Opinion ID: 774950
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Equitable Exception to Exhaustion

Text: 29 Although California courts describe exhaustion as a jurisdictional prerequisite to suit under FEHA, this label does not implicate the trial court's fundamental subject matter jurisdiction. Keiffer v. Bechtel Corp., 65 Cal. App. 4th 893, 896-99 (1998). The administrative time limits prescribed by FEHA are treated as equivalent to statutes of limitations and are subject to equitable doctrines such as waiver, estoppel, and tolling. Grywczynski v. Shasta Beverages, Inc., 606 F. Supp. 61, 65-66 (N.D. Cal. 1984); Keiffer, 65 Cal. App. 4th at 899-901; Denney v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 10 Cal. App. 4th 1226, 1233-34 (1992) (abrogated on other grounds). 30 Rodriguez contends that he failed to file a timely mental disability discrimination charge only because he was misled by the DFEH into believing that he could not pursue such a charge under FEHA, and that this fact should excuse his failure. His argument is directly supported by Denney v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 10 Cal. App. 4th at 1232-34. In Denney, the California court of appeal adopted the rule that equity may excuse noncompliance with exhaustion requirements under the FEHA, when the plaintiff's failure to comply can be attributed to the administrative agency (generally the DFEH) charged with processing his complaint. Id. The plaintiff in Denney brought a civil suit under FEHA for age and disability discrimination and retaliation. The defendant contended that Denney failed to exhaust his administrative remedies, because his timely administrative complaint, filed with the DFEH through the EEOC, contained only a charge of age discrimination. 9 Denney countered that he had notified the EEOC of all three of his charges--age discrimination, disability discrimination, and retaliation--when he completed an intake questionnaire, but that the EEOC had prepared a formal complaint raising only the age charge. Id. at 1234, 13 Cal.Rptr.2d 170. When Denney complained, the EEOC told him that the age charge was sufficient to commence the administrative process (including referral to DFEH). Id. Denney relied on this representation of the EEOC until he obtained an attorney. Id. His attorney advised him, several days after FEHA's one-year filing deadline expired, to amend his charges with the EEOC and the DFEH to add the retaliation and disability discrimination claims, which he promptly did. Id. On these facts, the court held that equity precluded barring Denney's retaliation and disability claims for failure to exhaust. Id. The court deemed Denney to have complied with FEHA's one-year filing deadline with respect to all three of his claims. Id. 31 In so holding, Denney relied upon this court's decision in Albano v. Schering-Plough Corp., 912 F.2d 384 (9th Cir. 1990), where we excused a plaintiff from failing to charge constructive discharge along with his charge of failure to promote on the ground of age, because the EEOC had refused to make the amendment and had told the plaintiff incorrectly that constructive discharge would be encompassed by his original charge. See Albano, 912 F.2d at 387-88. Although the employer was not properly put on notice of Albano's constructive discharge claim, we observed that the primary function of an EEOC charge is to set in motion an EEOC investigation and conciliation, rather than to give notice to the employer of the claims against it. 10 Id. at 388. 32 If the facts prove to be as set forth in Rodriquez's affidavit, his case is governed by Denney and, by analogy, Albano. 11 As with virtually any equitable doctrine, application of the Denney exception requires balancing the equities in the particular case. See Naton v. Bank of California, 649 F.2d 691, 696 & n.5 (9th Cir. 1981); Addison v. California, 21 Cal. 3d 313, 321 (1978). Although there is no formula for doing so, prior cases have set forth some factors meriting consideration. 33 The equities favor a discrimination plaintiff who (1) diligently pursued his claim; (2) was misinformed or misled by the administrative agency responsible for processing his charge; (3) relied in fact on the misinformation or misrepresentations of that agency, causing him to fail to exhaust his administrative remedies; and (4) was acting pro se at the time. 12 See Denney, 10 Cal. App. 4th at 1234; Albano, 912 F.2d at 388; cf. Frederickson v. UPS, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2650, at -9 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 8, 1999) (rejecting equitable excuse on the facts and because plaintiff was represented by counsel at time of making original charge). Rodriguez's declaration asserts facts that qualify him under these factors, which Denney held to outweigh any concern that the employer was prejudiced by the plaintiff's failure to exhaust. See Denney , 10 Cal. App. 4th at 1234; see also Albano, 912 F.2d at 387-88. 34 We find no merit in Airborne's argument that Rodriguez's self-serving affidavit is insufficient to create a triable issue of fact with respect to whether he was misled by the DFEH. Rodriguez sets forth the facts of his DFEH interview with great specificity. This circuit has held that self-serving affidavits are cognizable to establish a genuine issue of material fact so long as they state facts based on personal knowledge and are not too conclusory. See United States v. Shumway, 199 F.3d 1093, 1103-04 (9th Cir. 1999) (noting that any affidavit of a party that is worth submitting is self-serving). It is true that some of the material in the notes of the interviewing DFEH officer, Aguirre, may support inferences contrary to Rodriguez's declaration. But that point only establishes that a triable issue of fact exists, and that Rodriguez is not entitled to summary judgment on the basis of his affidavit. 35 Because Rodriguez has presented evidence which, if credited by the trier of fact, would permit equitably excusing his noncompliance with FEHA's administrative exhaustion requirements, summary judgment is not appropriate. The trier of fact must resolve disputed factual issues in order to determine whether Rodriguez is entitled to equitable excuse for his failure to exhaust his disability discrimination claim. See Richardson v. Frank, 975 F.2d 1433, 1435-36 (10th Cir. 1992) (holding that whether Title VII plaintiff was misled by EEO office as to the time limits for filing his EEO complaint was a fact question not appropriate for summary judgment); Emrich v. Touche Ross & Co., 846 F.2d 1190, 1199 (9th Cir. 1988) (remanding for resolution of disputed factual matters prior to ruling on application of California's equitable tolling doctrine).