[Redacted], Nicole K., 1 Complainant,v.Christine Wormuth, Secretary, Department of the Army, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Jul 6, 2021

Appeal No. 2020001254 (E.E.O.C. Jul. 6, 2021)

U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION Office of Federal Operations P.O. Box 77960 Washington, DC 20013 Nicole K.,1 Complainant, v. Christine Wormuth, Secretary, Department of the Army, Agency. Appeal No. 2020001254 Hearing No. 461-2019-00012X Agency No. ARPOLK16OCT04346 DECISION By Notice of Appeal postmarked November 18, 2019, Complainant filed an appeal with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) concerning her EEO complaint of unlawful 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., Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 791 et seq., and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq. During the relevant time, Complainant was a Social Worker (Clinical), GS-185-12, at the Bayne Jones Army Community Hospital (BJACH). Complainant’s first level supervisor was Doctor, Psychologist (Clinical). Her second level supervisor was Major, Chief Behavioral Health (Major). Colonel was the BJACH Commander starting June 8, 2017. On September 11, 2017, Complainant filed a formal complaint alleging that the Agency subjected her to discrimination based on race (African American), color (black), sex (female), age (over 40), disability (PTSD and mobility), and in reprisal for prior protected EEO activity when: 1. On June 13, 2017, she received a letter revoking her clinical privileges at BJACH from Colonel via postal service. 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. 2020001254 2 2. Major obtained a paper copy of her blood laboratory results, taken at BJACH Emergency Room and used it in a civil matter. 3. Major accessed her protective health information without authorization, consent, and/or need to know. 4. Major put her laboratory results in a memorandum and discussed it with a third party. 5. Major contacted her after she made it known she did not want any contact or interactions after she resigned on March 17, 2017. 6. Major mailed to her home patient records that were not marked or had security alert as to their sensitivity which resulted in a HIPPA violation. 7. Major utilized her laboratory results to justify an abeyance, falsify an investigation, and sent the results to the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners. 8. Doctor obtained a paper copy of her laboratory results taken in BJACH Emergency Room and used it in a civil matter. 9. Doctor accessed her protective health information without authorization, consent, and/or need to know. 10. Doctor utilized her laboratory results to justify an abeyance, falsify an investigation, and sent the results to the Louisiana State Board of Social Work examiners. 11. Doctor attached a paper copy of her laboratory results to her declaration and sent it to the investigator. 12. Doctor disregarded her right to privacy and violated HIPPA. 13. Doctor intentionally delayed her application for disability retirement. After an investigation, the Agency provided Complainant with a copy of the report of investigation and notice of her right to request a hearing before an EEOC Administrative Judge (AJ). Complainant requested a hearing but subsequently withdrew her request. On August 8, 2019, the AJ issued an Order of Dismissal and Remand for Final Agency Decision. The record contains no documentation reflecting that the Agency has issued a final decision. The instant appeal followed. Complainant states no decision has been issued in her case. Complainant addresses the merits of her claims. 2020001254 3 Given the specific circumstances of this case, we determine that the most appropriate direction is to instruct the Agency to issue its final decision on the merits of the complaint in accordance with the Order herein. Upon receipt of the Agency’s decision, Complainant may refile an appeal and raise any concerns regarding the Agency’s delay in issuing a final decision as well as her arguments concerning the merits of her claim of discrimination. Accordingly, we DISMISS the current appeal without prejudice as premature, and REMAND the complaint to the Agency for further action in compliance with the ORDER herein. ORDER Within thirty calendar days of the date this decision is issued, the Agency shall issue a final decision on the merits of the complaint pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.110(b). The decision shall contain appropriate appeal rights to this Commission. A copy of the Agency’s final decision must be sent to the Compliance Officer as referenced herein. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMISSION’S DECISION (K0719) Under 29 C.F.R. § 1614.405(c) and § 1614.502, compliance with the Commission’s corrective action is mandatory. Within seven (7) calendar days of the completion of each ordered corrective action, the Agency shall submit via the Federal Sector EEO Portal (FedSEP) supporting documents in the digital format required by the Commission, referencing the compliance docket number under which compliance was being monitored. Once all compliance is complete, the Agency shall submit via FedSEP a final compliance report in the digital format required by the Commission. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.403(g). The Agency’s final report must contain supporting documentation when previously not uploaded, and the Agency must send a copy of all submissions to the Complainant and his/her representative. 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) (1994 & Supp. IV 1999). 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. Failure by an agency to either file a compliance report or implement any of the orders set forth in this decision, without good cause shown, may result in the referral of this matter to the Office of Special Counsel pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.503(f) for enforcement by that agency. 2020001254 4 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. 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). 2020001254 5 COMPLAINANT’S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (R0610) 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 (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 July 6, 2021 Date