Clarence WEAHKEE, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. John H. POWELL, Jr., Chairman of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Et Al., Defendants-Appellees

532 F.2d 727, 1976 U.S. App. LEXIS 12413, 11 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,775, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 849
Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit·Decided March 15, 1976·No. 75-1256·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

BREITENSTEIN, Circuit Judge.

This class-action civil rights suit presents several issues. On some claims the district court held that it had no jurisdiction and on others it granted summary judgment. We reverse.

On January 16, 1974, plaintiff-appellant Weahkee sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and various federal officials and employees. He sued both individually and on behalf of a class composed of all American Indians who are now, or were formerly, employed by EEOC and who have sought, and would have obtained, employment except for discrimination by EEOC against their class.

Plaintiff was hired by the EEOC Albuquerque District Office in November, 1968, as an investigator and given a GS-11 rating. In the period July 1, 1971, to July 24, 1972, plaintiff filed five complaints with EEOC charging racial discrimination in promotions, transfers, and job assignments and claiming harassment because of his race. These were investigated and a four-day hearing was held before a Complaints Examiner who recommended a finding that plaintiff had not been discriminated against. The Chairman of EEOC followed the recommendation of its Complaints Examiner.

Plaintiff appealed to the United States Civil Service Commission, Board of Appeals and Review, which on December 17, 1973, affirmed the decision of the EEOC chairman. The complaint in the instant case was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico on January 16, 1974. The complaint contains four claims which will be considered separately. The prayer is for a declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, and damages.

The first claim is presented under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and amendments thereto. See 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5 and 16. Section 2000e-5 relates to the power of EEOC to prevent unlawful employment practices. Section 2000e-16(a) provides that, with exceptions not here pertinent, all personnel actions affecting a federal employee “shall be made free from any discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Authority to enforce is lodged in the Civil Service Commission. § 2000e-16(b). Section 2000e-16 was added to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by an amendment effective March 24, 1972, which adds a new section 717 to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Section 717 is codified as 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-16.

The district court dismissed that portion of the first claim based on plaintiff’s charges of July 1, 1971, December 2, 1971, and March 27, 1972, on the ground that § 2000e-16 does not apply to discriminatory conduct occurring before the effec *729 tive date of that section. EEOC concedes that this ruling was wrong. The circuits are in conflict on the retroactivity of the 1972 amendment. Retroactivity has been approved in Brown v. General Services Administration, 2 Cir., 507 F.2d 1300, Roger v. Ball, 4 Cir., 497 F.2d 702, and Womack v. Lynn, 164 U.S.App.D.C. 198, 504 F.2d 267. Retroactivity was rejected in Place v. Weinberger, 6 Cir., 497 F.2d 412, cert. denied 419 U.S. 1040, 95 S.Ct. 526, 42 L.Ed.2d 316. It is enough to say that we agree with the Second, Fourth and District of Columbia circuits and can add nothing to the discussion of the problem in the opinions of those circuits. We hold that the 1972 amendment applies to charges pending and unresolved on its effective date. Accordingly, the district court erred in holding that it was without jurisdiction of the charges based on actions before the effective date.

The trial court granted summary judgment for the defendants on the discrimination charges made in the July 24, 1972, complaint which was filed after the effective date of the 1972 amendment. In so doing, the court said in a letter to counsel that: “[t]he complaint in this matter does not point out any objections to the record and there is really nothing before the Court to review.”

Nickol v. United States, 10 Cir., 501 F.2d 1389 was concerned with review under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 701-706, of action by an administrative agency. The Court held, Ibid, at 1392, that the use of summary judgment was not proper “in a case where the administrative record contained conflicting testimony as to essential issues” and that the district court must examine the record to determine whether the administrative action was sustained by substantial evidence.

Salone v. United States, 10 Cir., 511 F.2d 902, cert. pending, was concerned with a federal employee’s claim of racial discrimination in violation of § 2000e-16. The trial court reviewed the administrative record and held that it showed no discrimination. We pointed out that the district court sufficiently indicated the facts contained in the administrative record which supported his conclusion. Ibid, at 904.

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Clarence WEAHKEE, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. John H. POWELL, Jr., Chairman of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Et Al., Defendants-Appellees, 532 F.2d 727, 1976 U.S. App. LEXIS 12413, 11 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,775, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 849 (10th Cir. 1976).

532 F.2d 727 (Clarence WEAHKEE, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. John H. POWELL, Jr., Chairman of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Et Al., Defendants-Appellees) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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