Opinion ID: 2995221
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Timeliness of Anthis’ and

Text: Schleter’s Charges Because the EEOC does not have independent authority to bring claims for monetary relief, it may only maintain its suit for damages if it can establish that a charge of discrimination was filed timely. Anthis and Schleter were the only NGSC employees who filed charges. They filed those charges on December 29, 1997. Because Indiana is a non-deferral state for purposes of establishing the statutory period within which an employee must file charges of age discrimination, see Daugherity v. Traylor Bros., Inc., 970 F.2d 348, 350 n.2 (7th Cir. 1992), Anthis’ and Schleter’s charges had to be filed within 180 days of the unlawful employment practice, see 29 U.S.C. sec. 626(d)(1). This 180-day period began on July 2, 1997, and the EEOC must demonstrate that a discriminatory act occurred subsequent to that time. As early as 1994 or 1995, Anthis and Schleter were on notice that the ERP discriminated against them. Around that time, they discussed the fact that they, being sixty years old, would receive lower early retirement benefits than a fifty-five-year-old teacher with the same number of years of service. However, neither indicated to NGSC that he was considering retirement nor did either file charges with the EEOC. The ERP was terminated by NGSC at the May 29, 1997 negotiation meeting between NGSC and the Union. Based on this information alone, it appears that the discriminatory acts occurred before the 180-day period and that the charges therefore were untimely. Nevertheless, under the continuing violation doctrine, the EEOC may ’get relief for a time-barred act by linking it with an act that is within the limitations period.’ Miller v. Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co., 203 F.3d 997, 1003 (7th Cir. 2000) (quoting Speer v. Rand McNally, 123 F.3d 658, 663 (7th Cir. 1997)). A continuing violation may exist when the employer has an express, openly espoused, discriminatory policy that was in effect during the limitations period. See Place v. Abbott Labs., 215 F.3d 803, 808 (7th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 121 S. Ct. 768 (2001); Stewart v. CPC Int’l, Inc., 679 F.2d 117, 121 (7th Cir. 1982). However, the continuing violation doctrine does not apply when a time- barred incident cannot be linked with an incident that occurred within the statutory period or when the time-barred incident alone should have triggered the plaintiff’s awareness that his rights had been violated. See Simpson v. Borg-Warner Auto., Inc., 196 F.3d 873, 875-76 n.1 (7th Cir. 1999). The Supreme Court has explained that a facially discriminatory policy discriminates each time that it is applied. See Lorance v. AT&T Techs., Inc., 490 U.S. 900, 912 & n.5 (1989)./8 The Court also has made clear, though, that the proper focus is upon the time of the discriminatory acts, not upon the time at which the consequences of the acts became most painful. Del. State Coll. v. Ricks, 449 U.S. 250, 258 (1980) (emphasis in original) (quotation marks and citation omitted) (holding that the limitations period on the plaintiff’s discrimination claim began to run from the time he was given notice that he would not receive tenure, not from the time he actually was terminated); see also Chardon v. Fernandez, 454 U.S. 6, 8