Robert R. Williams, Appellant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionNov 5, 1999
01990037 (E.E.O.C. Nov. 5, 1999)

01990037

11-05-1999

Robert R. Williams, Appellant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.


Robert R. Williams v. United States Postal Service

01990037

November 5, 1999

Robert R. Williams, )

Appellant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01990037

) Agency No. HO-000-0078-97

William J. Henderson, )

Postmaster General, )

United States Postal Service, )

Agency. )

______________________________)

DISMISSAL OF APPEAL

Appellant filed an appeal with this Commission from a final agency

decision (FAD) dated July 21, 1998, concerning his complaint of unlawful

employment discrimination. The Commission received the appeal via

facsimile on September 29, 1998.

By regulation, appeals to the Commission must be filed within thirty (30)

calendar days of receipt of the FAD. 29 C.F.R. �1614.402(a). A document

shall be deemed timely if it is postmarked before the expiration of the

applicable filing period, or, in the absence of a legible postmark,

if it is received within five calendar days of the expiration of the

filing period. 29 C.F.R. �1614.604(b).

A copy of the certified mail return receipt card reveals that the FAD was

received at appellant's address of record on July 24, 1998. A review of

the FAD reveals that the agency properly advised appellant that he had

thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of its final decision to file

his appeal with the Commission. Therefore, in order to be considered

timely, appellant had to file his appeal no later than August 24, 1998.<1>

Appellant has not offered adequate justification for an extension of the

applicable time limit for filing his appeal. Accordingly, appellant's

October 13, 1998 appeal is hereby DISMISSED. See 29 C.F.R. ��1614.402

and 1614.604.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0795)

The Commission may, in its discretion, reconsider the decision in this

case if the appellant or the agency submits a written request containing

arguments or evidence which tend to establish that:

1. New and material evidence is available that was not readily available

when the previous decision was issued; or

2. The previous decision involved an erroneous interpretation of law,

regulation or material fact, or misapplication of established policy; or

3. The decision is of such exceptional nature as to have substantial

precedential implications.

Requests to reconsider, with supporting arguments or evidence, MUST

BE FILED WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive this

decision, or WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive

a timely request to reconsider filed by another party. Any argument in

opposition to the request to reconsider or cross request to reconsider

MUST be submitted to the Commission and to the requesting party

WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive the request

to reconsider. See 29 C.F.R. �1614.407. All requests and arguments

must bear proof of postmark and 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 filed on the date it is received

by the Commission.

Failure to file within the time period will result in dismissal of your

request for reconsideration as untimely. If extenuating circumstances

have prevented the timely filing of a request for reconsideration,

a written statement setting forth the circumstances which caused the

delay and 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).

RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0993)

It is the position of the Commission that 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.

You should be aware, however, that courts in some jurisdictions have

interpreted the Civil Rights Act of 1991 in a manner suggesting that

a civil action must be filed WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS from the

date that you receive this decision. To ensure that your civil action

is considered timely, you are advised to file it WITHIN THIRTY (30)

CALENDAR DAYS from the date that you receive this decision or to consult

an attorney concerning the applicable time period in the jurisdiction

in which your action would be filed. 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 (Z1092)

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:

November 5, 1999

____________________________

DATE Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director

Office of Federal Operations

1 The thirtieth day following appellant's receipt of the FAD fell on Sunday,

August 23, 1998, requiring the extension of the applicable filing period to

the next business day or Monday, August 24, 1998. 29 C.F.R. �1614.604(d).