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OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE              LA 200, John Adams Building, 110 Second Street, S.E.              Washington, DC 20540-1999
_________________________ROBERT SOLOMON,      Complainant,             v.                                          Case No. 02-AC-34 (CV, RP)October 24, 2003OFFICE OF THE ARCHITECT  OF THE CAPITOL       Respondent ._________________________
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

 On May 9, 2003, the Office of Compliance entered               into its records the attached decision of Hearing Officer Warren               R. King in this proceeding. The Hearing Officer concluded that the               Respondent did not (1) unlawfully deny the Complainant a reasonable               accommodation for his religious beliefs or practices, (2) unlawfully               retaliate against Complainant, nor (3) did Respondent create an               unlawful hostile work environment for the Complainant. The Complainant               timely filed a petition for review of that decision, and a supporting               brief. The Respondent timely filed its opposition brief to the petition               for review.

Upon due consideration of the Hearing Officer’s               Decision, the record and the parties’ filings, the Board affirms               the Hearing Officer’s dismissal of the complaint. The Board               is satisfied that the Hearing Officer's findings are supported by               substantial record evidence, in that: (1)Complainant's religious               accommodation claim fails because the accommodation would have posed               an undue hardship on Respondent, (2)Complainant's retaliation claim               fails because he did not meet his burden of establishing a connection               between the protected activity and the actions complained of., and               (3) Complainant failed to show that the conduct was sufficiently               severe or pervasive to establish the elements of a hostile environment               claim. *Harris v. Forklift Systems,* 510 U.S. 17 (1993).

**ORDER**

Pursuant to Section 406(e) of the Congressional               Accountability Act and Section 8.01(d) of the Office’s Procedural               Rules, the Board affirms the Hearing Officer’s merits determination               of no discrimination or retaliation in this matter.

*It is so ordered*.

 Issued: at Washington, D.C., August 11, 2003            

**CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE**

              I hereby certify that on this 24th day of October 2003, I delivered               a copy of this Decision of the Board of Directors to the following               parties by the below identified means:

**First-Class Mail Postage-Prepaid**

 Jeffrey H. Leib, Esq.              Attorney at Law              5104 34th Street, N.W.              Washington, D.C. 20008

**First-Class Mail Postage-Prepaid              & Facsimile Mail (w/o Hearing Officer Decision)**

 Edgard Martinez, Esq.              Office of the Architect of the Capitol              Office of Employment Counsel              Ford House Office Building, Rm H2-202              2nd and D Streets, SW              Washington, D.C. 20515

              ___________________              Kisha L. Harley              Office of Compliance 

1 In view of our foregoing disposition               we do not rule upon or adopt the Hearing Officer’s conclusion               that the Complainant’s retaliation claim must fail because               his “leave restriction” status did not amount to an               actionable “adverse action”. We have reserved ruling               upon the scope of the anti-retaliation provision of the Congressional               Accountability Act (Section 207, 2 U.S.C. 1317) until the appropriate               case arises. See *Ziggy Bajbor v. Office of the Architect of               the Capitol*, Case No. 01-AC-377 (RP) (2003);*Lawrence Hatcher               v. Office of the Architect of the Capitol*, Case No. 96-AC-15               (CV, RP), (1998). We also find it unnecessary to rely upon the Hearing               Officer’s conclusion that the Complainant’s failure               to comply with the Respondent’s internal leave request procedure               barred his religious failure to accommodate claim. Cf.[re requests               under the Family and Medical Leave Act], *Samuel J. Cavin v.               Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc.,* 2003 U.S. App. LEXIS               20722 (6th Cir. 10/10/2003). 

  

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