Court Opinion

ID: 9403410
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-06-21 06:00:16.745039+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:20:06.776646
License: Public Domain

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
                        MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD

     ANTHONY P. BARNETT,                             DOCKET NUMBER
                  Appellant,                         DA-0752-17-0277-I-1

                  v.

     DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY,                         DATE: June 20, 2023
                 Agency.

             THIS FINAL ORDER IS NONPRECEDENTIAL 1

           Megan Zeller, Esquire, and Stephanie Bernstein, Esquire, Dallas, Texas,
            for the appellant.

           Kristina Letcher, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for the agency.

                                           BEFORE

                               Cathy A. Harris, Vice Chairman
                                Raymond A. Limon, Member

                                       FINAL ORDER

¶1         The appellant has filed a petition for review of the initial decision, which
     sustained his removal. Generally, we grant petitions such as this one only in the
     following circumstances:      the initial decision contains erroneous findings of
     material fact; the initial decision is based on an erroneous interpretation of statute

     1
        A nonprecedential order is one that the Board has determined does not add
     significantly to the body of MSPB case law. Parties may cite nonprecedential orders,
     but such orders have no precedential value; the Board and administrative judges are not
     required to follow or distinguish them in any future decisions. In contrast, a
     precedential decision issued as an Opinion and Order has been identified by the Board
     as significantly contributing to the Board’s case law. See 5 C.F.R. § 1201.117(c).
                                                                                        2

     or regulation or the erroneous application of the law to the facts of the case; the
     administrative judge’s rulings during either the course of the appeal or the initial
     decision were not consistent with required procedures or involved an abuse of
     discretion, and the resulting error affected the outcome of the case; or new and
     material evidence or legal argument is available that, despite the petitioner ’s due
     diligence, was not available when the record closed.       Title 5 of the Code of
     Federal Regulations, section 1201.115 (5 C.F.R. § 1201.115).            After fully
     considering the filings in this appeal, we conclude that the petitioner has not
     established any basis under section 1201.115 for granting the petition for review.
     Therefore, we DENY the petition for review and AFFIRM the initial decision,
     which is now the Board’s final decision. 5 C.F.R. § 1201.113(b).

                                      BACKGROUND
¶2        The agency employed the appellant as a Materials Handler. Initial Appeal
     File (IAF), Tab 8 at 26.     The work of a Materials Handler involves “heavy
     lifting,” and the agency requires a preemployment physical to establish that an
     individual can satisfy this condition of employment. Id. at 44-49. Specifically,
     the appellant was responsible for loading and unloading food and nonfood items
     from trucks, using hand carts and mechanized conveyances, and stocking and
     straightening items in the warehouse. Id. at 45-46.
¶3        In September 2016, the appellant provided the agency with medical
     documentation from his primary care physician, which showed that his ability to
     perform his duties was subject to medical restrictions. IAF, Tab 8 at 50. To
     assess the appellant’s ability to perform his duties, the agency sent him to consult
     with its Occupational Health Physician, who reviewed the medical documentation
     provided by the appellant and concluded that the appellant could not perform the
     regular duties of a Materials Handler.      Id. at 51.   Based on the physician’s
     documentation, the agency proposed to remove the appellant because his
     documented medical conditions were incompatible with either useful service or
                                                                                          3

     retention in the Materials Handler position. Id. at 39-40. In his response to the
     agency’s proposed removal, the appellant acknowledged that he “cannot continue
     in his current position” based upon his medical limitations. IAF, Tab 1. The
     agency offered the appellant reassignment to a position c ompatible with his
     restrictions—a Medical Records Technician position, IAF, Tab 10 at 133-34;
     however, he declined the reassignment, and the deciding o fficial sustained the
     removal, IAF, Tab 1 at 58, 67.
¶4         The appellant appealed the agency’s action, alleging that he can perform the
     duties of his position and that the removal action constituted race and disability
     discrimination and retaliation for whistleblowing. IAF, Tabs 1, 32. Although the
     appellant initially requested a hearing, IAF, Tab 1, he subsequently req uested a
     decision on the written record, IAF, Tab 36. The administrative judge issued an
     initial decision finding that the agency established that the appellant was unable
     to perform the duties of his Materials Handler position.        IAF, Tab 44, Initial
     Decision (ID) at 4-6. He found that affidavits from coworkers who observed the
     appellant performing the Materials Handler job duties do not provide a basis to
     reverse the agency’s action because an agency is not required to allow an
     employee to work outside his medical restrictions, even if it has done so in the
     past. Id. The administrative judge also found that the appellant failed to prove
     that the agency’s action was based upon his race, his alleged disability, and
     retaliation for whistleblowing disclosures or activities. ID at 6-12. He therefore
     sustained the appellant’s removal.
¶5         In his petition for review, the appellant contends that the attorneys that he
     hired to represent him failed to timely submit recordings between him and agency
     officials and that they urged him to request a decision based on the written
     record. Petition for Review (PFR) File, Tab 1 at 2-3. 2 The appellant also asserts

     2
      The appellant does not disagree with the administrative judge’s findings regarding the
     agency’s charge and the appellant’s claim of retaliation for whistleblowing. Because
     we find no error in these findings, we need not address them.
                                                                                        4

     that, prior to hiring counsel, he submitted a number of documents to the
     administrative judge. PFR File, Tab 1 at 2. The agency has not responded to the
     petition.

