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OFFICE OF COMPLIANCELA 200, John Adams Building, 110 Second               Street, S.E.              Washington, DC 20540-1999
______________________JOE D. CLARK,     Complainant,              v.                                  Case No. 00-AC-104 (CV, RP)                                                   Date: May 30, 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 September 6, 2002, Hearing Officer Curtis               E. von Kann issued the attached Decision in this matter concluding               that the Respondent failed fully to implement1 its settlement               agreement with the Complainant, but for non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory               reasons. 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.

The Board has considered the decision2               and the record in light of the petition for review and briefs. The               Board affirms the hearing officer's determinations: (1) that the               evidence did not establish that the Respondent acted out of a proscribed               discriminatory or retaliatory motive in failing to implement the               settlement agreement; and (2) that the Complainant failed to prove               damages from Respondent's failure to comply fully with the agreement.

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, retaliation, or actionable damages in this               matter.

It is so ordered.

___________________________              Susan S. Robfogel, Chair

___________________________              Barbara L. Camens, Member

___________________________              Alan V. Friedman, Member

___________________________              Roberta L. Holzwarth, Member

___________________________              Barbara Childs Wallace, Member

              Issued, Washington, D.C.: May 30, 2003

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

I hereby certify that on this 30th day of May               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)

Peggy Tyler, Esq.              Office of Architect of the Capitol              Office of Employment Counsel              Ford House Building, Room H2-202              Washington, D.C. 20515

              ___________________              Kisha L. Harley              Office of Compliance
1 The Complainant and Respondent,             through Office of Compliance mediation in an earlier case, entered             into a January 4, 2000 settlement agreement resolving his discriminatory             non-promotion claim. The agreement afforded the Complainant (1) formal             training; (2) regular supervisory verbal feedback regarding his performance;             and (3) a supervisory evaluation, 90 days following Complainant's             completion of formal training, assessing his readiness for promotion.             The hearing officer found that the Respondent complied with items             (1) and (2), but it did not provide him with the evaluation through             oversight and neglect. 
2 Respondent argued before the hearing               officer that the doctrine of sovereign immunity precluded his enforcement               of a settlement agreement entered into under the Congressional Accountability               Act unless the Complainant proved that the non-compliance was occasioned               by proscribed discrimination or retaliation. The hearing officer,               in finding that the "inexcusable" agreement breach had               not damaged the Complainant, did not reach any conclusion regarding               that defense. We agree with the hearing officer that it is not necessary               to reach any conclusion regarding this defense because of our finding               that Complainant was not damaged by Respondent's breach of the agreement.

              
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