Brown v. United States

84 Fed. Cl. 400, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 297, 2008 WL 4646056
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedOctober 16, 2008
DocketNo. 08-186C
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 84 Fed. Cl. 400 (Brown v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. United States, 84 Fed. Cl. 400, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 297, 2008 WL 4646056 (uscfc 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

FIRESTONE, Judge.

This case comes before the court on a motion by the defendant, the United States (“defendant” or “government”), to dismiss the plaintiffs complaint pursuant to Rule [401]*40112(b)(1) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, or, in the alternative, pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. In 1998, the plaintiff, Yvonne Brown (“Ms. Brown” or “plaintiff’), entered into a settlement agreement with her employer, the United States Department of Agriculture (“Agency” or “USDA”), under the terms of which the Agency was to provide her with a mentor, formulate a Career Development Plan for her, and make reasonable efforts to detail her to a GS-14 position that was within her work organization. She now seeks, in this court, to obtain money damages, including punitive damages, for alleged violations of the settlement agreement. Oral argument was heard on October 6, 2008.

The government argues that the plaintiffs claims are barred by the statute of limitations contained in 28 U.S.C. § 2501 (2004), which bars claims not brought within six years of when the claim first accrued. The government argues that the plaintiff’s claims accrued six years from when the first alleged breach took place, in 1998, or at the latest, six years from 2000, when Ms. Brown began her settlement-mandated detail. In response, the plaintiff argues that this court should not dismiss the case based on the statute of limitations in 28 U.S.C. § 2501. Rather, the plaintiff argues that even though the case was filed more than six years after her claims first accrued, this court should use the date on which she filed her Amended Complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (“D.C. District”), February 12, 2003, as the filing date in this court.1 She argues that this court should “deem” her case transferred under 28 U.S.C. § 1631 (2000), which allows, “Whenever a civil action is filed in a [federal] court ... and that court finds that there is want of jurisdiction, the court shall, if it is in the interest of justice, transfer such action ... to any other such court in which the action ... could have been brought____” The government argues that Ms. Brown never moved for a transfer in the D.C. District, nor did the court grant transfer sua sponte, and argues that therefore, 28 U.S.C. § 1631 does not apply, and the plaintiffs case must be dismissed. In the alternative, the government argues that the case must be dismissed pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

For the reasons discussed below, the court finds that the six-year statute of limitations has run on Ms. Brown’s claims. Therefore, pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s holding in John R. Sand & Gravel Co. v. United States, — U.S. ——, 128 S.Ct. 750, 169 L.Ed.2d 591 (2008) (holding that the statute of limitations contained in 28 U.S.C. § 2501 is jurisdictional), this court finds that it has no jurisdiction over Ms. Brown’s claims. In addition, the court finds that, under John R. Sand & Gravel, it has no discretion to equitably toll the statute of limitations or “deem” the action equitably transferred. Id. Accordingly, the defendant’s motion to dismiss is GRANTED pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

BACKGROUND FACTS

The following facts are taken from the pleadings and exhibits filed by the plaintiff and the government and are not in dispute. They are presumed true for the purpose of deciding the defendant’s motion to dismiss. See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1965, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (stating that decisions on such motions to dismiss rest “on the assumption that all the allegations in the complaint are true”).

A. The Settlement Agreement

In November 1993, Ms. Brown was employed with the USDA at the GS-13 level as a Program Analysis Officer when a job announcement was posted for a Program Analysis Officer at the GS-14 level. Compl. KK 6, 7. A white male (“selectee”) was selected for the position. Compl. 119. Ms. Brown alleges that the selectee received training, special [402]*402assignments, and appointments that were not made available to similarly situated African-American staff members.2 On April 13, 1994, Ms. Brown filed an Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) complaint regarding the Agency’s failure to promote her. Ptf.’s Resp. at 1.

On May 11, 1998, Ms. Brown entered into a settlement agreement (“agreement”) with the Agency. Compl. H15. In the agreement, the Agency agreed to provide the plaintiff with a mentor at or above the GS-14 level within three weeks of the execution of the agreement. Compl. Ex. A at 1. The Agency also agreed to fully participate with Ms. Brown in formulating a written Career Development Plan (“CDP”) within 30-60 days of the execution of the agreement. Compl. Ex. A at 1. The agreement mandated that the CDP “[specifically include ... a detail to a GS-14 position within the Agency in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area____ for a period not to exceed 120 days.” Id. The detail was to include “a noncompetitive, temporary promotion [to the GS-14 level] for the Complainant for the entire period of the detail.” Id. In the agreement, the Agency agreed to “make reasonable efforts to ensure that the 120 days [sic] detail will be in the Complainant’s present work organization” and that “[t]he detail will be provided within 60-90 days of the execution of the settlement agreement.” Id. The parties also agreed to “[c]ooperate and communicate in good faith to implement and to abide by the terms of [the agreement].” Id. at 2.

B. Procedural Background at the Agency Level

In April 2000, the plaintiff submitted a letter to the USDA alleging that the Agency had breached the 1998 agreement. Brown v. United States, 271 F.Supp.2d 225, 227 (D.D.C.2003); Ptf.’s Resp. at 2. The Agency’s Director of the Office of Civil Rights issued a decision on September 14, 2000, concluding that the Agency was in substantial compliance with the agreement and that Ms. Brown had breached her duty under the agreement to cooperate and communicate in good faith. Brown, 271 F.Supp.2d at 227. Specifically, Director Rosalind Gray stated:

It is clear that a formal CDP has not been completed. However, it is not because of the lack of effort by the Agency. Ms. Brown began to delay immediately after her return from leave, and developed a pattern of canceled meetings and lack of initiative to move forward. She identified four particular [training] courses she wanted. The Agency determined the content and provided the same content in other local courses. Ms. Brown refused to accept this action, or provide other options.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
84 Fed. Cl. 400, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 297, 2008 WL 4646056, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-united-states-uscfc-2008.