Wilson v. Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs ex rel. Veterans Canteen Services

65 F.3d 402, 1995 U.S. App. LEXIS 28012, 67 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 43,862, 69 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 107, 1995 WL 552938
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedAugust 23, 1995
DocketNo. 95-30060
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 65 F.3d 402 (Wilson v. Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs ex rel. Veterans Canteen Services) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Wilson v. Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs ex rel. Veterans Canteen Services, 65 F.3d 402, 1995 U.S. App. LEXIS 28012, 67 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 43,862, 69 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 107, 1995 WL 552938 (5th Cir. 1995).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Freddie Wilson filed an action against Jesse Brown, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, James Donohoe, Director of Veterans Canteen Services, and Charles Lizyness, alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e (1988), and claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-2680 (1988). The district court issued an order dismissing both claims or in the alternative granting summary judgment against Wilson. She appeals the court’s ruling on the Title VII claim. We affirm.

I

On December 17, 1991, Wilson filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), alleging that her supervisor had sexually harassed her during her employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The EEOC found her application untimely and dismissed her complaint. Wilson’s attorney received notice of the EEOC decision on May 3, 1993, and mailed a copy to Wilson in Germany. Wilson received the decision on May 25, 1993, and mailed a letter to the EEOC on May 28, 1993, discussing information relating to her claim. On June 7, 1993, Wilson’s attorney submitted a Form 573 to the EEOC, requesting an appeal of the Agency’s decision.1 The EEOC found that the notice violated the thirty-day time limit on such appeals and denied the appeal.2 Subsequently, Wilson brought this action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Federal Tort Claims Act. The Secretary moved for summary judgment, arguing that because Wilson’s request for appeal had been untimely, she had failed to exhaust her Title VII administrative remedies, thereby barring her from bringing an action in district court. The Secretary also argued that the district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the FTCA claim. The district court granted the motion for summary judgment on the Title VII claim, and it dismissed the FTCA claim with prejudice. Wilson now appeals.

II

Wilson contends that the district court should not have granted summary judgment on her Title VII claim, arguing that the Agency erroneously dismissed her appeal because (1) her letter of May 28 was a notice of appeal filed within the statute of limitations, and (2) alternatively, equitable considerations entitle her to a tolling of the statute. We exercise de novo review of the grant of a summary judgment. Duffy v. Leading Edge Prods., Inc., 44 F.3d 308, 312 (5th Cir.1995). Summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits if any show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party [404]*404is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c).

Wilson argues that the EEOC incorrectly decided that her appeal was untimely. “If an EEOC charge is untimely filed, a suit based upon the untimely charge should be dismissed.” Barrow v. New Orleans S.S. Ass’n, 932 F.2d 473, 476-77 (5th Cir.1991); Templeton v. Western Union Tel. Co., 607 F.2d 89, 91 (5th Cir.1979) (per curiam); see also National Ass’n of Gov’t Employees v. City Pub. Serv., 40 F.3d 698, 711 (5th Cir.1994) (“[C]ourts have no jurisdiction to consider Title VII claims as to which the aggrieved party has not exhausted administrative remedies.”).

We will reverse an agency’s interpretation of its regulations only if the decision is arbitrary or capricious. Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Ass’n v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 463 U.S. 29, 42, 103 S.Ct. 2856, 2866, 77 L.Ed.2d 443 (1983) (“The scope of review under the ‘arbitrary and capricious’ standard is narrow and a court is not to substitute its judgment for that of the agency.”); Wilson v. United States Dep’t of Agric., 991 F.2d 1211, 1215 (5th Cir.1993) (looking “at the agency’s decision to determine if it was reached in an arbitrary or capricious manner”), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 114 S.Ct. 1296, 127 L.Ed.2d 649 (1994). “A decision is arbitrary or capricious only when it is ‘so implausible that it could not be ascribed to a difference in view or the product of agency expertise.’ ” Wilson, 991 F.2d at 1215 (quoting Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Ass’n, 463 U.S. at 43, 103 S.Ct. at 2867). “The agency decision need only have a rational basis, and it does not have to be a decision which the court would have made.” Id.

Wilson argues that her letter to the EEOC on May 28 was an appeal and should have satisfied the statute of limitations. EEOC regulations provide that:

The complainant, agent, grievant or individual class claimant (hereinafter complainant) must file an appeal with the Director, Office of Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, at P.O. Box 19848, Washington, DC 20036, or by personal delivery or facsimile. The complainant should use EEOC Form 573, Notice of Appeal/Petition, and should indicate what he or she is appealing.

29 C.F.R. § 1614.403(a).

Wilson asserts nothing more than that this court should consider her letter an appeal. Wilson provides no authority, however, to support excusing her failure to comply with the regulations. Also, the letter did not state that she was appealing the EEOC’s decision. We therefore hold that the Commission’s decision that Wilson did not file a timely appeal was not arbitrary or capricious.

Wilson alternatively contends that equitable considerations merit a tolling of the thirty-day time limit on filing an appeal to the EEOC. EEOC regulations allow that “[t]he time limits in this part are subject to waiver, estoppel and equitable tolling.” 29 C.F.R. § 1614.604(c). A complaining party in a Title VII case bears the burden of providing the justification for application of equitable tolling principles. Nowlin v. RTC, 33 F.3d 498, 503 (5th Cir.1994); Blumberg v. HCA Mgmt. Co., 848 F.2d 642, 644 (5th Cir.1988), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 1007, 109 S.Ct. 789, 102 L.Ed.2d 781 (1989).

In Chappell v. Emco Machine Works Co., 601 F.2d 1295

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65 F.3d 402, 1995 U.S. App. LEXIS 28012, 67 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 43,862, 69 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 107, 1995 WL 552938, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-secretary-department-of-veterans-affairs-ex-rel-veterans-ca5-1995.