05980776
06-11-1999
Marcus O. Lockhart v. United States Postal Service
05980776
June 11, 1999
Marcus O. Lockhart, )
Appellant, )
)
v. ) Request No. 05980776
) Appeal No. 01964211
William J. Henderson, ) Agency No. 4G-770-1210-95
Postmaster General, ) Hearing No. 330-95-8204X
United States Postal Service, )
Agency. )
)
)
DENIAL OF REQUEST TO RECONSIDER
On May 1, 1998, the United States Postal Service, (agency) timely
initiated a request to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(Commission) to reconsider the decision in Marcus O. Lockhart v.
United States Postal Service, EEOC Appeal No. 01964211 (April 10, 1998).
EEOC regulations provide that the Commission may, in its discretion,
reconsider any previous 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); and 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 the agency's request for reconsideration, the
appellant's response thereto, the previous decision, and the entire
record, the Commission finds that the agency'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 agency's request. The decision in EEOC Appeal
No. 01964211 (April 1, 1998) remains the Commission's final decision. The
agency shall comply with the order of the previous decision, reprinted
below. There is no further right of administrative appeal from a decision
of the Commission on this request for reconsideration.
ORDER (D1092)
The agency is ORDERED to take the following remedial action:
1. The agency shall retroactively reinstate appellant to his
Part-time Flexible Letter Carrier, PS-05, position from his date of
termination. Appellant shall also be awarded back pay, seniority and
other employee benefits from the effective date of the reinstatement.<1>
The agency shall determine the appropriate amount of backpay with interest
and other benefits due appellant, pursuant to 29 C.F.R. � 1614.501, no
later than sixty (60) calendar days after the date this decision becomes
final. The appellant shall cooperate in the agency's efforts to compute
the amount of backpay 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 appellant for the undisputed amount within sixty (60)
calendar days of the date the agency determines the amount it believes
to be due. The appellant 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 is directed to conduct training for the responsible
management official (M1) who was found to have discriminated against
appellant by ordering him terminated. The agency shall address this
employee's responsibilities with respect to eliminating discrimination in
the workplace and all other supervisory and managerial responsibilities
under equal employment opportunity law.
3. 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 appellant,
including evidence that the corrective action has been implemented.
POSTING ORDER (G1092)
The agency is ORDERED to post at its South End Station, Beaumont,
Texas, 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.
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.
ATTORNEY'S FEES (H1092)
If appellant 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.
RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (P0993)
This decision of the Commission is final, and there is no further right of
administrative appeal from the Commission's decision. You have the right
to file a civil action in an appropriate United States District Court.
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.
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:
June 11, 1999
Date Frances M. Hart
Executive Officer
Executive Secretariat
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 United States Postal Service, South End Station, Beaumont, Texas,
supports and will comply with such federal law and will not take action
against individuals because they have exercised their rights under law.
The South End Station, Beaumont, Texas, was found to have discriminated
against an individual on the basis of race (Black), and therefore shall
remedy the discrimination by retroactively placing the individual in
the position he formerly occupied, and shall provide the individual
with backpay and other benefits due him, and attorney's fees if
applicable. The agency shall also provide appropriate training on equal
employment opportunity law in the federal workplace to the responsible
management official to remedy the unlawful discrimination. The South End
Station, Beaumont, Texas, 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.
The South End Station, Beaumont, Texas, 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
1 We note that appellant did not request in his complaint, or present
evidence at the hearing or on appeal, that he wasentitled to compensatory
damages.