Wesley Singletary v. United States Postal Service
01984544
June 30, 1999


Wesley Singletary,            )
  Appellant,                  )
                              )
   v.                         )  Appeal No. 01984544
                              )  Agency No. 4H-335-0189-98
William J. Henderson,         )
Postmaster General,           )
United States Postal Service, )
  Agency.                     )
______________________________)


DECISION

Based on a review of the record, we find that the agency properly
dismissed reprisal as a basis for appellant's complaint, pursuant to
EEOC Regulation 29 U.S.C. §1614.107(a), for failure to state a claim.
Appellant alleged that he was subjected to discrimination on the bases
of sex (male), age (50), mental disability (stress), and reprisal when
on February 27, 1998, he was issued a letter of warning.

With regard to reprisal discrimination, the Commission has stated that:

"[t]he anti-reprisal provision of Title VII protects those who participate
in the EEO process and also those who oppose discriminatory employment
practices.  Participation occurs when an employee has made a charge,
testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation,
proceeding or hearing. Participation also occurs when an employee files
a labor grievance, if the employee raised issues of unlawful employment
discrimination in the grievance... . A variety of activities has been
found to  constitute opposition .... Because the enforcement of Title
VII depends on the willingness of employees to oppose unlawful employment
practices  or policies, courts have interpreted section 704(a) of Title
VII as  intending to provide ‘exceptionally broad protection to those who
oppose such practices'... ." Whipple v. Department of Veterans Affairs,
EEOC  Request No. 05910784 (February 21, 1992) (citations omitted).  

EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. §1614.103(a) provides that individual and
class complaints of employment discrimination and retaliation prohibited
by Title VII (discrimination on the bases of race, color, religion,
sex and national origin), the ADEA (discrimination on the basis of
age when the aggrieved individual is at least forty years of age),
the Rehabilitation Act (discrimination on the basis of disability),
or the Equal Pay Act (sex-based wage discrimination) shall be processed
in accordance with this part.  EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. §1614.101(b)
provides that no person shall be subject to retaliation for opposing any
practice made unlawful by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII)
(42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq.), the Equal Pay Act (29 U.S.C. §206(d)) or the
Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. §791 et seq.) or for participating in any
stage of administrative or judicial proceedings under these statutes.

In the instant case, appellant indicated only that he filed an Merit
Systems Protection Board (MSPB) complaint; he provided no documentation
or other evidence showing that he participated in protected activity or
that his MSPB complaint contained allegations of discrimination, or that
he otherwise opposed a discriminatory practice.  Absent such a showing,
we find that the agency properly dismissed reprisal as a basis for the
instant complaint.  Accordingly, the agency's final decision is AFFIRMED.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0795)

The Commission may, in its discretion, reconsider the decision in this
case if the appellant or the agency submits a written request containing
arguments or evidence which tend to establish that:

1. New and material evidence is available that was not readily available
when the previous decision was issued; or

2. The previous decision involved an erroneous interpretation of law,
regulation or material fact, or misapplication of established policy; or

3. The decision is of such exceptional nature as to have substantial
precedential implications.

Requests to reconsider, with supporting arguments or evidence, MUST
BE FILED WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive this
decision, or WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive
a timely request to reconsider filed by another party.  Any argument in
opposition to the request to reconsider or cross request to reconsider
MUST be submitted to the Commission and to the requesting party
WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS of the date you receive the request
to reconsider.  See 29 C.F.R. §1614.407.  All requests and arguments
must bear proof of postmark and 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 filed on the date it is received
by the Commission.

Failure to file within the time period will result in dismissal of your
request for reconsideration as untimely.  If extenuating circumstances
have prevented the timely filing of a request for reconsideration,
a written statement setting forth the circumstances which caused the
delay and 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).

RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0993)

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:


June 30, 1999
                              ____________________________
     DATE                     Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director
                              Office of Federal Operations