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**BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF              OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE**John Adams Building, Room LA 200              110 Second Street, S.E.              Washington, DC 20540-1999
_________________________JUANITA JOHNSON,      Appellee (Employee),             v.                                         Case No. 99-AC-326(DA)OFFICE OF THE ARCHITECT OF  THE CAPITOL,      Appellant      (Employing Office)._________________________
Before the Board of Directors: Susan S. Robfogel,              Chair; Barbara L. Camens; Alan V. Friedman; Roberta L. Holzwarth;              Barbara Childs Wallace, Members.

**DECISION OF THE BOARD              OF DIRECTORS**

 The Office of the Architect of the Capitol ("Appellant"),              appeals (1) from the Hearing Officer's              initial and supplemental Decisions and remedial order, dated March              19, and June 15, 2001, respectively, which concluded that the Office              of the Architect of the Capitol (Appellant) had discriminated against              Juanita Johnson ("Appellee") on account of her physical disability.              The Hearing Officer directed that the Appellee be reassigned to              another position, and that the Appellant award her: back pay, with              prejudgment interest; compensatory damages; attorney fees and costs;              and post-judgment interest on the foregoing monetary awards. 

 The Board has considered the decision and record              in light of the appeal and briefs, and has decided to affirm and              adopt the Hearing Officer's findings and conclusions, and remedial              order, except as modified in this decision.              (2)

**I.**

The facts, while fully explicated in the Hearing              Officer's initial decision, are summarized below.

 Appellee has employed the Appellant for over              19 years as a custodial employee, charged with cleaning offices              and restrooms. The Appellee suffers from three medical conditions,              but principally asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease              ("COPD"), which affect her ability to breathe. In recent years the              Appellee's asthma has worsened and her ability to breathe has been              greatly reduced by exposure to such irritants as pollen, dust and              cleaning chemicals. Despite extensive reliance upon inhalers, pills              and other medical devices, the Appellee is physically challenged              when even climbing one flight of stairs, and is unable to go shopping,              do yard work, play with her grandchildren, wash dishes, vacuum,              or do other housework.

 In October 1999, the Appellee experienced shortness              of breath and wheezing on the job due to abnormally dusty conditions.              She reported this to her supervisor but he was unresponsive. Subsequently,              Appellee's physician cautioned her to seek another assignment that              did not continue to expose her to environmental irritants. Thereafter,              the Appellee, both verbally and with her physician's supporting              letter, asked her second and third line supervisors for a reassignment              to preserve her health.. They declined by indicating that they had              no non-custodial positions for her. They neither suggested alternative              assignments nor referred the Appellee to anyone who could explore              such assignments with her.

 On December 10, 1999, the Appellee became ill              on the job from carpet glue fumes and she received treatment at              a hospital emergency room. She returned to work a few days later              and informed her second line supervisor that she could not work              in the environment of carpet glue fumes. Her supervisor declined              to reassign the Appellee and sent her home. Based upon her physician's              advice, the Appellee did not return to work while she awaited reassignment              to a non-custodial position. Subsequently, her union representative              took the initiative to propose various reassignment options for              the Appellee. In early March 2000, the Appellant offered the Appellee              a temporary reassignment to a daytime subway operator              (3) position classified at the WG-3 level. The Appellee              has been working in that position, at her [lower] WG-2 level salary,              since March 15, 2000, with no adverse physical effects. The Appellant              permanently reassigned to a WG-3 level subway operator position,              in this time range, another WG-2 level employee, but one who had              suffered a compensable on-the-job injury. Like the Appellee, however,              the Appellant continued to compensate that employee at the WG-2              level.

**II.**

The Hearing Officer concluded that the Appellee****has a physical impairment that substantially limits her major              life activity of *breathing*. (4)              The Hearing Officer also found that the Appellee's impairment substantially              limited her major life activity of *working*in that it precludes              her from performing a class of custodial jobs that exists nationwide.              Accordingly, the Hearing Officer found that the Appellee qualified              as a person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities              Act of 1990("ADA"), 42 U.S.C. §12101 *et seq*.*.*              The Hearing Officer concluded that the Appellee was qualified for              any of the unencumbered nine subway operator positions. He also              found that the Appellee qualified for one or more of the 247 vacancy              announcements that the Appellant posted during calendar year 2000.

The Hearing Officer concluded that the Appellant              failed to reassign the Appellee to a position for which she qualified              and did not provide the Appellee with *reasonable accommodation*              as prescribed by the ADA. The Hearing Officer found that the Appellant              did not engage the Appellee in the *interactive process*, which              is a mandatory employer obligation once an employee gives notice              of the employee's disability and the desire for a reasonable accommodation.              The Hearing Officer held that the employer's special knowledge regarding              existing and soon forthcoming vacancies requires the employer to              explore reassignment with an employee without requiring the employee              to apply and compete as if the disability issue did not exist. 

