Opinion ID: 538363
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Equitable Tolling of the 20-Day Limit

Text: 29 Rao acknowledges that if he constructively received AID's notice, his appeal was filed at least three days late. He believes, however, that he should have been allowed an extension to cover those three days because of the turmoil inherent in moving a household abroad, and because, in the normal course of the mails, it would have taken an additional 8-10 days for notice to reach him in the Philippines even if it had been promptly forwarded. He also points to his modest request of three days leniency compared to the nearly two-year period it took for the agency to resolve his complaint. 30 The district court concluded that the EEOC had not abused its discretion in failing to toll the time limit. Upon review of the record, we must agree. Rao has not proffered facts that would justify overturning EEOC's refusal to invoke its equitable discretion. Cf. Saltz v. Lehman, 672 F.2d 207 (D.C.Cir.1982) (acknowledging that plaintiff had the burden of pleading and proving in the district court any equitable reasons for his failure to meet the 30-day requirement of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000e-5(e), (f)). 31 The regulations provide for equitable tolling when circumstances beyond [the complainant's] control prevented the filing of a Notice of Appeal within the prescribed time limit. 29 C.F.R. Sec. 1613.233(c). Rao could have averted the late filing by properly instructing his friend about what to do on receiving notice from AID. He could have notified the agency of his transit status. He could have alerted his attorney to his expected departure, and to the resultant need for the attorney to monitor his case while he was in the Philippines. He did none of these. One who fails to act diligently cannot invoke equitable principles to excuse that lack of diligence. Baldwin County Welcome Home v. Brown, 466 U.S. 147, 151, 104 S.Ct. 1723, 1726, 80 L.Ed.2d 196 (1983) (per curiam). 9 We affirm the district court's decision not to equitably toll the 20-day limit.