                                            ANALYSIS
¶6         Generally, the appellant is responsible for the errors of his chosen
     representative. Sofio v. Internal Revenue Service, 7 M.S.P.R. 667, 670 (1981).
     Although the Board will not apply this principle when an appellant proves that his
     diligent efforts to prosecute his appeal were, without his knowledge, thwarted by
     his representative’s negligence or malfeasance, this limited exception does not
     apply under the circumstances here.        See Crawford v. Department of State,
     60 M.S.P.R. 441, 445-46 (1994). Specifically, the record does not reflect that the
     appellant diligently prosecuted his appeal or that his representatives demonstrated
     the negligence or malfeasance required under Crawford.         Nor is the appellant
     asserting that his attorney lacked the authority to request a decision on the written
     record.
¶7         Additionally, the appellant’s claim of inadequate representation because his
     attorneys did not timely submit recordings that the appellant made of discussions
     that he had with agency managers does not constitute a basis for reversal of the
     initial decision. The appellant attempted to submit a copy of the recordings after
     the administrative judge rejected them as untimely filed.       IAF, Tab 41.     The
     administrative judge afforded the appellant the opportunity to explain the
     relevance of the recordings.     Id.    Based on the explanation provided by the
     appellant, the administrative judge found that most, if not all, of these
     conversations are irrelevant and would likely be excluded from evidence on that
     basis. Id.
¶8         As previously noted, the appellant asserts that, prior to hiring counsel, he
     submitted a number of documents to the administrative judge. To the extent that
     the appellant is asserting that the submissions that he made before hiring counsel
                                                                                             5

      were not considered by the administrative judge, his assertion is unavailing. The
      administrative judge’s failure to mention all of the evidence of record does not
      mean that he did not consider it in reaching his decision. Marques v. Department
      of Health and Human Services, 22 M.S.P.R. 129, 132 (1984), aff’d, 776 F.2d
      1062 (Fed. Cir. 1985) (Table).      In sum, we find that the appellant failed to
      establish that he should not be held accountable for any errors that his
      representative may have committed. See Sofio, 7 M.S.P.R. at 670.
¶9          Finally, the appellant claimed below that his removal constituted race
      discrimination   and   disparate   treatment      disability   discrimination.   The
      administrative judge found that the appellant failed to show that his race was a
      motivating factor in the agency’s decision to remove him, and the appellant does
      not challenge that finding on review. ID at 7-9. We thus need not reach the
      question as to whether race discrimination was a “but-for” cause of the removal.
      Pridgen v. Office of Management and Budget, 2022 MSPB 31, ¶¶ 22, 40, 42.
¶10         The same standards of proof set forth above regarding the appellant’s race
      discrimination claim apply to his disparate treatment disability discrim ination
      claim. Pridgen, 2022 MSPB 31, ¶¶ 40, 42. However, only an otherwise qualified
      individual with a disability is entitled to relief for a claim of status-based
      disability discrimination. Haas v. Department of Homeland Security, 2022 MSPB
      36, ¶ 29. The administrative judge here found that the appellant failed to prove
      that he was a qualified individual with a disability, and the appellant does not
      challenge this finding on review. ID at 10-12. We agree with the administrative
      judge’s analysis and conclusion that the appellant failed to meet this threshold
      requirement of showing that he is a qualified individual with a disability and find
      that the appellant failed to prove his status-based disability discrimination claim.
¶11         We therefore affirm the initial decision.
                                                                                      6

                         NOTICE OF APPEAL RIGHTS 3
      You may obtain review of this final decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(a)(1). By
statute, the nature of your claims determines the time limit for seeking such
review and the appropriate forum with which to file.              5 U.S.C. § 7703(b).
Although we offer the following summary of available appeal rig hts, the Merit
Systems Protection Board does not provide legal advice on which option is most
appropriate for your situation and the rights described below do not represent a
statement of how courts will rule regarding which cases fall within their
jurisdiction.   If you wish to seek review of this final decision, you should
immediately review the law applicable to your claims and carefully follow all
filing time limits and requirements. Failure to file within the applicable time
limit may result in the dismissal of your case by your chosen forum.
      Please read carefully each of the three main possible choices of review
below to decide which one applies to your particular case. If you have questions
about whether a particular forum is the appropriate one to review your case, you
should contact that forum for more information.

