2010 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 1-19-2010 

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w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010/2045NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT
N o. 09- 1246 DAVI D L . GR E E N, A ppel l ant
v. R ayM abu s* Secr et ary , D epart m entof t he N avy O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i v. N o. 07- 02640) H onor abl e R onal d L . B uckw al t er , D i s t r i ctJ udge Subm i t t ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

D ece m ber18, 2009
B E FO R E : SL O V I T E R , J O R D A N , and G R E E N B E R G , C i r cui tJ udges ( Fi l ed: J anuary19, 2010) OPI NI ON O F THE COURT G R E E N B E R G , C i r cui tJ udge.

* P u rsua n t t o F ed . R . A p p . P . 4 3 (c)(2).T he D i s t r i ctC our thad j ur i s di ct i on under42 U . S. C . § 2000e- 16 and w e have 1 ju risd ictio n u n d e r 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . W e e x e rc ise p len a ryre v iew o n th is a p p e a l. T her e i s s om e conf

us i on i n t he r ecor d as t o w hatm ot i on t he D i s t r i ctC our tgr ant ed 2 aft eri tgr ant ed G r een’ s m ot i on forr econs i der at i on. W i nt erm oved forbot h an or derof di s m i s s al and fors um m ar yj udgm entand i n i t s opi ni on t he D i s t r i ctC our ts etfor t h t he s t andar ds forcons i der at i on of bot h m ot i ons , t her ebys ugges t i ng t hati tw as gr ant i ng bot h a m ot i on t o di s m i s s and a mot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent . Y etatt he out s etof i t s opi ni on t he C our t , aft err eci t i ng t hati tw as cons i der i ng a “M ot i on t o D i s m i s s C om pl ai ntand/ or forSum m aryJ udgm ent , ” i ndi cat ed that“D efe ndant ’ s M ot i on t o D i s m i s s i s gr ant ed, ” app. 2 T hi s m at t ercomes on be for e thi s C our ton an appe al fr om an or derof di s m i s s al
e n te re d in th e D is tr ic t C o u rt o n D e c e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 0 8 , u n d e r F e d . R . C iv . P . 1 2 (b )( 6 ). A p p e llan t, D a v id L . G re e n , an e m p lo y e e o f th e D e p a rtm e n t o f

th e N a v y , initia ted th is
a c tio n p ro se in th e D istric t C o u rt a g a in st D o n a ld C . W in ter , the S e c re tar yo f N a v yin h is offi ci al capa ci t y , char gi ng t hathe, G r een, s ubm i t t ed an appl i cat i on t o hi s fede r al empl oy er f o r th e p o sitio n o f

su p e rv iso r a c c o u n tan t b u t th a t th e D e p a rtm e n t o f N a v yre f

u se d to acknow l edge oracc epthi s appl i cat i on “due t o pl ai nt i ff[ ‘ s ] r ace / col or/ s ex/r epr i s al , et c. ” A pp. at33. W i nt erm oved fors um m aryj udgm entand the D i s t r i ctC our tdi s m i s s ed the act i on beca us e G r een di d notr es pond t o W i nt er ’ s m ot i on. G r een then moved for
r econs i der at i on and t he D i s t r i ctC our tgr ant ed hi s m ot i on. N evert hel es s , i n a D ece m ber 1 9 , 2 0 0 8 co m p reh en sive m em o ran d u m o p inion an d ac co m p an y ing o rde r, the C o u rt gr ant ed W i nt er ’ s m ot i on t o di s m i s s on t he mer i t s . T he appe al fol l ow ed. 1 T he D i s t r i ctC our ts etfor t h t he bac kgr ound of t he mat t erand i t s r eas ons for d ism iss in g th e a c tio n in its m e m o ra n d u m o p in io n a n d th u s w e n e e d n o t re sta te a t len g th
w h at t h e C o u rtsaid . Itis suf ficien t t o p o int ou t th at t h e a cti o n fa il ed in the D istri ct C o u rt 2at163, and t he ac company i ng or dercl os i ng t he ca s e di d notm ent i on s um m aryj udgm ent

