UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD
JOANNE M. STUCKER, DOCKET NUMBER Appellant, PH-0752-18-0227-I-1
v.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS DATE: April 10, 2024 AFFAIRS, Agency.
THIS FINAL ORDER IS NONPRECEDENTIAL 1
Kimberly D. Borland , Esquire, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, for the appellant.
M. Creston Rice , Esquire, Bedford, Massachusetts, for the agency.
BEFORE
Cathy A. Harris, Chairman Raymond A. Limon, Vice Chairman
FINAL ORDER
The appellant has filed a petition for review of the initial decision, which dismissed her termination appeal for lack of jurisdiction. On petition for review, the appellant reasserts that she was entitled to chapter 75 and regulatory appeal rights because she met the definition of employee under 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(C)
1 A nonprecedential order is one that the Board has determined does not add significantly to the body of MSPB case law. Parties may cite nonprecedential orders, but such orders have no precedential value; the Board and administrative judges are not required to follow or distinguish them in any future decisions. In contrast, a precedential decision issued as an Opinion and Order has been identified by the Board as significantly contributing to the Board’s case law. See 5 C.F.R. § 1201.117(c). 2
(i); her termination was without merit; and the agency committed harmful procedural error by denying her minimum due process. Generally, we grant petitions such as this one only in the following circumstances: the initial decision contains erroneous findings of material fact; the initial decision is based on an erroneous interpretation of statute or regulation or the erroneous application of the law to the facts of the case; the administrative judge’s rulings during either the course of the appeal or the initial decision were not consistent with required procedures or involved an abuse of discretion, and the resulting error affected the outcome of the case; or new and material evidence or legal argument is available that, despite the petitioner’s due diligence, was not available when the record closed. Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 1201.115 (5 C.F.R. § 1201.115). After fully considering the filings in this appeal, we conclude that the petitioner has not established any basis under section 1201.115 for granting the petition for review. Therefore, we DENY the petition for review. Except as expressly MODIFIED to address the appellant’s challenge to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s interpretation of 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(C)(i), we AFFIRM the initial decision. The appellant recognizes that, in Forest v. Merit Systems Protection Board, 47 F.3d 409, 411-12 (Fed. Cir. 1995), the Federal Circuit held that section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) applies only to initial appointments pending conversion to the competitive service. Petition for Review (PFR) File, Tab 1 at 7. Under this provision, an individual in the excepted service (other than a preference eligible) “who is not serving a probationary or trial period under an initial appointment pending conversion to the competitive service” has a right to appeal to the Board. 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(C)(i). The court in Forest interpreted this language to find that “[s]ection 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) covers only excepted service employees serving ‘under an initial appointment pending conversion to the competitive service,’ provided they are not serving a probationary or trial period under such an appointment.” Forest, 47 F.3d at 412. The appellant reargues that 3
the Board should not rely on the Federal Circuit’s construction of the statutory provision because it was overly restrictive and not in accordance with the plain language of the statute. Id. at 6-8. Specifically, she asserts that “[i]nstead of giving the plain meaning to the words of the statute in the order it was written, the [c]ourt juxtaposed two phrases and added the qualifier ‘provided[,]’ completely changing the plain language of the statute.” She reasserts that, instead, it is more appropriate to interpret section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) as applying to excepted-service positions generally, such as hers. Id. at 6-7. The appellant’s argument regarding the court’s interpretation of section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) is well-taken. However, the Board is bound by the Federal Circuit’s decision in Forest. See Hoover v. Department of the Navy, 57 M.S.P.R. 545, 552 (1993); Fairall v. Veterans Administration, 33 M.S.P.R. 33, aff’d, 844 F.2d 775 (Fed. Cir. 1987) (finding that decisions of the Federal Circuit are controlling authority for the Board). The appellant has not shown that the Federal Circuit has reversed or otherwise modified its decision in Forest, nor has she explained why that decision is not controlling precedent in this case. It is undisputed that the appellant was not serving an initial appointment pending conversion to the competitive service. PFR File, Tab 1 at 5; Initial Appeal File (IAF), Tab 6 at 11. Thus, when applying the Federal Circuit’s interpretation of section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i), the appellant did not meet the definition of employee under that provision. See Forest, 47 F.3d at 411-12. Accordingly, the appellant has not provided a basis for disturbing the administrative judge’s finding that she lacked chapter 75 appeal rights. IAF, Tab 11, Initial Decision at 4.
