Roderick E. Patrick, Complainant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionNov 28, 2000
01A05642 (E.E.O.C. Nov. 28, 2000)

01A05642

11-28-2000

Roderick E. Patrick, Complainant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.


Roderick E. Patrick v. U.S. Postal Service

01A05642

November 28, 2000

.

Roderick E. Patrick,

Complainant,

v.

William J. Henderson,

Postmaster General,

United States Postal Service,

Agency.

Appeal No. 01A05642

Agency No. 4-D-230-0172-00

DECISION

Complainant filed a timely appeal with this Commission from an agency's

decision dated July 25, 2000, dismissing his complaint of unlawful

employment discrimination brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights

Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. � 2000e et seq.<1>

In his complaint, complainant claims that he was subjected to harassment

based on reprisal for prior EEO activity when, on March 21, 2000, his

Manager approached him in a menacing manner, and loudly made degrading

remarks about complainant's light duty assignment. Complainant

additionally indicates that the Manager then went over to a nearby

co-worker and asked him how to obtain a handgun with the purpose of

further threatening and intimidating complainant, placing him in fear

for his life.

In its final decision, the agency framed complainant's claims as follows:

On March 25, 2000, during a weekly safety talk, an Academy Trainer,

stated that complainant's Manager poses a threat and a danger;

On March 21, 2000, complainant's Manager expressed words of hostility

and violence; and,

On March 1, 2000, during a Stand Up Talk, the Manager said �I got your

number Buddy.�

The agency then dismissed the entire complaint on the grounds of failure

to state a claim finding that complainant was not aggrieved by mere words,

noting that the agency took no action against the complainant regarding

this matter. 29 C.F.R. � 1614.107(a)(1)

Complainant now appeals this dismissal.

In this case, complainant claims harassment due to a hostile work

environment on the basis of reprisal. The Commission views reprisal

claims broadly, and we take the position that adverse actions need not

qualify as "ultimate employment actions" or materially affect the terms

and conditions of employment in order to set forth an actionable claim

of reprisal. See EEOC Compliance Manual, No. 915.003 (May 20, 1998).

Instead, the Commission interprets the statutory retaliation clauses

as prohibiting any adverse treatment that is based upon a retaliatory

motive and is reasonably likely to deter the employee from engaging in

protected activity. Id.

In this instant case, we find that Manager's conduct on March 21, 2000,

sufficiently severe as to rise to the level of an actionable claim

of retaliatory harassment. See Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 510

U.S. 17,21 (1993); Cobb v. Department of the Treasury, EEOC Request

No. 05970077 (March 13, 1997). First, complainant has provided

several witness statements attesting that the Manager's voice during

the incident was hostile, threatening, and excessively loud. Secondly,

we find that the Manager's inquiry about where to obtain a handgun was

done in the presence of complainant with the purpose of threatening him

with serious bodily violence. Moreover, complainant contends that the

Manager frequently treats him in a hostile, demeaning, threatening manner,

as evidenced by the �I got your number Buddy� statement, and the fact

that the Manager was identified as a danger in a safety talk. Thus,

complainant contends that the March 21, 2000, although particularly

severe, is not an isolated incident, but part of on-going harassment

due to a hostile work environment.

After careful review, we find that the agency's final decision improperly

framed and dismissed the claims in the instant complaint. Accordingly,

we REVERSE the agency's dismissal, and REMAND the complaint back to the

agency for processing consistent with the ORDER below.

ORDER (E0900)

The agency is ordered to process the remanded claims in accordance with

29 C.F.R. � 1614.108. The agency shall acknowledge to the complainant

that it has received the remanded claims within thirty (30) calendar

days of the date this decision becomes final. The agency shall issue

to complainant a copy of the investigative file and also shall notify

complainant of the appropriate rights within one hundred fifty (150)

calendar days of the date this decision becomes final, unless the matter

is otherwise resolved prior to that time. If the complainant requests a

final decision without a hearing, the agency shall issue a final decision

within sixty (60) days of receipt of complainant's request.

A copy of the agency's letter of acknowledgment to complainant and a

copy of the notice that transmits the investigative file and notice of

rights must be sent to the Compliance Officer as referenced below.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMISSION'S DECISION (K0900)

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 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 29 C.F.R. � 1614.409.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0900)

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 (R0900)

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:

______________________________

Carlton M. Hadden, Director

Office of Federal Operations

November 28, 2000

__________________

Date

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING

For timeliness purposes, the Commission will presume that this decision

was received within five (5) calendar days after it was mailed. I certify

that this decision was mailed to complainant, complainant's representative

(if applicable), and the agency on:

__________________

Date

______________________________

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 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 in deciding the

present appeal. The regulations, as amended, may also be found at the

Commission's website at www.eeoc.gov.