U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
Office of Federal Operations
P.O. Box 77960
Washington, DC 20013
Vena H.,1
Complainant,
v.
Megan J. Brennan,
Postmaster General,
United States Postal Service
(Southern Area),
Agency.
Appeal No. 2019003159
Agency No. 4G-330-0030-19
DECISION
Complainant filed a timely appeal with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC
or Commission) from the Agency's final decision dated January 3, 2019, dismissing a formal
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., Section 501 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 791 et seq., and the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq.
BACKGROUND
On December 10, 2018, Complainant, a former Letter Carrier at the Agency’s Plantation Branch
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, filed the instant formal complaint.2 Complainant claimed that the
Agency subjected her to discrimination based on race, national origin, sex, disability, age, and in
reprisal for prior EEO activity when:
1. on or around October 1, 2018, a former co-worker informed her that a mailpiece of hers
had been tampered with by management; and
1 This case has been randomly assigned a pseudonym which will replace Complainant’s name
when the decision is published to non-parties and the Commission’s website.
2 Complainant retired from Agency employment effective August 31, 2018.
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2. on an unspecified date, she received a Letter of Indebtedness from the Agency,
concerning Advanced Sick Leave.
In its November 5, 2018 final decision, the Agency dismissed the instant formal complaint for
failure to state a claim, pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(1).
The instant appeal followed.
ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Claim 1
The regulation set forth at 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(1) provides, in relevant part, that an Agency
shall dismiss a complaint that fails to state a claim. An Agency shall accept a complaint from
any aggrieved employee or applicant for employment who believes that he or she has been
discriminated against by that agency because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or
disabling condition. 29 C.F.R. §§ 1614.103, .106(a). The Commission's federal sector case
precedent has long defined an "aggrieved employee" as one who suffers a present harm or loss
with respect to a term, condition, or privilege of employment for which there is a remedy. Diaz
v. Department of the Air Force, EEOC Request No. 05931049 (April 21, 1994).
Assuming that Complainant’s claims related to purported actions by Agency management, and
even assuming it occurred as alleged, Complainant fails to state a viable claim of a
discriminatory hostile work environment. The incidents alleged, without more, are simply
insufficiently severe or pervasive to state a valid claim. See Cobb v. Department of the Treasury,
EEOC Request No. 05970077 (March 13, 1997). Finally, the alleged Agency actions were not
of a type reasonably likely to deter Complainant or others from engaging in prior protected
activity. Lindsey v. USPS, EEOC Request No. 05980410 (November 4, 1999) (citing EEOC
Compliance Manual, No. 915.003 (May 20, 1998). Therefore, we find that the Agency properly
dismissed claim 1 for failure to state a claim.
Claim 2
An employee cannot use the EEO complaint process to lodge a collateral attack on another
proceeding. See Wills v. Department of Defense, EEOC Request No. 05970596 (July 30, 1998);
Kleinman v. U.S. Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05940585 (September 22, 1994); Lingad v.
U.S. Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05930106 (June 24, 1993). The proper forum for
Complainant to have raised her challenges to actions which occurred during the Debt Collection
Act process is within that process itself. It is inappropriate to now attempt to use the EEO
process to collaterally attack actions which occurred through the Debt Collection Act process.
The Agency properly dismissed claim 2 for failure to state a claim.
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The Agency’s final decision dismissing the instant formal complaint for failure to state a claim is
AFFIRMED.
STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL
RECONSIDERATION (M0617)
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. A party
shall have twenty (20) calendar days of receipt of another party’s timely request for
reconsideration in which to submit a brief or statement in opposition. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.405;
Equal Employment Opportunity Management Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO MD-110),
at Chap. 9 § VII.B (Aug. 5, 2015). All requests and arguments must be submitted to the
Director, Office of Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Complainant’s request may be submitted via regular mail to P.O. Box 77960, Washington, DC
20013, or by certified mail to 131 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20507. 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
agency’s request must be submitted in digital format via the EEOC’s Federal Sector EEO Portal
(FedSEP). See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.403(g). 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 (S0610)
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
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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 (Z0815)
If you want to file a civil action but cannot pay the fees, costs, or security to do so, you may
request permission from the court to proceed with the civil action without paying these fees or
costs. Similarly, if you cannot afford an attorney to represent you in the civil action, you may
request the court to appoint an attorney for you. You must submit the requests for waiver of
court costs or appointment of an attorney directly to the court, not the Commission. The
court has the sole discretion to grant or deny these types of requests. Such requests do not alter
the time limits for filing a civil action (please read the paragraph titled Complainant’s Right to
File a Civil Action for the specific time limits).
FOR THE COMMISSION:
______________________________ Carlton M. Hadden’s signature
Carlton M. Hadden, Director
Office of Federal Operations
July 10, 2019
Date
