Opinion ID: 2976127
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Lockett’s Privacy Act Claims

Text: A plaintiff must bring a Privacy Act claim in federal district court within two years from the date of the alleged violation. 5 U.S.C. § 552a(g)(5). The only exception to this limitations period may arise when “an agency has materially and willfully misrepresented any information required under this section to be disclosed to an individual and the information so misrepresented is material to establishment of the liability of the agency to the individual under this section . . . .” Id. In that circumstance, the plaintiff may bring an action within two years of his discovery of the misrepresentation. Id. The Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, and D.C. Circuits have held that the statute of limitations for a Privacy Act claim begins to run when the plaintiff knows or has reason to know of the alleged violation. Oja v. United States Army Corps of Eng’rs, 440 F.3d 1122, 1135 (9th Cir. 2006); Davis v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 204 F.3d 723, 726 (7th Cir. 2000); Tijerina v. Walters, 821 F.2d 789, 797-98 (D.C. Cir. 1987); Bergman v. United States, 751 F.2d 314, 316 (10th Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 945 (1985); cf. Paducah Marine Ways v. Thompson, 82 F.3d 130, 132 (6th Cir. 1996) (holding that the statute of limitations for the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act begins to run when an employee becomes aware of the full extent of his injury). The Third and Fourth Circuits have reached the same conclusion as to the beginning of the limitations period for the Privacy Act, in unpublished opinions. See Green v. Westphal, 94 F. App’x 4 902, 904 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 543 U.S. 913 (2004); Doe v. Nat’l Sec. Agency, No. 97-2650, 1998 WL 743665, at  (4th Cir. 1998). Sufficient evidence exists in Lockett’s affidavit to determine as a matter of law that he failed to comply with the Privacy Act’s two-year statute of limitations. Lockett discusses EEOC hearings that took place in March 2002 and April 2003, which addressed his complaints that the Postal Service’s manner of storing and disseminating his records violated the Privacy Act. J.A. at 61-62 (Lockett Aff.). Lockett’s assertions about these hearings demonstrate that he knew about the alleged Privacy Act violation more than two years before his March 2006 filing of his complaint in district court. Furthermore, Lockett failed to raise the argument that equitable tolling should apply to his Privacy Act claim in district court, and we have no reason to allow equitable tolling under the circumstances of this case. See McClain, 440 F.3d at 300 n.2.