Court Opinion

ID: 9373222
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-22 16:03:32.011355+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:40.127518
License: Public Domain

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
                        MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD

     MATTHEW A. JONES,                               DOCKET NUMBER
                  Appellant,                         CH-0752-15-0610-I-2

                  v.

     UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE,                   DATE: November 16, 2022
                   Agency.

                THIS FINAL ORDER IS NONPRECEDENTIAL 1

           William Simpson, Esquire, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the appellant.

           Miriam Dole, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the agency.

                                           BEFORE

                               Cathy A. Harris, Vice Chairman
                                Raymond A. Limon, Member
                                 Tristan L. Leavitt, Member

                                       FINAL ORDER

¶1         The appellant has filed a petition for review of the initial decision, which
     sustained his demotion from Supervisor of Customer Service to Level 5 Mail
     Handler Equipment Operator. Generally, we grant petitions such as this one only
     in the following circumstances: the initial decision contains erroneous findings

     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        A nonprecedential order is one that the Board has determined does not add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 Parties may cite nonprecedential orders,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

     of material fact; the initial decision is based on an erroneous interpretation of
     statute 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).
¶2         The following facts, as further detailed in the initial decision, are not
     disputed. The appellant was a Supervisor of Customer Service at the agency’s
     Newmarket Station in Canton, Ohio. Jones v. U.S. Postal Service, MSPB Docket
     No. CH-0752-15-0610-I-1, Initial Appeal File (IAF), Tab 1 at 1; Jones v. U.S.
     Postal Service, MSPB Docket No. CH-0752-15-0610-I-2, Appeal File, Tab 14,
     Initial Decision (ID) at 2. 2 In December 2014, while off-duty, the appellant sent a
     coworker in the same position a number of text messages. ID at 2-3. Among
     other things, the appellant’s messages proposed that they have sex.            Id.   The
     messages persisted even after this coworker responded by stating that she was not
     interested.   Id.   As a result, the agency proposed the appellant’s removal for
     “improper conduct.” ID at 3-4. The appellant responded, in part alleging that he
     was under the influence of prescription medications at the time of his conduct.
     IAF, Tab 11 at 19, 25-26. The deciding official sustained the charge but reduced

     2
       Below, the administrative judge granted the appellant’s request and dismissed the
     initial appeal without prejudice for automatic refiling at a later date, resulting in the
     two docket numbers associated with this one matter. IAF, Tab 21, Initial Decision; ID
     at 4.
                                                                                        3

     the penalty, demoting him to a Level 5 Mail Handler Equipment Operator. Id.
     at 19-22; ID at 4.
¶3         The appellant filed the instant appeal alleging, inter alia, that the demotion
     was an unreasonable penalty because he was under the influence of prescribed
     medications during the alleged misconduct. IAF, Tab 1 at 2 -3. At a prehearing
     conference, he stipulated to sending the text messages and waived any affirmative
     defenses. IAF, Tab 16. The administrative judge held the requested hearing and
     sustained the demotion. ID at 11. The appellant has filed a petition for review.
     Jones v. U.S. Postal Service, MSPB Docket No. CH-0752-15-0610-I-2, Petition
     for Review (PFR) File, Tabs 1-2. The agency has filed a response. PFR File,
     Tab 4.
¶4         In his petition, the appellant does not dispute that he sent the messages or
     that they were inappropriate. PFR File, Tab 1 at 3. Instead, he seems to reassert
     that the penalty was unreasonable because he was in a compromised mental state
     when he sent the messages. Id.; IAF, Tab 1 at 2-3. According to the appellant,
     he has spontaneous blackouts with memory loss, during which he reportedly says
     and does things but is unaware of his own words and actions. PFR File, Tab 1
     at 3. He further asserts that his previous representative erred by failing to submit
     medical records showing that he is prescribed Valium, which has side effects
     including memory loss.     Id.   The appellant also alleges that he is physically
     unable to perform the position to which he was demoted. Id. We find no merit to
     these arguments.
¶5         When, as here, all of the agency’s charges have been sustained, the Board
     will review an agency’s imposed penalty only to determine if the agency
     considered all of the relevant factors and exercised management discretion within
     tolerable limits of reasonableness.      See Portner v. Department of Justice,
     119 M.S.P.R. 365, ¶ 10 (2013), overruled on other grounds by Singh v. U.S.
     Postal Service, 2022 MSPB 15, ¶ 17. The Board will modify a penalty only when
                                                                                         4