**III.**

 Recently, the United States Supreme Court decided              that a protected disability under the ADA must be a physical or              mental impairment that substantially limits or restricts an individual              from doing activities that are of central importance to most people's              daily lives. *Toyota Manufacturing Company, Inc., v. Ella Williams,              No. 00-1089, 2002 U.S. LEXIS 400 (S.Ct. 01/08/02) at Slip Opinion,              pp. 25-26.*The Court explicitly withheld judgment on whether              working*,*itself, constitutes a *major life activity*              for purposes of ADA protection. *Id.,*slip opinion, at p.              29. The Court, focusing on the major life activity of performing              manual tasks raised in that case, looked toward representative activities              such as**tending to personal hygiene, carrying out household              chores, bathing and brushing one's teeth in assessing the existence              of a protected disability. *Id., Slip Opinion, pp. 32-33.*

 The Hearing Officer found that the Appellee              had medical impairments that substantially limited her major life              activities of breathing and working. In respect to breathing, he              specifically concluded that the impairment had the following permanent              effects on the Appellee's daily life:****Appellee is physically              challenged when even climbing one flight of stairs, and is unable              to go shopping, do yard work, play with her grandchildren, wash              dishes, vacuum, or do other housework. We believe that the Hearing              Officer identified the types of activities of central importance              to people's daily lives that the Supreme Court addressed in *Toyota              Manufacturing Company, Inc. v. Ella Williams, supra.*Accordingly,              we agree with the Hearing Officer that the Appellee is a person              with a disability within the meaning of the ADA.              (5)

 Under the ADA, an employer may be required to              reassign an employee with a disability to a vacant position as a              reasonable accommodation, if the employee can no longer perform              the essential functions of her current position. 42 U.S.C. §12111(9)(B)              (identifying "reassignment" as an example of reasonable accommodation              which may have to be provided under the Act); *Aka v. Washington              Hospital Center*, 156 F.3d 1284, 1300-1305 (D.C.Cir.1998); *Shiring              v. Runyon*, 90 F.3d 827, 832 (3d Cir.1996) (Rehabilitation Act)*;              Gile v. United Airlines, Inc*., 95 F.3d 492, 498 (7th Cir. 1996);              *Benson v. Northwest Airlines, Inc*., 62 F.3d 1108, 1114 (8th              Cir.1995);*White v. York International Corp*., 45 F.3d 357,              362 (10th Cir. 1995).

 There are significant limitations upon an employer's              duty to reasonably accommodate an employee with a disability through              reassignment. For example, the ADA does not require reassignment              if no vacant position exists, 42 U.S.C. §12111(a); *Aka v.              Washington Hospital Center*, 156 F.3d at 1305, it does not require              an employer to "bump" other employees to create a vacancy, *Gile              v. United Airlines, Inc*., 95 F.3d at 499, nor does it require              an employer to create a new position in order to be able to reassign              an employee with a disability, *White v. York International Corp*.,              45 F.3d 357, 362 (10th Cir. 1995). An employee need not be reassigned              if she is not otherwise qualified for the position, 42 U.S.C. §              12112(b)(5)(A), *Aka v. Washington Hospital Center*, 156 F.3d              at 1300, or if reassignment would be an undue hardship on the operation              of the business of the employer, 42 U.S.C. §12112(b)(5)(A),              *Aka v. Washington Hospital Center*, 156 F.3d at 1300. Finally,              an employer is not required to provide an employee the accommodation              he or she requests or prefers, the employer need only provide some              reasonable accommodation. *Aka v. Washington Hospital Center*,              156 F.3d at 1300. *Gile**v. United Airlines, Inc*., 95              F.3d at 499.

 We agree with the Hearing Officer that these              limitations do not pose a bar to reassignment in this case. The              Appellant does not assert that Appellee is not qualified for the              subway operator position, nor assert that some other form of reasonable              accommodation should be provided. Although the Appellant argues              that the position is not vacant and objects to Appellee's request              for a permanent reassignment to it because the incumbent has a right              to reclaim the position, we agree with the Hearing Officer that              the Appellant may be ordered to continue the reassignment without              requiring that it be permanent. The evidence indicates that the              Appellant has a practice of making long-term "temporary" assignments              and perhaps this is the best the Appellant can do for Appellee at              the present time. In that event, the Appellant's continuing duty              to provide reasonable accommodation would require an inquiry as              to whether the Appellee could be reassigned to another position              if Appellee's temporary reassignment is terminated.

 The Appellant also argues that the reassignment              violates its Career Staffing Policy's requirement that employees              and other applicants compete for higher graded positions.              (6) We recognize that an employer is not required to reassign              an employee with a disability in circumstances when such a transfer              would violate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory policy of the employer,              *Aka v. Washington Hospital Center*, 156 F.3d at 1305, but              find that Appellee's reassignment will not have such an effect.              The Appellant concedes that it makes exceptions to the Policy, and              it does not appear to have used a competitive process to make temporary              assignments to its subway operator positions.