NOTICE OF APPEAL RIGHTS 2 The initial decision, as supplemented by this Final Order, constitutes the Board’s final decision in this matter. 5 C.F.R. § 1201.113. You may obtain
2 Since the issuance of the initial decision in this matter, the Board may have updated the notice of review rights included in final decisions. As indicated in the notice, the Board cannot advise which option is most appropriate in any matter. 4
review of this final decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(a)(1). By statute, the nature of your claims determines the time limit for seeking such review and the appropriate forum with which to file. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b). Although we offer the following summary of available appeal rights, the Merit Systems Protection Board does not provide legal advice on which option is most appropriate for your situation and the rights described below do not represent a statement of how courts will rule regarding which cases fall within their jurisdiction. If you wish to seek review of this final decision, you should immediately review the law applicable to your claims and carefully follow all filing time limits and requirements. Failure to file within the applicable time limit may result in the dismissal of your case by your chosen forum. Please read carefully each of the three main possible choices of review below to decide which one applies to your particular case. If you have questions about whether a particular forum is the appropriate one to review your case, you should contact that forum for more information.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD
JOANNE M. STUCKER, DOCKET NUMBER Appellant, PH-0752-18-0227-I-1
v.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS DATE: April 10, 2024 AFFAIRS, Agency.
THIS FINAL ORDER IS NONPRECEDENTIAL 1
Kimberly D. Borland , Esquire, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, for the appellant.
M. Creston Rice , Esquire, Bedford, Massachusetts, for the agency.
BEFORE
Cathy A. Harris, Chairman Raymond A. Limon, Vice Chairman
FINAL ORDER
The appellant has filed a petition for review of the initial decision, which dismissed her termination appeal for lack of jurisdiction. On petition for review, the appellant reasserts that she was entitled to chapter 75 and regulatory appeal rights because she met the definition of employee under 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(C)
1 A nonprecedential order is one that the Board has determined does not add significantly to the body of MSPB case law. Parties may cite nonprecedential orders, but such orders have no precedential value; the Board and administrative judges are not required to follow or distinguish them in any future decisions. In contrast, a precedential decision issued as an Opinion and Order has been identified by the Board as significantly contributing to the Board’s case law. See 5 C.F.R. § 1201.117(c). 2
(i); her termination was without merit; and the agency committed harmful procedural error by denying her minimum due process. Generally, we grant petitions such as this one only in the following circumstances: the initial decision contains erroneous findings of material fact; the initial decision is based on an erroneous interpretation of statute or regulation or the erroneous application of the law to the facts of the case; the administrative judge’s rulings during either the course of the appeal or the initial decision were not consistent with required procedures or involved an abuse of discretion, and the resulting error affected the outcome of the case; or new and material evidence or legal argument is available that, despite the petitioner’s due diligence, was not available when the record closed. Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 1201.115 (5 C.F.R. § 1201.115). After fully considering the filings in this appeal, we conclude that the petitioner has not established any basis under section 1201.115 for granting the petition for review. Therefore, we DENY the petition for review. Except as expressly MODIFIED to address the appellant’s challenge to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s interpretation of 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(C)(i), we AFFIRM the initial decision. The appellant recognizes that, in Forest v. Merit Systems Protection Board, 47 F.3d 409, 411-12 (Fed. Cir. 1995), the Federal Circuit held that section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) applies only to initial appointments pending conversion to the competitive service. Petition for Review (PFR) File, Tab 1 at 7. Under this provision, an individual in the excepted service (other than a preference eligible) “who is not serving a probationary or trial period under an initial appointment pending conversion to the competitive service” has a right to appeal to the Board. 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(C)(i). The court in Forest interpreted this language to find that “[s]ection 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) covers only excepted service employees serving ‘under an initial appointment pending conversion to the competitive service,’ provided they are not serving a probationary or trial period under such an appointment.” Forest, 47 F.3d at 412. The appellant reargues that 3
