Opinion ID: 162074
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Exhaust the ADA Claim

Text: 16 We review the district court's dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction de novo, and the findings of jurisdictional facts for clear error. Stuart v. Colorado Interstate Gas Co., 271 F.3d 1221, 1225 (10th Cir.2001). A finding of fact is clearly erroneous if it is without factual support in the record or if the appellate court, after reviewing all the evidence, is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Nieto v. Kapoor, 268 F.3d 1208, 1217 (10th Cir.2001). 17 Exhaustion of administrative remedies under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 to § 12213, is a jurisdictional prerequisite to suit in the Tenth Circuit. See Jones v. Runyon, 91 F.3d 1398, 1399 n. 1 (10th Cir.1996); Khader v. Aspin, 1 F.3d 968, 970-71 (10th Cir.1993). Ms. McBride's suggestion that private sector employees do not have to exhaust is without support in this circuit. Aramburu v. Boeing Co., 112 F.3d 1398, 1409 (10th Cir.1997) (noting in a case involving a private sector employee that the plaintiff must exhaust his administrative remedies before bring suit under Title VII); Richardson v. Albertson's, Inc., 92 F.3d 1197, 1996 WL 421977 (10th Cir. July 29, 1996) (unpublished) (finding no jurisdiction over an ADA action because the private sector employee did not exhaust). 3 We agree with the district court that exhaustion of administrative remedies by Ms. McBride was necessary to establish subject matter jurisdiction. 18 Whether Ms. McBride did exhaust her administrative remedies is a question of jurisdictional fact that we review for clear error. The authority to dismiss for failure to cooperate is granted to the EEOC pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1601.18(b): 19 Where the person claiming to be aggrieved fails to provide requested necessary information, fails or refuses to appear or to be available for interviews or conferences as necessary, fails or refuses to provide information requested by the Commission pursuant to § 1601.15(b), or otherwise refuses to cooperate to the extent that the Commission is unable to resolve the charge, and after due notice, the charging party has had 30 days in which to respond, the Commission may dismiss the charge. 20 The EEOC can on its own initiative reconsider its decision to dismiss. 29 C.F.R. § 1601.21(b) (made applicable to dismissals for failure to cooperate by 29 C.F.R. § 1601.18(f)). Although the parties cannot force the EEOC to reconsider its decision, the record does not reflect that Ms. McBride requested reconsideration. 4 21 This absence of administrative or judicial review does not constitute a denial of due process because the EEOC's determination is not dispositive. A dismissal does not preclude the plaintiff from instituting court action because the plaintiff receives a right to sue letter despite the finding. See supra note 1; 4 Lex K. Larson, Employment Discrimination § 73.05[1] (2d ed.2001) (discussing the portion of the reasonable cause determination regulation which the failure to cooperate regulation expressly makes applicable to itself at 29 C.F.R. § 1601.18(f)). It is for the district court to determine whether the plaintiff has complied with the regulatory requirements when the defendant raises the issue of failure to exhaust administrative remedies. No deference may be accorded the EEOC or the complaint investigator's finding with respect to the plaintiff's compliance. Wade v. Sec. of the Army, 796 F.2d 1369, 1376-77 (11th Cir.1986). That said, because failure to exhaust administrative remedies is a bar to subject matter jurisdiction, the burden is on the plaintiff as the party seeking federal jurisdiction to show, by competent evidence, that she did exhaust. United States v. Hillcrest Health Ctr., Inc., 264 F.3d 1271, 1278 (10th Cir.2001). An evidentiary hearing may be necessary to determine compliance or lack of it. Wade, 796 F.2d at 1377. 22 In this case, both parties submitted briefs and sundry documentary exhibits in support of and in opposition to CITGO's motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust. A hearing was held by the district court on October 13, 2000. The exhibits included correspondence between the EEOC and Ms. McBride and the complaint investigator's case log noting the fact of telephone contacts with Ms. McBride's counsel. The log does not reveal the substance of those telephone calls. After reviewing the submitted materials and the arguments of the parties, the district court found that Ms. McBride had failed to exhaust her administrative remedies. 