01996438_r
05-11-2001
Mary Jo Holpit, Complainant, v. Paul H. O'Neill, Secretary, Department of the Treasury, Agency.
Mary Jo Holpit v. Department of the Treasury
01996438
May 11, 2001
.
Mary Jo Holpit,
Complainant,
v.
Paul H. O'Neill,
Secretary,
Department of the Treasury,
Agency.
Appeal No. 01996438
Agency No. 99-4216
DECISION
Complainant filed a timely appeal with this Commission from an agency
decision dated July 20, 1999, 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. In her
complaint and in a clarifying statement, complainant alleged that she was
subjected to continuing discrimination and a hostile work environment
on the basis of sex when:
From 1990 to the most recent date on January 27, 1999 (she was not
informed about an �Explosives Conference� with State officials):
information necessary to perform her job was purposefully withheld from
her; she was excluded repeatedly from meetings with State officials and
Industry members; she was excluded from Industry and Association member
meetings; and she was excluded from seminars and speeches by State,
Federal, Industry and Association sources (all of which affected her
position); and
She did not receive cash and meritorious awards, and quality step
increases.
In its decision the agency defined the complaint so as to separate the
January 27, 1999 incident in claim (1), dismissing it for failure to
state a claim, and dismissed the remainder of the complaint for untimely
EEO contact.
Upon review of the record, we find that the agency incorrectly treated
the January 27, 1999 incident raised in complainant's complaint in a
piecemeal manner, and that the incident was improperly dismissed pursuant
to 29 C.F.R. � 1614.107(a)(1). Instead of treating the January 27,
1999 incident as an example of a continuing pattern of discrimination as
described by complainant, the agency looked at the incident individually.
When complainant's claims are properly viewed together, however, they
clearly assert conditions that effect the terms, conditions and privileges
of her employment, and are sufficient to establish a claim. We therefore
find that claim (1), as defined by the Commission above, states a claim.
Moreover, as the January 27, 1999 incident was within forty-five days
of complainant's February 2, 1999 EEO Counselor contact, claim (1) was
timely raised with an EEO Counselor. However, as complainant failed
to demonstrate that any incidents referenced in claim (2) were within
forty-five days of complainant's EEO Counselor contact, the issues in
claim (2), as defined by the Commission herein, were properly dismissed
under 29 C.F.R. � 1614.107(a)(2).
Accordingly, the agency's decision dismissing the issues as defined in
claim (2) herein is AFFIRMED. The agency's decision to dismiss the
issues as defined in claim (1) herein is REVERSED, and claim (1) is
remanded to the agency for further processing in accordance with this
decision and the Order below.
ORDER (E0900)
The agency is ordered to process the remanded claims in accordance with
29 C.F.R. � 1614.108. The agency shall acknowledge to the complainant
that it has received the remanded claims within thirty (30) calendar
days of the date this decision becomes final. The agency shall issue
to complainant a copy of the investigative file and also shall notify
complainant 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 complainant requests a
final decision without a hearing, the agency shall issue a final decision
within sixty (60) days of receipt of complainant's request.
A copy of the agency's letter of acknowledgment to complainant 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 (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.
STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL
RECONSIDERATION (M0900)
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 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 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).
COMPLAINANT'S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (T0900)
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 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 (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
May 11, 2001
__________________
Date