01984809
10-28-1999
Shirley S. Cohens, Appellant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.
Shirley S. Cohens v. United States Postal Service
01984809
October 28, 1999
Shirley S. Cohens, )
Appellant, )
)
v. ) Appeal No. 01984809
) Agency No. HI-0132-97
William J. Henderson, )
Postmaster General, )
United States Postal Service, )
Agency. )
___________________________________)
DECISION
Appellant filed the instant appeal from the agency's decision dated
May 8, 1998, dismissing a portion of appellant's complaint for failure
to state a claim and for failure to timely contact an EEO Counselor
pursuant to 29 C.F.R. �1614.107(a) and �1614.107(b), respectively.
The agency accepted the following allegation for investigation:
Terms and conditions of complainant's employment were changed by
decreasing her responsibilities and reshuffling her area of assignment
so that she would occupy lower skilled and clerical assignments.
Although the agency treated the complaint as containing fifteen separate
allegations, the Commission finds that the complaint can be fairly read
as one complaint of harassment. The agency found, the EEO Counselor's
Inquiry Report shows, and appellant does not dispute, that appellant
initially contacted an EEO Counselor on August 8, 1997. The Commission
finds that appellant should have reasonably suspected discrimination
regarding all of the incidents that comprise the harassment complaint at
the time the incidents purportedly occurred. Therefore, the Commission
finds that all incidents of harassment occurring more than forty-five
days prior to August 8, 1997, were properly dismissed for untimely EEO
Counselor contact pursuant to �1614.107(b). The accepted allegation
should be redefined as alleging that appellant was subjected to a hostile
work environment forty-five days or less prior to August 8, 1997.
On appeal, appellant refers to various incidents which the Commission
finds are already part of the accepted allegation as defined by the
agency and as redefined by the Commission in this decision. Some of
the incidents dismissed by the agency for failure to state a claim
occurred within forty-five days of appellant's initial contact with
an EEO Counselor. These incidents, with the exception of allegation 6,
were improperly dismissed for failure to state a claim, because of our
finding that the accepted allegation, combined with those incidents,
states a claim of harassment. See Cobb v. Department of the Treasury,
EEOC Request No. 05970077 (Mar. 13, 1997).
Regarding allegation 6, the Commission finds that this allegation was
properly dismissed for failure to state a claim pursuant to �1614.107(a).
Appellant alleged that because she was not afforded equal training and
development she was not qualified to apply for the position of EAS-23
Information Systems Specialist in June 1997. Appellant's alleged lack
of training/development is contained in other incidents cited in the
complaint; appellant's non-selection is merely an alleged harm from
that lack of training/development. Appellant may not raise the lack
of training/development as two separate incidents. Appellant has not
claimed that she was discriminatorily not selected in allegation 6.
Therefore, we find that appellant was not aggrieved in allegation 6.
The agency's decision dismissing allegation 6 and all incidents
occurring more than forty-five days prior to August 8, 1997 is AFFIRMED.
The agency's decision the portion of the complaint concerning incidents
occurring forty-five days or less prior to August 8, 1997 is REVERSED and
we REMAND this portion of the complaint, as redefined by the Commission,
to the agency for further processing in accordance with this decision
and applicable regulations.
ORDER (E1092)
The agency is ORDERED to process the remanded allegations in accordance
with 29 C.F.R. �1614.108. The agency shall acknowledge to the appellant
that it has received the remanded allegations within thirty (30) calendar
days of the date this decision becomes final. The agency shall issue to
appellant a copy of the investigative file and also shall notify appellant
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 appellant requests a final decision
without a hearing, the agency shall issue a final decision within sixty
(60) days of receipt of appellant's request.
A copy of the agency's letter of acknowledgement to appellant 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 (K0595)
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 appellant. If the agency does not comply with the Commission's
order, the appellant may petition the Commission for enforcement of
the order. 29 C.F.R. �1614.503 (a). The appellant 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. �� 1614.408, 1614.409, and 1614.503 (g). Alternatively,
the appellant 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. �� 1614.408 and 1614.409. 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
appellant files a civil action, the administrative processing of the
complaint, including any petition for enforcement, will be terminated.
See 29 C.F.R. �1614.410.
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. �l6l4.604(c).
RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (T0993)
This decision affirms the agency's final decision in part, but it also
requires the agency to continue its administrative processing of a
portion of your complaint. You have the right to file a civil action
in an appropriate United States District Court on both that portion of
your complaint which the Commission has affirmed AND that portion of the
complaint which has been remanded for continued administrative processing.
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 your appeal with the
Commission, until such time as the agency issues its final decision
on your complaint. 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 (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:
10/28/1999
DATE Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director
Office of Federal Operations