact-finder could not find in Complainant’s favor. 3 The record reflects that in August 2019, the Agency issued a final decision dismissing the formal complaint on procedural grounds. On appeal, EEOC reversed the Agency’s dismissal and remanded the matter to the Agency for further processing. See EEOC Appeal No. 2019002985 (August 2, 2019). Pursuant to the remand, the Agency processed the claims in accordance with 29 C.F.R. § 1614.108, which is now the subject of the instant appeal. 2021000936 3 A claim of disparate treatment is examined under the three-party analysis first enunciated in McDonnell Douglas Corporation v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973). For complainant to prevail, she must first establish a prima facie of discrimination by presenting facts that, if unexplained, reasonably give rise to an inference of discrimination, i.e., that a prohibited consideration was a factor in the adverse employment action. See McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 802; Furnco Construction Corp. v. Waters, 438 U.S. 567 (1978). The burden then shifts to the agency to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for its actions. See Texas Department of Community Affairs v. Burdine, 450 U.S. 248, 253 (1981). Once the agency has met its burden, the complainant bears the ultimate responsibility to persuade the fact finder by a preponderance of the evidence that the agency acted on the basis of a prohibited reason. See St. Mary’s Honor Center v. Hicks, 509 U.S. 502 (1993). In finding no discrimination by summary judgment, the record developed during the investigation established the following undisputed facts. Complainant worked as a Human Resources (HR) Officer for the Agency in Washington D.C. Regarding claim 1, Complainant asserted that on March 28, 2018, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary instructed a subordinate employee to gain access to Complainant’s eOPF without Complainant’s permission. The Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) HR Office explained that during this time period the Agency engaged in an effort to cleanup and properly dispose of files and documents. Team members from Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and Human Resources and Administration (HR&A) were assigned to review a number of loose documents that were found in file cabinets and former employees’ desks and boxes. The VSIN HR Officer stated that an HR&A representative was assigned to lead the effort to review 1,600 shadow folders and that she “assured me that she did not realize that one of the folders was [Complainant’s] until she looked at the name. [HR&A representative] further assured me that the review team was using the social security numbers, to the extent possible, to search in the eOPF system for the folders.” When [HR&A representative] realized that she had opened Complainant’s eOPF, she immediately closed it and gave the file to another team member [named team member, VHA] to complete the review.” Regarding claim 2, Complainant alleged that on April 27, 2018, she was detailed to work at VISN 5 located in Lithicum, Maryland. The VISN HR Officer stated that Complainant was detailed due to complaints and allegations of a hostile work environment made by Complainant’s staff to the Acting, Medical Center Director (MCD). She explained to Complainant that the decision to detail her was a result of the complaints and allegations made to the Acting MCD. The VISN HR Officer noted that Complainant “verbally admitted to some of the statements the staff alleged was said. The Complainant also mentioned that she felt the complaints and allegations were reprisal as a result of the reprimands she issued to a few employees.” 2021000936 4 The record contains an undated copy of the Memorandum of Understanding-Detail, Human Resources Officer in which the Acting MCD placed Complainant on notice that she would be detailed to Human Resources Officer, GS-0201-14 to the VA Capitol Health Care Network, VISN, effective May 7, 2018, for a period of 120 days. Here, the undisputed facts fully support the AJ’s determination that the responsible management officials clearly articulated legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons for its actions. Complainant did not prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that these proffered reasons were a pretext designed to mask unlawful retaliatory animus. CONCLUSION We AFFIRM the Agency’s final order, implementing the AJ’s decision without a hearing, finding no discrimination. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL RECONSIDERATION (M0920) The Commission may, in its discretion, reconsider this appellate decision if Complainant or the Agency submits a written request that contains arguments or evidence that 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 for reconsideration must be filed with EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations (OFO) within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of this decision. If the party requesting reconsideration elects to file a statement or brief in support of the request, that statement or brief must be filed together with the request for reconsideration. A party shall have twenty (20) calendar days from receipt of another party’s request for reconsideration within which to submit a brief or statement in opposition. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.405; Equal Employment Opportunity Management Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO MD-110), at Chap. 9 § VII.B (Aug. 5, 2015). Complainant should submit his or her request for reconsideration, and any statement or brief in support of his or her request, via the EEOC Public Portal, which can be found at https://publicportal.eeoc.gov/Portal/Login.aspx Alternatively, Complainant can submit his or her request and arguments to the Director, Office of Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, via regular mail addressed to P.O. Box 77960, Washington, DC 20013, or by certified mail addressed to 131 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20507. In the absence of a legible postmark, a complainant’s request to reconsider shall be deemed timely filed if OFO receives it by mail within five days of the expiration of the applicable filing period. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.604. 2021000936 5 An agency’s request for reconsideration must be submitted in digital format via the EEOC’s Federal Sector EEO Portal (FedSEP). See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.403(g). Either party’s request and/or statement or brief in opposition must also include proof of service on the other party, unless Complainant files his or her request via the EEOC Public Portal, in which case no proof of service is required. Failure to file within the 30-day time period will result in dismissal of the party’s request for reconsideration as untimely, unless extenuating circumstances prevented the timely filing of the request. Any supporting documentation must be submitted together with the 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 (S0610) 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 (Z0815) If you want to file a civil action but cannot pay the fees, costs, or security to do so, you may request permission from the court to proceed with the civil action without paying these fees or costs. Similarly, if you cannot afford an attorney to represent you in the civil action, you may request the court to appoint an attorney for you. You must submit the requests for waiver of court costs or appointment of an attorney directly to the court, not the Commission. The court has the sole discretion to grant or deny these types of requests. Such requests do not alter the time limits for filing a civil action (please read the paragraph titled Complainant’s Right to File a Civil Action for the specific time limits). FOR THE COMMISSION: ______________________________ Carlton M. Hadden’s signature Carlton M. Hadden, Director Office of Federal Operations January 12, 2021 Date