the Board should not rely on the Federal Circuit’s construction of the statutory provision because it was overly restrictive and not in accordance with the plain language of the statute. Id. at 6-8. Specifically, she asserts that “[i]nstead of giving the plain meaning to the words of the statute in the order it was written, the [c]ourt juxtaposed two phrases and added the qualifier ‘provided[,]’ completely changing the plain language of the statute.” She reasserts that, instead, it is more appropriate to interpret section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) as applying to excepted-service positions generally, such as hers. Id. at 6-7. The appellant’s argument regarding the court’s interpretation of section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i) is well-taken. However, the Board is bound by the Federal Circuit’s decision in Forest. See Hoover v. Department of the Navy, 57 M.S.P.R. 545, 552 (1993); Fairall v. Veterans Administration, 33 M.S.P.R. 33, aff’d, 844 F.2d 775 (Fed. Cir. 1987) (finding that decisions of the Federal Circuit are controlling authority for the Board). The appellant has not shown that the Federal Circuit has reversed or otherwise modified its decision in Forest, nor has she explained why that decision is not controlling precedent in this case. It is undisputed that the appellant was not serving an initial appointment pending conversion to the competitive service. PFR File, Tab 1 at 5; Initial Appeal File (IAF), Tab 6 at 11. Thus, when applying the Federal Circuit’s interpretation of section 7511(a)(1)(C)(i), the appellant did not meet the definition of employee under that provision. See Forest, 47 F.3d at 411-12. Accordingly, the appellant has not provided a basis for disturbing the administrative judge’s finding that she lacked chapter 75 appeal rights. IAF, Tab 11, Initial Decision at 4.
NOTICE OF APPEAL RIGHTS 2 The initial decision, as supplemented by this Final Order, constitutes the Board’s final decision in this matter. 5 C.F.R. § 1201.113. You may obtain
2 Since the issuance of the initial decision in this matter, the Board may have updated the notice of review rights included in final decisions. As indicated in the notice, the Board cannot advise which option is most appropriate in any matter. 4
review of this final decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(a)(1). By statute, the nature of your claims determines the time limit for seeking such review and the appropriate forum with which to file. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b). Although we offer the following summary of available appeal rights, the Merit Systems Protection Board does not provide legal advice on which option is most appropriate for your situation and the rights described below do not represent a statement of how courts will rule regarding which cases fall within their jurisdiction. If you wish to seek review of this final decision, you should immediately review the law applicable to your claims and carefully follow all filing time limits and requirements. Failure to file within the applicable time limit may result in the dismissal of your case by your chosen forum. Please read carefully each of the three main possible choices of review below to decide which one applies to your particular case. If you have questions about whether a particular forum is the appropriate one to review your case, you should contact that forum for more information.
(1) Judicial review in general . As a general rule, an appellant seeking judicial review of a final Board order must file a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which must be received by the court within 60 calendar days of the date of issuance of this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(1)(A). If you submit a petition for review to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you must submit your petition to the court at the following address: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 717 Madison Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20439
Additional information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is available at the court’s website, www.cafc.uscourts.gov. Of particular 5
relevance is the court’s “Guide for Pro Se Petitioners and Appellants,” which is contained within the court’s Rules of Practice, and Forms 5, 6, 10, and 11. If you are interested in securing pro bono representation for an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you may visit our website at http://www.mspb.gov/probono for information regarding pro bono representation for Merit Systems Protection Board appellants before the Federal Circuit. The Board neither endorses the services provided by any attorney nor warrants that any attorney will accept representation in a given case.