buts t at ed that“D efe ndant ’ s m ot i on t o D i s m i s s i n G R A N T E D . ” A pp. at178. W e, h o w ev er, w il l no t l ing er o n this po int as w e a re c o n side ri n g the a p p ea l exe rcisi n g p lena ry r evi ew of t he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s opi ni on and or derand, i n tur n, ar e cons i der i ng t he ca s e on b o th th e sta n d a rd s f

o r g ra n tin g m o tio n s to d ism iss a n d f o r su m m a ryju d g m e n t. T he D i s t r i ctC our tdeni ed G r een’ s r epea t ed appl i cat i ons forappoi nt m entof an 3 at t or neyt o r epr es enthi m i n or der s t hathe r egar ds as “an a bus e of di s cr et i on. ” A ppel l ant ’ s br . at9. H ow ever , G r een doe s notm ake a r eal ar gum ents uppor t i ng t hat cont ent i on w hi ch t her efor e i s notpr oper l ybefor e us . See Penns y l vani a D ep’ tof Pub. W elfa re v . U n it ed S tat es D ep ’to f H ea lth an d H u m an S erv s. , 1 0 1 F . 3 d 9 3 9 , 9 4 5 (3d C ir . 1996) . I n anyevent , t he C our tdi d notabus e i t s di s cr et i on i n deny i ng t he appoi nt m entas G ree n is an ex p erien ce d li ti g ator w h o sh o u ld h av e b ee n ca p ab le of p roc ee d ing p ro se . In t hi s r egar d w e poi ntoutt hatt he s t at ement of r el at ed ca s es i n W i nt er ’ s br i ef l i s t s one appea l t o t hi s C our t , fourdi s t r i ctcour tact i ons , and s even a dm i ni s t r at i ve pr ocee di ngs b e f o r e t h e EE OC. 3 fort hr ee r eas ons . Fi r s t , t he C our thel d t hatG r een di d notcont actan Equal E m pl oy m ent O ppor tuni t ycouns el orathi s agenc yw i t hi n 45 day s “of the dat e of the mat t eral l eged t o be di s cr i m i nat or yor , i n t he ca s e of a per s onnel act i on, w i t hi n 45 day s of t he ef fec t i ve dat e of th e a c tio n ” a s 2 9 C .F .R . § 1 6 1 4 .1 0 5 (a )(1 ) re q u ire s. S e c o n d , G re e n d id n o t f ile a tim e ly not i ce of appea l w i t h t he Equal E m pl oy m entO ppor tuni t yC om m i s s i on ( “EE O C ”) fol l ow i ng a fi nal or derof t he D epart m entof t he N avym ai l ed t o hi m on M ar ch 2, 2002, aft era det er m i nat i on t hatt her e had notbeen di s cr i m i nat i on agai ns thi m . T hi r d, t he d o c tr in e o f

s o v e re ig n im m u n ity b a rr e d a d u e p ro c e s s o f la w c o m p la in t th a t G re e n b ro u g h t. W e, how ever , addr es s onl yt he fi r s tt w o poi nt s as G r een doe s notchal l enge the s over ei gn i m m uni t yhol di ng. 3 E x erc isi n g p lena ryrev iew w e se e n o rea so n to rejec t any o f th e D istri ct C o u rt ’s
co n clus ion s. T o startw ith , G ree n k n ew o n D ec em b er 2 4 , 2 0 0 3 , w ell o v er 4 5 d ay s b ef o re4

