05a00732
02-02-2001
George R. Burchfield, Complainant, v. Paul H. O'Neill, Secretary, Department of the Treasury, Agency.
George R. Burchfield v. Department of the Treasury
05A00732
02-02-01
.
George R. Burchfield,
Complainant,
v.
Paul H. O'Neill,
Secretary,
Department of the Treasury,
Agency.
Request No. 05A00732
Appeal Nos. 01970152 & 01971579
Agency Nos. 93-1028, 94-2024, & 95-2280
DENIAL OF REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION
The Complainant initiated a request to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC or Commission) to reconsider the decision in George
R. Burchfield v. Department of the Treasury, EEOC Appeal Nos. 01970152 &
01971579 (April 6, 2000).<1> EEOC Regulations provide that the Commission
may, in its discretion, reconsider any previous Commission decision
where the requesting party demonstrates 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. See 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405(b).
After a review of the Complainant's request for reconsideration, the
previous decision, and the entire record, the Commission finds that the
request fails to meet the criteria of 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405(b), and it is
the decision of the Commission to deny the request. The decision in EEOC
Appeal Nos. 01970152 & 01971579 remains the Commission's final decision.
Unless it has already done so, the agency shall implement the order for
relief therein. There is no further right of administrative appeal on
the decision of the Commission on this request for reconsideration.
ORDER (D0900)
Unless it has already done so, the agency is ORDERED to take the following
remedial action:
The agency shall accept and process complainant's claim for compensatory
damages. The agency shall notify complainant, in writing, that he
has the right to present objective evidence in support of his claim
for damages. Such evidence may include statements from complainant
and other witnesses which provide detailed information on the physical
manifestations of any mental or emotional distress, the intensity and
duration of such symptoms, and how such stress was causally related to
the Birmingham facility management's failure to inform him about the
inaccessibility of the bathrooms at the Hyattsville training facility.
The agency shall complete this action within sixty (60) days of the date
that this decision becomes final.
The agency shall provide training for the management of the regional
financial management service center in Birmingham, Alabama, as to their
responsibilities and obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, particularly
with respect to an employer's obligation to provide qualified disabled
individuals with reasonable accommodations for those disabilities.
The agency shall complete this action within sixty (60) days of the date
that this decision becomes final.
The agency shall post at its regional management service center in
Birmingham, Alabama, copies of the attached notice. Copies of the notice,
after being signed by the agency's duly authorized representative, shall
be posted by the agency within thirty (30) calendar days of the date
this decision becomes final, and shall remain posted for sixty (60)
consecutive days, in conspicuous places, including all places where
notices to employees are customarily posted. The agency shall take
reasonable steps to ensure that said notices are not altered, defaced,
or covered by any other material. The original signed notice is to be
submitted to the Compliance Officer at the address cited in the paragraph
entitled "Implementation of the Commission's Decision," within ten (10)
calendar days of the expiration of the posting period.
The agency is further directed to submit a report of compliance, as
provided in the statement entitled "Implementation of the Commission's
Decision." The report shall include supporting documentation of the
agency's computation of compensatory damages, as well as documentary
evidence that the corrective action outlined in items (1) and (2) of
this order has been implemented.
Complainant shall cooperate in the agency's efforts to provide the relief
ordered above, including damages due, and shall provide all relevant
information requested by the agency. Complainant may petition for
enforcement or clarification of the amount in dispute. The petition for
clarification or enforcement must be filed with the Compliance Officer,
at the address referenced in the statement entitled "Implementation of
the Commission's Decision."
ATTORNEY'S FEES (H0900)
If complainant has been represented by an attorney (as defined by
29 C.F.R. � 1614.501(e)(1)(iii), he/she is entitled to an award of
reasonable attorney's fees incurred in the processing of the complaint.
29 C.F.R. � 1614.501(e). The award of attorney's fees shall be paid
by the agency. The attorney shall submit a verified statement of fees
to the agency -- not to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
Office of Federal Operations -- within thirty (30) calendar days of this
decision becoming final. The agency shall then process the claim for
attorney's fees in accordance with 29 C.F.R. � 1614.501.
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.
COMPLAINANT'S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (Q0900)
This decision affirms the agency's final decision/action 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 within ninety (90) calendar
days from the date that you receive this decision 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 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
__02-02-01________________
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.