Opinion ID: 410332
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the dismissal of eeoc

Text: 21 The District Court's order dismissing Camps' action against EEOC was separate from and prior to the order dismissing against C & P and CWA. The order respecting EEOC would have become final had the procedures prescribed by Civil Rule 54(b) been followed. 44 That was not done, 45 and resultantly the EEOC order remained interlocutory, and therefore subject to the District Court's revision at any time, until adjudication of all rights and liabilities of all parties. 46 To be sure, the EEOC order did achieve finality, for a while, upon entry of the dismissal against C & P and CWA, the only other parties, for want of prosecution. But we today reverse the order terminating the lawsuit against C & P and CWA, and thereupon the order with respect to EEOC becomes interlocutory once again, and subject to modification by the District Court. 22 Against that backdrop, we will not address the question of the propriety of the dismissal of EEOC on this appeal. Inexplicably, Camps did not respond in the District Court to EEOC's motion therefor but insists in this court that the dismissal was wrong. While we may observe that the local rule upon which the District Court relied might have provided an adequate basis for the dismissal of Camps' suit against EEOC, 47 we leave the door ajar for the court to reconsider that action because of Camps' pro se status. Oral argument before us revealed that he had a great deal of difficulty in comprehending the proceedings before the District Court, and he may not have understood the consequences of his failure to resist EEOC's motion. EEOC has presented us with a well-reasoned argument that no cause of action exists against EEOC under Title VII 48 but, given the current posture of the case, we decline the invitation to reach out to address this question. We caution Camps carefully to consider EEOC's effort and to approach the District Court with any reasons he may have for vacatur of its dismissal of EEOC. We leave it to the District Court to determine, in the first instance, whether Camps has any valid ground for alteration of the disposition with respect to EEOC.