Opinion ID: 165841
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Retaliation and Failure to Accommodate Claims

Text: In December 1999, Ms. Burns contacted an EEO counselor and filed a complaint, alleging the Mint had failed to train (or properly train) her on certain equipment. At the time she met with the EEO counselor, Ms. Burns claims she told him she was being harassed by both Mr. Cruz and Mr. Romero because she had moved in with a coworker, Mr. Watts, in late September or early October, and because she would not give into their “whims.” She now claims she did not include this on her EEO complaint because she feared retaliation. On January 24, 2000, she unconditionally withdrew her EEO complaint. Ms. Burns also claims that at her meeting with the EEO counselor she advised him she had lupus and had applied for a job in the mills because she knew it would allow her to work “light duty.” In addition, sometime during the first six months of her job, Ms. Burns says she told her supervisors, Mr. Cruz and Mr. Romero, her foot hurt, she had lupus, and she had applied for a mill job which she thought would be easier. Ms. Burns did not get an interview for the mill job; instead, two other candidates did, including one person who scored higher on a knowledge and skills assessment, and another who scored higher due to veterans’ preference points. When Ms. Burns found out she was not selected for a position in the mills, she told a human resources employee she was not feeling well and -12- that her lupus was flaring up. During the period of Ms. Burns's employment, Mr. Cruz dated an employee at the Mint who had lupus, whose medical condition was accommodated by not working overtime, and who provided medical documentation in support of her accommodation. Ms. Burns's other supervisor, Mr. Romero, knew someone with lupus might require reasonable accommodations at the Mint and an employee making such a disability claim must provide a doctor’s note, but nevertheless, did not ask Ms. Burns for any medical documentation. While Ms. Burns told Mr. Romero she had lupus, she never asked for an accommodation, never brought in medical documentation confirming her medical condition, and told Mr. Cruz that a doctor said she did not have lupus. In January 2000 Ms. Burns contacted someone from the EEO office at the Mint and told her she was having problems and needed help; a month later, she was informed she needed to fill out a form. In late March, Ms. Burns received a form from the EEO office, which required a doctor identify her disease and restrictions; however, she did not submit the form prior to her termination. In late April 2000, following her termination, she filed an EEO complaint involving claims of disability, failure to accommodate, sexual harassment, and retaliation. -13-