Opinion ID: 2978306
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Retaliatory Denial of Accommodations

Text: Johnson also contends that the district court improperly found she had not exhausted a claim of retaliatory denial of accommodations. This claim was not directly included in either of Johnson’s charges of discrimination. In her first charge, Johnson did not indicate there had been any retaliation. In her second charge, Johnson checked the box for retaliation but wrote next to it “Employment Termination 8/22/07.” In the fact section of the charge, she only referred to retaliation in her termination. The question then is whether the claim would reasonably grow out of the scope of the investigation of either charge. In making that determination we look to whether the “facts related with respect to the charged claim would prompt the EEOC to investigate a different, uncharged claim.” Davis, 157 F.3d at 463. As a rule, we have found that retaliation does not reasonably grow out of a substantive claim of discrimination if the retaliation occurred before the EEOC charge was filed. Strouss v. Mich. Dep’t of Corr., 250 F.3d 336, 342 (6th Cir. 2001); Ang, 932 F.2d at 547. However, where the charge of discrimination clearly alleges facts that would give rise to a retaliation claim, that retaliation claim is exhausted even if the retaliation occurred before the charge was filed. Duggins v. Steak N’ Shake, Inc., 195 F.3d 828, 832-33 (6th Cir. 1999); see also Tisdale v. Fed. Express Corp., 415 F.3d 516, 527-28 (6th Cir. 2005). - 12 - No. 08-4532 Johnson v. Cleveland City School District et al. Johnson’s second charge clearly alleged facts that could support a retaliation claim. Her second charge noted that she engaged in protected activity by filing a previous charge with the OCRC and by filing a lawsuit against the School District. The charge also alleged that the School District revoked Johnson’s accommodations. The OCRC appeared to investigate this claim, as it found that the facts did not raise an inference that Johnson’s “disability or participation in a protected activity was the likely motivation for her alleged denial of an accommodation or termination.” (Letter of Determination, Ex. 197, Ex. 21). A claim of retaliatory denial of accommodations reasonably arose out of these allegations, and we therefore find that Johnson exhausted this claim as well.