 However, we are concerned with the Hearing Officer's              decision to require the Appellant to reassign Appellee to the subway              operator position at the WG-2 pay grade. The Appellant has classified              the subway operator position as a WG-3 grade position, and the ADA              does not require an employer to promote an employee with a disability              to satisfy its duty of reasonable accommodation. *Smith v. Midland              Brake, Inc*., 180 F.3d 1154, 1170-78 (10th Cir.1999); *Malabarba              v. Chicago Tribune Co*., 149 F.3d 690, 699 (7th Cir. 1998); *Shiring              v. Runyon*, 90 F.3d 827, 832 (3d Cir.1996); 29 C.F.R. pt. 1630,              App. § 1630.2(o); EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation              and Undue Hardship (3/1/99), Question 24. Although Appellee offered              to accept the subway operator position at a WG-2 pay grade rather              than a WG-3 pay grade, we have serious reservations about the appropriateness              of forcing an employer to reclassify a position in order to allow              for reassignment. 

 We are also concerned with that part of the              Hearing Officer's order which provides that "so long as she is occupying              a position which has been assigned to her by the Appellant as a              reasonable accommodation under the ADA, [Appellee] should continue              to be paid at her WG-2 pay level, regardless of the wage grade classification              of the position." (Decision, p..62.) This inadvertently may intimate              that the Appellant may relegate Appellee to a WG-2 grade subway              operator position for the remainder of her career with the Appellant,              effectively depriving her of the right to seek a transfer or promotion              to one of the other subway operator positions at the WG-3 compensation              level otherwise attributed to that position. Employees with disabilities              should not be required to forego future employment opportunities              as a condition of continued employment. 

 We need not decide whether these concerns render              Appellee's reassignment inappropriate, however, because of a material              change in the circumstances. Although neither party raised the matter,              (7) we understand that Appellee is a class member in a              lawsuit before Judge Emmet Sullivan that has been settled and is              presently at the remedy implementation stage (*Patricia Harris,              et. al. v. Office of the Architect of the Capitol*, Civil Action              No. 1:97CV01658, D.D.C.). One of the remedial provisions of the              settlement requires the Appellant to promote night-shift custodial              workers to the WG-3 level, retroactively as of the effective date              of the CAA, January 23, 1996. 

**IV.**

 Accordingly, we therefore vacate only that part              of the Hearing Officer's order that requires the Appellant to reassign              the Appellee to the subway operator's position at the WG-2 grade,              and remand the case for the Hearing Officer's determination of whether              her custodial position of record has been reclassified as a WG-3              grade position. The Hearing Officer, after hearing from the parties,              should then fashion a remedy consistent with this opinion, contingent              upon the Appellee's grade level and the availability of appropriate              permanent or, if necessary, existing temporary assignments for which              she qualifies.

*It is so ordered.*

Issued, Washington, D.C. February              25, 2002

1The Board has              considered carefully the parties' initial and response briefs. We              deny the Appellant's request for oral argument because we believe              that the parties' briefs sufficiently address the factual and legal              issues raised in this appeal            
2Appellee's counsel              has moved on appeal to the Board that it issue a protective order              as to certain record evidence. The motion is denied because, pursuant              to Section 416(C) of the CAA, some confidentiality is accorded by              its terms and there is insufficient demonstrated need for additional              protection herein. Moreover, the motion is untimely in that such              a motion normally should be made at the hearing level pursuant to              Section 7.07(e) of the Board's Procedural Rules which provides:              "Any evidentiary objection not timely made before a Hearing Officer              shall, in the absence of clear error, be deemed waived on appeal              to the Board."

3Subways trains              run between the House and Senate office buildings and the Capitol              Building.            
4Appellee's pulmonary              function test established that even when enhanced by medication,              her forced expiratory volume was only 47% of the normal value.            
5The Hearing Officer              concluded that the Appellee's medical impairment substantially limited              her in working in a broad class of janitorial jobs; however, he              premised his finding that the complainant has a protected disability              solely upon the complainant's *breathing*impairment because              of the legal uncertainty of *working*constituting a major              life activity under the ADA. [Decision, p.38]. The Supreme Court's              *Toyota* decision left open the question of whether *working*              can constitute a major life function for purposes of ADA protection.              It is unnecessary for us to decide this point because the Appellee              has established her protected status in relation to the major life              activity of breathing and its effect upon the tasks of central importance              in people's daily lives.            
6We take official              notice of the *Office of the Architect of the Capitol Human Resources              Act,*40 U.S.C. §166b-7 ("AOCHRA"), which requires the Appellant              to establish a merit appointment, promotion and assignment personnel-              management system. However, no record evidence was adduced regarding              the Appellant's implementation of such a program and its effect              on the issues herein.            
7We take this opportunity              to emphasize to all parties with appeals before the Board of their              obligation to apprise the Board of any changed material circumstances              affecting the issues awaiting Board decision. This includes, but              is not limited to: new appeal-controlling statutory enactments or              case law precedent; case settlements; mootness; and other intervening              events, such as may exist in this matter, that remove a remedial              impediment that had been contested before a Hearing Officer and              raised on appeal.            
             
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