Sherri D. Choice, Complainant,v.Hershel W. Gober, Acting Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionAug 25, 2000
01a03575 (E.E.O.C. Aug. 25, 2000)

01a03575

08-25-2000

Sherri D. Choice, Complainant, v. Hershel W. Gober, Acting Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency.


Sherri D. Choice v. Department of Veterans Affairs

01A03575

August 25, 2000

.

Sherri D. Choice,

Complainant,

v.

Hershel W. Gober,

Acting Secretary,

Department of Veterans Affairs,

Agency.

Appeal No. 01A03575

Agency No. 2001233

DECISION

Sherri D. Choice (complainant) filed a timely appeal with this Commission

from a final agency decision (FAD) dated March 21, 2000 dismissing her

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.<1> In her complaint, complainant alleged that she was

subjected to harassment on the basis of race (Black) when:

on November 5, 1999, she was assaulted by the Nurse Instructor; and

on November 8 she was advised that she was the subject of a VA police

investigation.

The agency dismissed the complaint pursuant to EEOC Regulation 64

Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,656 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter referred

to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.107(a)(2)), for failing to comply with the required

time limits. Specifically, the agency noted that complainant received

the notice of right to file a formal complaint on December 18, 1999,

but failed to file a formal complaint until January 6, 2000, several

days past the 15 day time limit.

Commission regulations require that formal complaints be filed within

15 days of receipt of the notice of right to file a formal complaint.

See 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,656 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter

referred to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.106(b)). This time limit, like others,

is subject to waiver, estoppel, and equitable tolling. See 29 C.F.R. �

1614.604(c).

In the case at hand, complainant failed to establish that the time limit

should be waived. She explained that she missed the 15 day time limit

because she was very stressed by the events and the police investigation.

She also noted that she was waiting to receive the agency's investigative

report,<2> so that she could send it with her complaint. These

explanations are insufficient to justify a waiver of the time limit.

Complainant also referred to various health problems she was having

during the time in question, perhaps intending to argue that she was

incapacitated. In cases involving physical or mental health difficulties,

the Commission has consistently held that an extension is warranted

only where an individual is so incapacitated by her condition that

she is unable to meet the regulatory time limits. See Crear v. United

States Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05920700 (October 29, 1992);

Weinberger v. Department of the Army, EEOC Request No. 05920040 (February

21, 1992); Hickman v. Department of the Navy, EEOC Request No. 05910707

(September 30, 1991); Johnson v. Department of Health and Human Services,

EEOC Request No. 05900873 (October 5, 1990); and Zelmer v. United States

Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05890164 (March 8, 1989). This does

not apply in the case at hand, as complainant acknowledged that she let

the 15 days �slip up on [her]� because of stress and her desire to delay

filing her complaint until the VA police investigation was over.

Accordingly, after a careful review of the record, we find that the

agency's dismissal of the complaint for failing to comply with applicable

time requirements was proper. The FAD is therefore AFFIRMED.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0300)

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 64

Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter referred

to as 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 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,661 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter

referred to as 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).

COMPLAINANTS' RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0400)

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 (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

August 25, 2000

__________________

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 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644 (1999), where applicable, in deciding the

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

Commission's website at www.eeoc.gov.

2 It is not clear what report complainant is referring to, although it

appears that she believed that the VA police investigation would lead

to a report.