Court Opinion

ID: 2964885
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:32:35.865075+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:25:38.621105
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

                                [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
                                 ____________________

        No. 97-1235

                                   VANESSA PELLOT,

                                Plaintiff, Appellant,

                                          v.

                               TRIPLE S., INC., ET AL.,

                                Defendants, Appellees.

                                 ____________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                           FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

                    [Hon. Jose Antonio Fuste, U.S. District Judge]
                                              ___________________

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                                Torruella, Chief Judge,
                                           ___________
                          Boudin and Stahl, Circuit Judges.
                                            ______________

                                 ____________________

            Jose R. Franco on brief for appellant.
            ______________
            Pedro J. Manzano-Yates  and Fiddler Gonzalez & Rodriguez on  brief
            ______________________      ____________________________
        for appellees Triple S., Inc. and Juan Velazquez.
            Rafael Baella-Silva  and Baella  & Barcelo  on brief  for appellee
            ___________________      _________________
        Victor Correa.

                                 ____________________

                                  SEPTEMBER 9, 1997
                                 ____________________

                 Per Curiam.   We have  reviewed the record in  this case
                 __________

            and  the briefs  submitted by  the  parties.   We affirm  the

            decision of the  district court, essentially for  the reasons

            stated  in its opinion dated  January 30, 1997.   We add only

            the following.

                 Plaintiff  argues the time limitation for filing an EEOC

            charge should have been tolled because she suffered mental or

            emotional disability.  Even  if all the facts in  plaintiff's

            complaint  are true,  she has  failed to  allege the  kind of

            facts which would allow a  court to toll the time limitations

            imposed by Title  VII.  She does not allege she was unable to

            engage  in rational  thought and deliberate  decision making.

            Cf. Nunnally v.  MacCausland, 996 F.2d 1, 5  (1st Cir. 1993).
            ___ _________    ___________

            Though  she alleges she  was distressed by  appellee Correa's

            alleged harassment and her brother's legal troubles, she does

            not  allege  she  was  unable  to  function   in  society  or

            comprehend  her  legal  rights and  liabilities.    Id.   The
                                                                ___

            threshold  set  by Nunnally  is much  higher, since  "federal
                               ________

            courts  have   'typically  extended  equitable   relief  only

            sparingly.'"   Id. at  4 (quoting  Irwin v.  Veteran's Admin.
                           ___        _______  _____     ________________

            Reg'l Office, 498 U.S. 89, 96 (1990)).
            ____________

                 Furthermore,  even  if  appellant's  alleged  mental  or

            emotional disability prevented her, for a time, from pursuing

            administrative  remedies, she wholly  failed to  pursue those

            remedies  after the  alleged disability  was  lifted.   While

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            Zipes v. Trans World Airlines, Inc., 455 U.S. 385, 394 (1982)
            ______   __________________________

            held  the time  limitations under  Title VII  are subject  to

            equitable  tolling, that  rule is not  a basis  for "skipping

            entirely over the  'initial charge.'"  Kizas  v. Webster, 707
                                                   _____     _______

            F.2d 524, 546 (D.C.Cir. 1983).

                 The district  court was  correct to dismiss  plaintiff's

            claim for failure to pursue administrative remedies.

                 The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
                 ______________________________________________

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