      (1) Judicial review in general. As a general rule, an appellant seeking
judicial review of a final Board order must file a petition for review with the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which must be received by the court
within 60 calendar days of the date of issuance of this decision.              5 U.S.C.
§ 7703(b)(1)(A).
      If you submit a petition for review to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit, you must submit your petition to the court at the fo llowing
address:

3
  Since the issuance of the initial decision in this matter, the Board may have updated
the notice of review rights included in final decisions. As indicated in the notice, the
Board cannot advise which option is most appropriate in any matter.
                                                                                    7

                             U.S. Court of Appeals
                             for the Federal Circuit
                            717 Madison Place, N.W.
                            Washington, D.C. 20439

      Additional information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit is available at the court’s website, www.cafc.uscourts.gov. Of partic ular
relevance is the court’s “Guide for Pro Se Petitioners and Appellants,” which is
contained within the court’s Rules of Practice, and Forms 5, 6, 10, and 11.
      If you are interested in securing pro bono representation for an appeal to
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you may visit our website at
http://www.mspb.gov/probono for information regarding pro bono representation
for Merit Systems Protection Board appellants before the Federal Circuit. The
Board neither endorses the services provided by any attorney nor warrants that
any attorney will accept representation in a given case.

      (2) Judicial   or   EEOC     review   of   cases     involving   a   claim   of
discrimination. This option applies to you only if you have claimed that you
were affected by an action that is appealable to the Board and that such action
was based, in whole or in part, on unlawful discrimination. If so, you may obtain
judicial review of this decision—including a disposition of your discrimination
claims—by filing a civil action with an appropriate U.S. district court (not the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit), within 30 calendar days after you
receive this decision.     5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(2); see Perry v. Merit Systems
Protection Board, 582 U.S. 420 (2017). If you have a representative in this case,
and your representative receives this decision before you do, then you must file
with the district court no later than 30 calendar days after your representative
receives this decision. If the action involves a claim of discrimination based on
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or a disabling condition, you may be
entitled to representation by a court-appointed lawyer and to waiver of any
                                                                                  8

requirement of prepayment of fees, costs, or other security.        See 42 U.S.C.
§ 2000e-5(f) and 29 U.S.C. § 794a.
      Contact information for U.S. district courts can be found at their respective
websites, which can be accessed through the link below:
      http://www.uscourts.gov/Court_Locator/CourtWebsites.aspx.
      Alternatively, you may request review by the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of your discrimination claims only, excluding
all other issues. 5 U.S.C. § 7702(b)(1). You must file any such request with the
EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations within 30 calendar days after you receive
this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7702(b)(1). If you have a representative in this case,
and your representative receives this decision before you do, then you must file
with the EEOC no later than 30 calendar days after your representative receives
this decision.
      If you submit a request for review to the EEOC by regular U.S. mail, the
address of the EEOC is:
                            Office of Federal Operations
                     Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
                                  P.O. Box 77960
                             Washington, D.C. 20013

      If you submit a request for review to the EEOC via commercial delivery or
by a method requiring a signature, it must be addressed to:
                            Office of Federal Operations
                     Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
                                 131 M Street, N.E.
                                   Suite 5SW12G
                             Washington, D.C. 20507

      (3) Judicial     review   pursuant   to   the   Whistleblower    Protection
Enhancement Act of 2012. This option applies to you only if you have raised
claims of reprisal for whistleblowing disclosures under 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8) or
other protected activities listed in 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D).
If so, and your judicial petition for review “raises no challenge to the Board’s
                                                                                      9

disposition of allegations of a prohibited personnel practice described in section
2302(b) other than practices described in section 2 302(b)(8), or 2302(b)(9)(A)(i),
(B), (C), or (D),” then you may file a petition for judicial review either with the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or any court of appeals of
competent jurisdiction. 4   The court of appeals must receive your petition for
review within 60 days of the date of issuance of this decision.               5 U.S.C.
§ 7703(b)(1)(B).
      If you submit a petition for judicial review to the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Federal Circuit, you must submit your petition to the court at the
following address:
                               U.S. Court of Appeals
                               for the Federal Circuit
                              717 Madison Place, N.W.
                              Washington, D.C. 20439

      Additional information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit is available at the court’s website, www.cafc.uscourts.gov. Of particular
relevance is the court’s “Guide for Pro Se Petitioners and Appellants,” which is
contained within the court’s Rules of Practice, and Forms 5, 6, 10, and 11.
      If you are interested in securing pro bono representation for an appeal to
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you may visit our website at
http://www.mspb.gov/probono for information regarding pro bono representation
for Merit Systems Protection Board appellants before the Federal Circuit. The
Board neither endorses the services provided by any attorney nor warrants that
any attorney will accept representation in a given case.

4
   The original statutory provision that provided for judicial review of certain
whistleblower claims by any court of appeals of competent jurisdiction expired on
December 27, 2017. The All Circuit Review Act, signed into law by the President on
July 7, 2018, permanently allows appellants to file petitions for judicial review of
MSPB decisions in certain whistleblower reprisal cases with the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Federal Circuit or any other circuit court of appeals of competent jurisdiction.
The All Circuit Review Act is retroactive to November 26, 2017. Pub. L. No. 115 -195,
132 Stat. 1510.
                                                                       10

      Contact information for the courts of appeals can be found at their
respective websites, which can be accessed through the link below:
      http://www.uscourts.gov/Court_Locator/CourtWebsites.aspx.

FOR THE BOARD:                          /s/ for
                                        Jennifer Everling
                                        Acting Clerk of the Board
Washington, D.C.