he cont act ed an EE O C couns el oron February9, 2004, t hathi s empl oy erdi d notappoi nt hi m t o t he pos i t i on he had be en s eeki ng, and i n hi s br i ef he does notdenyt hathe had that know l edge. R ather , he cont ends t hathe di d notknow foranotherm ont h aft erD ece m ber 24, 2003, t hathe w as depr i ved of the appoi nt m entbyr eas on of w hathe r egar ds as di s cr i m i nat i on agai ns thi m . B utt he fa ctr emai ns t hathe knew i n D ece m ber2003 t hatt he
a lleg e d d isc rim in a to rya c t, i .e., the f a ilu re o f th e N a v yto m a k e th e a p p o in tm e n t h e so u g h t, had occ ur r ed, and t hus he w as aw ar e i n D ece m ber2003 t hathe had be en i nj ur ed byt he N avy ’ s conduct . A ccor di ngl y , 29 C . F. R . § 1614. 105( a) ( 1) bar s t hi s act i on. See O s hi verv. L e v in , F is h b e in , S e d ro n , & B e rm a n , 3 8 F .3 d 1 3 8 0 , 1 3 9 1 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 4 ). W e r ecogni ze thatG r een c ont ends t hatan EE O C couns el oradvi s ed hi m on February20, 2004, nott o fi l e a f or m al compl ai nt . B utw e do nots ee w hyt hatm at t er s as byt hatt i m e hi s 45- dayper i od t o cont acta couns el orhad expi r ed. I n anyevent , t he
couns el oronl ygave G r een a dvi ce w hi ch di d notpr ecl ude hi m fr om fi l i ng a form al compl ai ntw hi ch, i n fac t , he di d on M ay18, 2004. Fur t her m or e, t he D i s t r i ctC our tcorr ect l yconcl uded thatG r een’ s appea l t o t he E E O C w as unt i m el y . A s w e s etfor t h above, t he D epart m entof t he N avym ai l ed G r een a not i ce on M ar ch 2, 2002, t hatt her e had notbeen di s cr i m i nat i on agai ns thi m . H e had 30 day s pl us fi ve day s added f orr ece i ptof t he mai l not i ce t o hi m t o appea l fr om t hatfi ndi ng to th e E E O C . S e e 2 9 C .F .R . § 1 6 1 4 .4 0 2 (a ). N e v e rth e les s, h e d id n o t ap p e a l u n til A p ril 12, 2002, and thus he s i m pl ydi d notm eett he dea dl i ne foran appe al . W hi l e w e r ecogni ze5

t hatt he EE O C i n i t s deci s i on aff i r m i ng t he di s m i s s al of G r een’ s compl ai ntr eci t ed thatt he appea l w as “t i m el y , ” i tdi d notexpl ai n w hyi tbel i eved thatt o be s o. I n anyevent , t he appea l w as nott i m el yand t he EE O C ’ s s t at ement t o t he contr arydoes notm ake i ts o or b ind u s. S ee K o cian v . G ett yR ef ining & M ark eti n g C o . , 7 0 7 F . 2 d 7 4 8 , 7 5 4 n . 9 (3d C ir . 1983) ; s uper cede d on anot herm at t erby29 C . F. R . § 1601. 13( a) ( 4) . T he s i tuat i on i s no di ffe r entt han w hen on an a ppeal a courtof appe al s det er m i nes i f a di s t r i ctcour thad
s ubj ectm at t erj ur i s di ct i on i n t he ca s e on appe al . A di s t r i ctcour t ’ s concl us i on t hati thad j ur i s di ct i on does notbi nd a courtof appe al s on an appe al fr om t he di s t r i ctcour t . See E m e ra ld In v e s to rs T ru s t v . G a u n t P a rs ip p a n yP a rt n e rs , 4 9 2 F .3 d 1 9 2 , 1 9 7 (3 d . C ir . 2 0 0 7 ). I n anyevent , even i f t he EE O C w as corr ectt he ac t i on s t i l l w oul d be barr ed byr eas on of G ree n ’s de layin co n tacti n g an E E O C co u n selo r. T he or derof D ece m ber19, 2009, w i l l be af fi r m ed.