23 We have reviewed the record and conclude that the district court's legal conclusion of failure to exhaust is supported by an explicit finding of a failure to cooperate on Ms. McBride's part. Ms. McBride failed to meet the November 10, 1999 deadline for the return of a signed and dated enclosed copy of the Charge of Discrimination. Aplee. App. at 12. The letter instructed that any desired change should be made on a separate sheet of paper and enclosed with the signed and dated copy. Id. On November 9, 1999, Ms. McBride faxed and mailed a letter to the EEOC, id. at 44; but, the Charge of Discrimination, enclosed in the requesting letter was not signed, dated, and returned to the EEOC until December 20, 1999. Id. at 17-18, 20. The EEOC dismissed Ms. McBride's claim on December 13, 1999—thirty-three days after the signed and dated Charge of Discrimination was due. Id. at 29. A signed and dated copy of the Perfected Charge of Discrimination was apparently never sent to the EEOC. 24 In addition, messages were left with Ms. McBride's counsel without response. Id. at 28; Aplt.App. Tab 3, Ex. 4. Affidavits were apparently requested by the EEOC but never provided. Aplee. App. at 44, 20; Aplt.App. at Tab 3, Ex. 4. Ms. McBride was informed on November 12, 16, 19, 30, 1999 that the change she had requested to the Charge of Discrimination needed to be discussed. The EEOC informed her that the change she had requested would be self-defeating and would result in the dismissal of her claim. She was given the opportunity to submit rebuttal or additional evidence by December 10, 1999, but did not. Aplt.App. at Tab 3, Ex. 4. 25 Ms. McBride argues that she did not fail to cooperate because (1) she received a letter stating that her initial charge was minimally sufficient for her claim, Aplt. Br. at 14, (2) she had multiple communications with the EEOC between the time the complaint was filed and the time it was dismissed, id., and (3) she did not receive a final written request for information that she failed to respond to within 30 days. Id. at 15. 26 (1) The fact that Ms. McBride's original charge was minimally sufficient to state a claim has no bearing on whether she cooperated. Additionally, the sentence that Ms. McBride is referring to reads in whole as: The information that is described in the initial inquiry charge, while minimally sufficient for a charge, if changed as requested to indicating poor work performance would be self defeating. We will dismiss the charge.... Aplt.App. Tab 3, Ex. 4. 27 (2) As to her multiple communications with the EEOC, one can communicate without being cooperative. While the court has been provided with and has reviewed the written correspondence between the EEOC and Ms. McBride, the content of the conversations between the EEOC and Ms. McBride and her counsel are not part of the record. If the content of the conversations could have demonstrated that Ms. McBride was cooperating, it was her responsibility to have requested an evidentiary hearing, rather than attempting to rely upon argument of counsel. 5 At the very least, an affidavit as to the contents of any conversations should have been provided to the district court. As the record stands, the written correspondence would support a finding of a failure to cooperate. We would also note that it is inappropriate for counsel to attempt to supplement the record by stating, without benefit of transcript or citation thereto, the substance of any such conversations. We will not consider such material. 28 (3) The EEOC's letter of dismissal states that Ms. McBride had more than thirty days to respond to their final written request but had failed to do so. Aplee. App. at 16. While it is true that none of the written correspondence from the EEOC indicates that it is a final written request, the October 27, 1999 letter states If you do not return these documents within fifteen days (15) days from the date of this letter, or by close of business on 10 Nov 99, the above referenced charge will be dismissed for failure to cooperate with the Commission. Aplee. App. at 12. Given the clarity of this language, it was not necessary for the Commission to expressly state that this was a final written request for it to be one. 29 Based on the record as it appears before us, the district court was not clearly erroneous in finding that Ms. McBride failed to cooperate with the EEOC and, therefore, failed to exhaust her administrative remedies.