05980443
03-31-1999
David D. Smith, Appellant, v. Louis Caldera, Secretary, Department of the Army, Agency.
David D. Smith v. Department of the Army
05980443
September 23, 1999
David D. Smith, )
Appellant, )
) Request No. 05980443
v. ) Appeal No. 01974029
)
Louis Caldera, )
Secretary, )
Department of the Army, )
Agency. )
)
DENIAL OF REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION
On March 3, 1998, David D. Smith (the appellant) timely initiated a
request to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the Commission)
to reconsider the decision in David D. Smith v. Robert M. Walker,
Acting Secretary, Department of the Army, EEOC Appeal No. 01974029
(January 28, 1998). EEOC regulations provide that the commissioners may,
in their discretion, reconsider any previous Commission decision. 29
C.F.R. �1614.407(a). The party requesting reconsideration must submit
written argument or evidence which tends to establish one or more of
the following three criteria: new and material evidence is available
that was not readily available when the previous decision was issued,
29 C.F.R. �1614.407(c)(1);
the previous decision involved an erroneous interpretation of law,
regulation, or material fact, or a misapplication of established
policy, 29 C.F.R. �1614.407(c)(2); or the decision is of such
exceptional nature as to have substantial precedential implications,
29 C.F.R. �1614.407(c)(3).
After a review of appellant's request to reconsider, the previous
decision, and the entire record, the Commission finds that appellant's
request fails to meet the criteria of 29 C.F.R. �1614.407(c), and it
is the decision of the Commission to deny the request. The decision
in EEOC Appeal No. 01974029 (January 28, 1998) remains the Commission's
final decision. The agency shall comply with the Order in our previous
decision, as restated below. There is no further right of administrative
appeal from a decision of the Commission on a request to reconsider.<1>
ORDER (E1092)
The agency is ORDERED to process the remanded allegation in accordance
with 29 C.F.R. �1614.108. The agency shall acknowledge to the appellant
that it has received the remanded allegation within thirty (30) calendar
days of the date this decision becomes final. The agency shall issue to
appellant a copy of the investigative file and also shall notify appellant
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 appellant requests a final decision
without a hearing, the agency shall issue a final decision within sixty
(60) days of receipt of appellant's request.
A copy of the agency's letter of acknowledgment to appellant 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 (K0595)
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 appellant. If the agency does not comply with the Commission's
order, the appellant may petition the Commission for enforcement of
the order. 29 C.F.R. �1614.503 (a). The appellant 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. �� 1614.408, 1614.409, and 1614.503 (g). Alternatively,
the appellant 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. �� 1614.408 and 1614.409. 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
appellant files a civil action, the administrative processing of the
complaint, including any petition for enforcement, will be terminated.
See 29 C.F.R. �1614.410.
RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (Q0993)
This decision affirms the agency's final decision 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 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.
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. 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 (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:
Sept.23, 1999
Date Frances M. Hart
Executive Officer
Executive Secretariat
1 The determination that allegations 1, 3 and 5 fail to state a claim
does not relieve the agency of its responsibility to throughly investigate
all of the circumstances that may be relevant to appellant's claim of
discrimination. Therefore, these allegations may still be investigated as
background evidence to the extent that they are probative of appellant's
accepted allegations. See, e.g, Ferguson v. Department of Justice, EEOC
Request No. 05970792 (March 31, 1999). Additionally, appellant stated
in his RTR that he had difficulty in getting the agency investigator
to accept pertinent information about witnesses. Since this assertion
involves the agency's processing of his complaint, appellant is directed
to bring this concern to the agency officials responsible for complaints
processing. See Trujillo v. Air Force, EEOC Request No. 05950177 (June
13, 1996).