Ronnie L. Olsen, Complainant,v.William S. Cohen, Secretary, Department of Defense, (Army & Air Force Exchange Service), Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionNov 3, 2000
01982699 (E.E.O.C. Nov. 3, 2000)

01982699

11-03-2000

Ronnie L. Olsen, Complainant, v. William S. Cohen, Secretary, Department of Defense, (Army & Air Force Exchange Service), Agency.


Ronnie L. Olsen v. Army and Air Force Exchange Service

01982699

November 3, 2000

.

Ronnie L. Olsen,

Complainant,

v.

William S. Cohen,

Secretary,

Department of Defense,

(Army & Air Force Exchange Service),

Agency.

Appeal No. 01982699

Agency No. 96-073

DECISION

Complainant timely initiated an appeal from a final agency decision (FAD)

concerning his complaint of unlawful retaliation in violation of the Age

Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended, 29 U.S.C. �

621 et seq.<1> The appeal is accepted pursuant to 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405.

Complainant contends he was subjected to retaliatory constructive

discharge when, effective December 29, 1995, he elected early retirement.

For the reasons set forth below, the Commission VACATES the FAD and

REMANDS the complaint.

Believing he was a victim of retaliatory constructive discharge,

complainant sought EEO counseling and subsequently filed a formal EEO

complaint on February 28, 1996. Inasmuch as such a discharge could have

been appealed directly to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the

EEO complaint was a "mixed case complaint" under 29 C.F.R. � 1614.302(a).

At the conclusion of the investigation, complainant was informed of

his right to request a hearing before an EEOC Administrative Judge or

alternatively, to receive a final decision by the agency. Complainant

requested that the agency issue a final decision.

By FAD issued February 13, 1998, the agency found no retaliatory

constructive discharge, and erroneously provided appeal rights to the

Commission, resulting in the instant appeal. EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. �

1614.302(d)(3) provides:

At the time that the agency issues its final decision on a mixed case

complaint, the agency shall advise the complainant of the right to appeal

the matter to the MSPB (not EEOC) within 30 days of receipt and of the

right to file a civil action as provided at � 1614.310(a).

Consequently, we find that this case is not properly before the Commission

at this time.<2> See Kryfka v. Department of Transportation, EEOC Appeal

No. 01970060 (May 18, 1999); Llabres v. Department of Transportation,

EEOC Appeal No. 01944908 (December 1, 1995), request to reconsider denied,

EEOC Request No. 05960255 (November 13, 1997). Accordingly, we VACATE

the FAD and REMAND the complaint in accordance with this decision and

the following ORDER.

ORDER

Within thirty (30) calendar days of the date this decision becomes final,

the agency shall issue a new final decision with appropriate appeal rights

to the Merit Systems Protection Board, in accordance with EEOC Regulation

29 C.F.R. � 1614.302(d)(3). The agency shall submit a copy of the

re-issued final decision to the EEOC Compliance Officer as listed 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 3, 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

______________________________

1 On 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.

2EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. � 1614.303(a) provides: "Individuals who have

received a final decision from the MSPB on . . . the appeal of a final

decision on a mixed case complaint under 5 C.F.R. 1201, subpart E and

5 U.S.C. 7702 may petition EEOC to consider that decision."