     it finds that the agency failed to weigh the relevant factors or that the penalty the
     agency imposed clearly exceeded the bounds of reasonableness. Id.
¶6         The administrative judge found that the deciding official considered the
     relevant factors and the chosen demotion did not exceed the bounds of
     reasonableness. ID at 7-11. Accordingly, she declined to modify the penalty. Id.
     Among other things, the administrative judge found that the demotion was a
     reasonable penalty given the nature and seriousness of the misconduct, the
     appellant’s higher standard of conduct as a supervisor, and his limited
     rehabilitation potential, as reflected by his various responses to the misconduct.
     Id. We agree.
¶7         Throughout the agency’s investigation and the instant appeal, the appellant
     has provided a number of explanations for his grossly inappropriate text
     messages.      IAF, Tab 11 at 54.    The appellant has alleged that he was not
     interested in his coworker and merely sent the messages to address rumors that
     they already were engaged in a sexual relationship.         Id. at 19, 25-26.    The
     appellant also, at times, has suggested that he did not believe the messages were
     inappropriate or unwanted due to the existing relationship he had with the
     recipient and their prior interactions.    IAF, Tab 1 at 2-3, Tab 11 at 36-37.
     However, when confronted with the messages during the agency’s investigation,
     the appellant described being “shocked and offended” by his own words. IAF,
     Tab 15 at 6.
¶8         Alternatively, the appellant asserted that the chain of text messages
     included in the record is incomplete because, as part of the same conve rsation, he
     also sent texts that said “I am not sexually harassing you.” Id. Yet, he reportedly
     has no memory of the more explicit messages sent at the same time because he
     was in a Valium-induced blackout. IAF, Tab 1 at 2-3, Tab 15 at 6-7. As the
     administrative judge recognized, the appellant has essentially asked the Board to
     believe that he blacked out only at the times the inappropriate messages were
                                                                                        5

      written and sent but not when he responded with the messages he says are
      missing. ID at 9.
¶9          Although the appellant has reasserted the alleged Valium -induced blackouts
      and memory loss on review, we agree with the administrative judge’s conclusion
      that his allegations do not warrant modifying the agency’s chosen penalty. ID
      at 8-11; see Crosby v. U.S. Postal Service, 74 M.S.P.R. 98, 105-06 (1997)
      (finding no reason to disturb the administrative judge’s findings when sh e
      considered the evidence as a whole, drew appropriate inferences, and made
      reasoned conclusions); Broughton v. Department of Health & Human Services,
      33 M.S.P.R. 357, 359 (1987) (same).        The deciding official considered the
      appellant’s allegation that he was under the influence of prescription medications
      when she rendered her decision. IAF, Tab 11 at 19, 21. Nevertheless, she found
      that this did not warrant further mitigation of the penalty, noting that the
      appellant failed to present any corroborating evidence. Id.
¶10         The record before us is similarly devoid of any corroborating evidence,
      such as medical records, to support the appellant’s bare assertion.      PFR File,
      Tab 1 at 3, Tab 2 at 3. Without any such evidence, the appellant’s claims are
      inherently improbable and inconsistent. See generally Hillen v. Department of
      the Army, 35 M.S.P.R. 453, 458 (1987) (recognizing that pertinent credibility
      factors include, inter alia, any prior inconsistent statements , the absence of
      corroborating evidence, and the inherent improbability of the witness’s version of
      events). Further, to the extent that he attributes this absence of corroborating
      evidence to his representative, it is well-settled that an appellant is responsible
      for the errors of his chosen representative.   Sofio v. Internal Revenue Service,
      7 M.S.P.R. 667, 670 (1981).
¶11         For the same reason, the appellant’s alleged medical inability to perform the
      position to which he was demoted also fails. PFR File, Tab 1 at 3; IAF, Tab 15
      at 7-8.   Aside from his bare assertions, the appellant has not presented any
                                                                                            6

      evidence that he is medically unable to perform the duties of a Level 5 Mail
      Handler Equipment Operator.
¶12         Accordingly, we affirm the initial decision, sustaining the appellant’s
      demotion.

                               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 appe al rights, 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).

      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

      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
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.

      (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. ____ , 137 S. Ct. 1975 (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
                                                                                  8

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 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
                                                                                      9

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
disposition of allegations of a prohibited personnel practice described in
section 2302(b) other than practices described in section 2302(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

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

Board neither endorses the services provided by any attorney nor warrants that
any attorney will accept representation in a given case.
      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.