05990745
11-21-2000
Beverly Friend, Complainant, v. Louis Caldera, Secretary, Department of the Army, Agency.
Beverly Friend v. Department of the Army
05990745
11-21-00
.
Beverly Friend,
Complainant,
v.
Louis Caldera,
Secretary,
Department of the Army,
Agency.
Request No. 05990745
Appeal No. 01984226
Agency No. 09603G0090
Hearing Nos. 110-97-8100X; 110-97-8122X
DENIAL OF REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION
The agency initiated a request to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC or Commission) to reconsider the decision in Beverly
Friend v. Department of the Army, EEOC Appeal No. 01984226 (May 13,
1999).<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 agency'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 No. 01984226 remains the Commission's final decision. Then agency
shall comply with that Order, as restated below. There is no further
right of administrative appeal on the decision of the Commission on this
request for reconsideration.
ORDER (D1199)
The agency is ORDERED to take the following remedial action:
1. The agency shall offer to retroactively promote the complainant into
one of the GM-1750-14 positions at issue or an equivalent position from
the effective date of the initial selection. The complainant shall
also be awarded back pay, seniority and other employee benefits from the
effective date of the selection, along with any incurred and reasonable
attorney's fees.
The agency shall determine the appropriate amount of back pay (with
interest, if applicable) and other benefits due complainant, pursuant
to 29 C.F.R. � 1614.501, no later than sixty (60) calendar days after
the date this decision becomes final. The complainant shall cooperate
in the agency's efforts to compute the amount of back pay and benefits
due, and shall provide all relevant information requested by the agency.
If there is a dispute regarding the exact amount of back pay and/or
benefits, the agency shall issue a check to the complainant for the
undisputed amount within sixty (60) calendar days of the date the
agency determines the amount it believes to be due. The 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."
2. The agency shall provide the complainant with the opportunity to
attend the Armed Forces Management College as initially approved.
3. The agency shall conduct a supplemental investigation on the issue of
the complainant's entitlement to compensatory damages and shall afford the
complainant an opportunity to establish a causal relationship between the
incidents of discrimination and any pecuniary or non-pecuniary losses. See
Cobey Turner v. Department of the Interior, EEOC Appeal Nos. 01956390
and 01960518 (April 27, 1998). The complainant shall cooperate in
the agency's efforts to compute the amount of compensatory damages,
and shall provide all relevant information requested by the agency.
The agency shall issue a final decision on the issue of compensatory
damages. 29 C.F.R. � 1614.110. The supplemental investigation and
issuance of the final decision shall be completed within one hundred and
twenty (120) calendar days of the date this decision becomes final. A
copy of the final decision must be submitted to the Compliance Officer,
as referenced below.
4. The agency is directed to conduct training for the selecting
officials who were found to have discriminated against the complainant.
The agency shall address these employees' responsibilities with respect
to eliminating discrimination in the workplace.
5. The agency shall take appropriate preventative steps to ensure that
no employee is subjected to discrimination or reprisal and to ensure that
appropriate steps are taken immediately after management is notified of
any actions.
6. 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 calculation of back pay and other benefits due the complainant,
including evidence that the corrective action has been implemented.
POSTING ORDER (G1092)
The agency is ORDERED to post at Fort Gordon 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.
ATTORNEY'S FEES (H1199)
If complainant has been represented by an attorney (as defined by 64
Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659-60 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter
referred to as 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 (K1199)
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 64
Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659-60 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter
referred to as 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 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999)
(to be codified and hereinafter referred to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.409).
COMPLAINANTS' RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (Q0400)
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
__11-21-00________________
Date
NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES
POSTED BY ORDER OF THE
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
An Agency of the United States Government
This Notice is posted pursuant to an Order by the United States Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission dated which found that a
violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended,
42 U.S.C. � 2000e et seq., has occurred at this facility.
Federal law requires that there be no discrimination against any employee
or applicant for employment because of the person's RACE, COLOR, RELIGION,
SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, or PHYSICAL or MENTAL DISABILITY with respect
to hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, or other terms, conditions
or privileges of employment.
The Department of the Army, Fort Gordon, supports and will comply with
such Federal law and will not take action against individuals because
they have exercised their rights under law.
The Department of the Army, Fort Gordon, has been found to have
discriminated against an employee by not selecting her for two positions
and denying her training, and, as relief, has been ordered to offer
her placement into one of the positions with back pay, provide her
the training in question, and pay provable compensatory damages.
The Department of the Army, Fort Gordon, will ensure that officials
responsible for personnel decisions and terms and conditions of employment
will abide by the requirements of all Federal equal employment opportunity
laws and will not retaliate against employees who file EEO complaints.
The Department of the Army, Fort Gordon, will not in any manner restrain,
interfere, coerce, or retaliate against any individual who exercises his
or her right to oppose practices made unlawful by, or who participates
in proceedings pursuant to, Federal equal employment opportunity law.
_____________________________
Date Posted: _____________________
Posting Expires: __________________
29 C.F.R. Part 1614
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 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644 (1999), where applicable, in deciding the
present appeal. The regulations, as amended, may also be found at the
Commission's website at www.eeoc.gov.