Opinion ID: 2976127
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Lockett’s Title VII Claims

Text: Exhaustion of administrative requirements is a precondition to filing a Title VII suit. McFarland v. Henderson, 307 F.3d 402, 406 (6th Cir. 2002); Benford v. Frank, 943 F.2d 609, 612 (6th Cir. 1991). Administrative exhaustion requirements for federal employees include: 2 consultation with an EEO counselor within forty-five days of the allegedly discriminatory incident, 29 C.F.R. § 1614.105(a)(1); filing an individual complaint of discrimination with the allegedly discriminatory agency, 29 C.F.R. § 1614.106(a); and receipt of a final agency decision, 29 C.F.R. § 1614.110(a). The employee may file a discretionary appeal of an agency’s final action to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) within thirty days of final agency action. 29 C.F.R. § 1614.402(a). Within ninety days of receiving notice of the final agency action or the EEOC decision, or within 180 days of filing the initial complaint with the agency or the appeal with the EEOC, the employee can file civil suit in a U.S. District Court. 29 C.F.R. § 1614.407(a)-(d). Failure to exhaust administrative remedies in a timely manner is an affirmative defense, and the defendant bears the burden of pleading and proving this failure. Williams v. Runyon, 130 F.3d 568, 573 (3rd Cir. 1997); Bowden v. United States, 106 F.3d 433, 437 (D.C. Cir. 1997). In this case, the Postal Service set forth the defense that Lockett had failed to exhaust his administrative remedies in a motion to dismiss before the district court. Lockett responded by filing an affidavit in support of his opposition to the motion to dismiss. In the circumstances of this case, there is no indication, however, that Lockett exhausted his administrative remedies. When given the opportunity at oral argument to discuss the issue, Lockett’s attorney could point to no evidence that Lockett engaged in the required activity. Therefore, the district judge did not err when he dismissed Lockett’s Title VII claim on the basis that Lockett failed to exhaust his administrative remedies. Lockett additionally argues that equitable tolling should apply to his Title VII claim. The timely filing requirement is “subject to waiver, estoppel, and equitable tolling.” Zipes v. Trans World Airlines, Inc., 455 U.S. 385, 393 (1982); Mitchell v. Chapman, 343 F.3d 811, 820 (6th Cir. 2003), cert. denied, 542 U.S. 937 (2004). The general principle also applies to administrative 3 requirements for federal employees. Irwin v. Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, 498 U.S. 89, 95-96 (1990). We have no obligation to consider Lockett’s equitable-tolling argument, however, because he raised it for the first time on appeal. McClain v. Northwest Cmty. Corr. Ctr. Judicial Corr. Bd., 440 F.3d 320, 330 n.2 (6th Cir. 2006). Under the circumstances of this case, we see no basis for equitable tolling.