Gladys M. Rodgriguez, Appellant,v.F. Whitten Peters, Acting Secretary, Department of the Air Force, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionMar 3, 1999
01982510 (E.E.O.C. Mar. 3, 1999)

01982510

03-03-1999

Gladys M. Rodgriguez, Appellant, v. F. Whitten Peters, Acting Secretary, Department of the Air Force, Agency.


Gladys M. Rodgriguez v. Department of the Air Force

01982510

March 3, 1999

Gladys M. Rodgriguez, )

Appellant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01982510

) Agency No. AL900980320

F. Whitten Peters, )

Acting Secretary, )

Department of the Air Force, )

Agency. )

______________________________)

DISMISSAL OF APPEAL

Appellant filed an appeal with this Commission from a final decision of

the agency concerning her complaint of unlawful employment discrimination.

The appeal was postmarked February 11, 1998.

By regulation, appeals to the Commission must be filed within thirty

(30) calendar days after an appellant receives notice of the final

agency decision. Appeals are deemed filed on the date received by the

Commission, unless postmarked earlier. 29 C.F.R. �1614.402(a).

Appellant indicates that she received the final agency decision on

November 25, 1997. Appellant's appeal on February 11, 1998, was,

therefore, beyond the thirty (30) day time limit set by the Regulations.

The record reveals that the final agency decision explicitly informed

appellant of the time limits on her right to appeal to the Commission.

The Commission's regulations governing the computation of time limits

allow for waiver and/or equitable tolling. 29 C.F.R. �1614.604(c).

The record indicates that on February 11, 1998, the agency sent a copy

of appellant's appeal to the Commission and inquired as to the status of

her appeal. Purportedly, appellant sent a copy of her notice of appeal

dated December 23, 1997, to the agency. The Commission considered

appellant's appeal as filed on February 11, 1998, when the agency

submitted a copy of the appeal. Appellant contends that she filed

her appeal earlier than February 11, 1998; however, she provides no

evidence to support her contention. Thus, we find that appellant failed

to submit adequate justification to invoke waiver or equitable tolling.

Accordingly, we dismiss the appeal as untimely.

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. �1614.604(c).

RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0993)

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. 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:

Mar 3, 1999

DATE Ronnie Blumenthal, Director

Office of Federal Operations