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 10-6-2010 

# Syed H a s an v

. Unit ed S t at es D ept of L a

b or P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ocke t N o . 10-1288

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the 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 at V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2010 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c on t a ct Be n j amin . C a rl s on@l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Sye d H as a n v

. U nit e d S t at e s D e pt of L a

bor " (2010). 2010 D e cisio n s . P ape r 489. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010/489CL D- 2 9 7 NOT 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. 10- 1288

___________ S YE D M . A. HAS AN, Pet i t i oner

v. UNI TE D ST ATE S DEP ARTM ENT OF L ABOR, R es pondent E N E R C O N S E R V IC E S IN C ., I nt er venor

____________________________________ O n Pet i t i on forR evi ew of a Fi nal D eci s i on and O r derof the A dm i ni s t r at i ve R evi ew B oar d fort he U ni t ed St at es D epart m entof Labor ( A R B C as e N o. 04- 045)

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o r P o ss ib le S u m m a ryA c tio n P u rsu a n t to T h ir d C ir c u it L A R 2 7 .4 a n d I.O .P . 1 0 .6

Sept ember 23, 2010 B efore: B A R R Y , F ISH E R and G R E E N A W A Y , Jr . , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed: O ct ober6, 2010 )

_________ OP I NI ON

_________ P E R C UR I AMH as an had s entl et t er s t o E ner con on February21s tand M ar ch 19th w hi ch 1 r eques t ed thatE ner con notdi s cr i m i nat e aga i ns thi m forbei ng a w hi s t l ebl ow er . H e fi l ed hi s compl ai nton M ay21, 2003. 2 S y ed H asa n p eti ti o n s fo r rev iew o f a d ec isi o n o f th e A d m inistrati v e R ev iew B o ard ( AR B) . F o rt h e r e a s o n s b e l o w, we wi l l s u mm a r i l yd e n yt h e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. T h e p ro c e d u ra l h isto ryo f th is c a se a n d th e d e tails o f p e tit io n e r’s c laim s a re w e ll know n t o t he part i es and nee d notbe di s cus s ed atl ength. B r i efl y , i n M ay2003, H as an fi l ed a c om pl ai ntundert he Ener gyR eor gani zat i on A ct( E R A ) al l egi ng t hathe had not been hi r ed as an engi neerbyI nt er venorE ner con bas ed on hi s pas tw hi s t l ebl ow i ng ac ti v it ies. T h e A d m inistrati v e L aw Ju d g e (A L J) reco m m en d ed g ran ti n g su m m ary j udgm enti n favorof t he r es pondentand deny i ng t he compl ai nt . O n M ay18, 2005, t he A R B acc ept ed the r ecomm endat i on and deni ed H as an’ s compl ai nt . H as an di d notfi l e a pet i t i on forr evi ew fr om t he A R B ’ s M ay2005 deci s i on. O verfoury ear s l at er , on N ovember 4, 2009, H as an fi l ed a mot i on forr econs i der at i on. T he A R B deni ed the m ot i on on J anuary13, 2010, on t he gr ounds t hatt he mot i on w as notfi l ed w i t hi n a r eas onabl e t i m e and be caus e H as an had gi ven no r eas on t o j us t i fyr econs i der at i on. H as an fi l ed a t i m el ypet i t i on forr evi ew . W e or der ed H as an t o s how caus e w hyt he pet i t i on s houl d notbe s um m ar i l ydeni ed. I n hi s m ot i on forr econs i der at i on, H as an ar gued thatt he A R B over l ooked the per i od fr om February21, 2003, unt i l M ay21, 2003. H e appe ar s t o be ar gui ng t hatbas ed 1 on E ner con’ s r ecrui t i ng advert i s ement s aft erFebruary21s t , t her e w er e ava i l abl e j obs for3

w hi ch he w as notcons i der ed. H ow ever , t he A L J found thati tw as undi s put ed that E ner con di d nothi r e any one i n t he ci vi l / s t ructur al engi neer i ng di vi s i ons betw een Ja n u a ry2 3 , 2 0 0 3 , an d M a y2 1 , 2 0 0 3 . H a sa n d e sc rib e d th e A R B ’s f a ilu re to c o n sid e r th is iss u e a s a “ leg a l b lu n d e r” a n d c o n ten d e d th a t h e h a d in f o rm e d th e A R B in h is b rie f in 2004 t hatE ner con us ed an i nfor m al hi r i ng pr oces s . H e i s s i m pl ys eeki ng t o r el i t i gat e the m er i t s of hi s cl ai m s w hi ch w er e r ej ect ed foury ear s befor e hi s m ot i on forr econs i der at i on w as fi l ed. W e nee d notaddr es s t he ques t i on of w hethert he A R B has t he pow erundert he E R A to re c o n sid e r its ru lin g s. E v e n if th e A R B d o e s h a v e th e p o w e r, it s re f u sa l to r e c o n s i d e ri t s ru l i n g f

o u rye a r s l a t e rf

o rt h e r e a s o n s a r g u e d b y H a s a n w a s n o ta rb i t r a r y, ca p ri ciou s, o r an ab u se o f d iscreti o n . S ee 5 U . S . C . § 7 0 6 (2)(A ). Sum m aryact i on i s appr opr i at e i f ther e i s no s ubs t ant i al ques t i on pr es ent ed i n t he pet i t i on. See Thi r d C i r cui tL A R 27. 4. For t he above r eas ons , as w el l as t hos e s etfor t h by th e A R B , w e w ill s u m m a ri ly d e n yth e p e titio n f o r r e v ie w . S e e T h ir d C ir c u it I .O .P . 1 0 .6 . T he or dert o s how caus e i s di s char ged.