[Redacted], Gaye A., 1 Complainant,v.Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner, Social Security Administration, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Aug 10, 2022

Appeal No. 2022002687 (E.E.O.C. Aug. 10, 2022)

U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION Office of Federal Operations P.O. Box 77960 Washington, DC 20013 Gaye A.,1 Complainant, v. Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner, Social Security Administration, Agency. Appeal No. 2022002687 Agency No. ATL-21-0442-SSA DECISION Complainant filed a timely appeal with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) from the Agency's final decision dated March 16, 2022, dismissing a formal 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. BACKGROUND During the period at issue, Complainant worked as a Claims Technical Expert at the Agency’s Panama City Field Office in Panama, Florida. On August 16, 2021, Complainant filed a formal complaint alleging that the Agency subjected her to nonsexual harassment in reprisal for prior EEO activity (reporting conduct to management) when: On June 10, 2021, she received notification that a harassment claim was filed against her. In its March 16, 2022, the Agency dismissed the formal complaint for failure to state a claim pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(1). The instant appeal followed. 1 This case has been randomly assigned a pseudonym which will replace Complainant’s name when the decision is published to non-parties and the Commission’s website. 2022002687 2 ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS The regulation set forth at 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(1) provides, in relevant part, that the agency shall dismiss a compliant that fails to state a claim. An agency shall accept a complaint from any aggrieved employee or applicant for employment who believes that he or she has been discriminated against by that Agency because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disabling condition. 29 C.F.R. §§ 1614.103, 106(a). The Commission’s federal sector case precedent has long defined an “aggrieved employee” as one who suffers a present harm or loss with respect to a term, condition, or privilege of employment for which there is a remedy. Diaz v. Dep’t of the Air Force, EEOC Request No. 05931049. Complainant stated she told the District Manager that she would report various incidents to the Area Director, the DM’s supervisor, regarding witnessing a dispute between the District Manager and a co-worker, and a subsequent phone exchange between Complainant and the District Manager. Complainant believed that the District Manager filed a harassment claim against her in retaliation for reporting various incidents to the Area Director. To allow the processing of a complaint by an employee, where the employee challenges the filing of an EEO complaint by a co-worker or other agency employee, would have a chilling effect on the filing of EEO complaints by aggrieved persons. See Blinco v Department of the Treasury, EEOC Request No. 05940194 (May 26, 1994). Such a complaint constitutes a collateral attack on another EEO matter. Smith v Department of Veterans Affairs, EEOC Appeal NO. 01951545 (May 17, 1995), request for reconsideration denied, EEOC request No. 05950694 (April 4, 1996). Therefore, the Agency properly dismissed Complainant’s complaint pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(1), for failure to state a claim. CONCLUSION Accordingly, we AFFIRM the Agency’s final decision dismissing the instant formal complaint. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL RECONSIDERATION (M0920) The Commission may, in its discretion, reconsider this appellate decision if Complainant or the Agency submits a written request that contains arguments or evidence that 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. 2022002687 3 Requests for reconsideration must be filed with EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations (OFO) within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of this decision. If the party requesting reconsideration elects to file a statement or brief in support of the request, that statement or brief must be filed together with the request for reconsideration. A party shall have twenty (20) calendar days from receipt of another party’s request for reconsideration within which to submit a brief or statement in opposition. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.405; Equal Employment Opportunity Management Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO MD-110), at Chap. 9 § VII.B (Aug. 5, 2015). Complainant should submit his or her request for reconsideration, and any statement or brief in support of his or her request, via the EEOC Public Portal, which can be found at https://publicportal.eeoc.gov/Portal/Login.aspx Alternatively, Complainant can submit his or her request and arguments to the Director, Office of Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, via regular mail addressed to P.O. Box 77960, Washington, DC 20013, or by certified mail addressed to 131 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20507. In the absence of a legible postmark, a complainant’s request to reconsider shall be deemed timely filed if OFO receives it by mail within five days of the expiration of the applicable filing period. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.604. An agency’s request for reconsideration must be submitted in digital format via the EEOC’s Federal Sector EEO Portal (FedSEP). See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.403(g). Either party’s request and/or statement or brief in opposition must also include proof of service on the other party, unless Complainant files his or her request via the EEOC Public Portal, in which case no proof of service is required. Failure to file within the 30-day time period will result in dismissal of the party’s request for reconsideration as untimely, unless extenuating circumstances prevented the timely filing of the request. Any supporting documentation must be submitted together with the 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 (S0610) 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. 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. 2022002687 4 RIGHT TO REQUEST COUNSEL (Z0815) If you want to file a civil action but cannot pay the fees, costs, or security to do so, you may request permission from the court to proceed with the civil action without paying these fees or costs. Similarly, if you cannot afford an attorney to represent you in the civil action, you may request the court to appoint an attorney for you. You must submit the requests for waiver of court costs or appointment of an attorney directly to the court, not the Commission. The court has the sole discretion to grant or deny these types of requests. Such requests do not alter the time limits for filing a civil action (please read the paragraph titled Complainant’s Right to File a Civil Action for the specific time limits). FOR THE COMMISSION: ______________________________ Carlton M. Hadden’s signature Carlton M. Hadden, Director Office of Federal Operations August 10, 2022 Date