(2) Judicial or EEOC review of cases involving a claim of discrimination . This option applies to you only if you have claimed that you were affected by an action that is appealable to the Board and that such action was based, in whole or in part, on unlawful discrimination. If so, you may obtain judicial review of this decision—including a disposition of your discrimination claims —by filing a civil action with an appropriate U.S. district court ( not the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit), within 30 calendar days after you receive this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(2); see Perry v. Merit Systems Protection Board, 582 U.S. 420 (2017). If you have a representative in this case, and your representative receives this decision before you do, then you must file with the district court no later than 30 calendar days after your representative receives this decision. If the action involves a claim of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or a disabling condition, you may be entitled to representation by a court-appointed lawyer and to waiver of any requirement of prepayment of fees, costs, or other security. See 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f) and 29 U.S.C. § 794a. Contact information for U.S. district courts can be found at their respective websites, which can be accessed through the link below: http://www.uscourts.gov/Court_Locator/CourtWebsites.aspx . 6
Alternatively, you may request review by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of your discrimination claims only, excluding all other issues . 5 U.S.C. § 7702(b)(1). You must file any such request with the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations within 30 calendar days after you receive this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7702(b)(1). If you have a representative in this case, and your representative receives this decision before you do, then you must file with the EEOC no later than 30 calendar days after your representative receives this decision. If you submit a request for review to the EEOC by regular U.S. mail, the address of the EEOC is: Office of Federal Operations Equal Employment Opportunity Commission P.O. Box 77960 Washington, D.C. 20013
If you submit a request for review to the EEOC via commercial delivery or by a method requiring a signature, it must be addressed to: Office of Federal Operations Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 131 M Street, N.E. Suite 5SW12G Washington, D.C. 20507
(3) Judicial review pursuant to the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 . This option applies to you only if you have raised claims of reprisal for whistleblowing disclosures under 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8) or other protected activities listed in 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D). If so, and your judicial petition for review “raises no challenge to the Board’s disposition of allegations of a prohibited personnel practice described in section 2302(b) other than practices described in section 2302(b)(8), or 2302(b) (9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D),” then you may file a petition for judicial review either with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or any court of appeals of 7
competent jurisdiction. 3 The court of appeals must receive your petition for review within 60 days of the date of issuance of this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(1)(B). If you submit a petition for judicial review to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you must submit your petition to the court at the following address: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 717 Madison Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20439
Additional information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is available at the court’s website, www.cafc.uscourts.gov. Of particular relevance is the court’s “Guide for Pro Se Petitioners and Appellants,” which is contained within the court’s Rules of Practice, and Forms 5, 6, 10, and 11. If you are interested in securing pro bono representation for an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you may visit our website at http://www.mspb.gov/probono for information regarding pro bono representation for Merit Systems Protection Board appellants before the Federal Circuit. The Board neither endorses the services provided by any attorney nor warrants that any attorney will accept representation in a given case.
3 The original statutory provision that provided for judicial review of certain whistleblower claims by any court of appeals of competent jurisdiction expired on December 27, 2017. The All Circuit Review Act, signed into law by the President on July 7, 2018, permanently allows appellants to file petitions for judicial review of MSPB decisions in certain whistleblower reprisal cases with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or any other circuit court of appeals of competent jurisdiction. The All Circuit Review Act is retroactive to November 26, 2017. Pub. L. No. 115-195, 132 Stat. 1510. 8
Contact information for the courts of appeals can be found at their respective websites, which can be accessed through the link below: http://www.uscourts.gov/Court_Locator/CourtWebsites.aspx .
FOR THE BOARD: ______________________________ Gina K. Grippando Clerk of the Board Washington, D.C.