Court Opinion

ID: 9373731
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-22 16:06:59.556007+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:43.185073
License: Public Domain

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
                        MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD

     GLENNIS P. SMITHERMAN,                          DOCKET NUMBER
                    Appellant,                       CH-315H-16-0468-I-1

                  v.

     DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY,                     DATE: April 29, 2022
                 Agency.

             THIS FINAL ORDER IS NONPRECEDENTIAL 1

           Glennis P. Smitherman, Cleveland, Ohio, pro se.

           Pamela D. Langston-Cox, Esquire, and Russ Eisenstein, Esquire, Chicago,
             Illinois, for the agency.

                                           BEFORE

                               Raymond A. Limon, Vice Chair
                                 Tristan L. Leavitt, Member

                                       FINAL ORDER

¶1         The appellant has filed a petition for review of the initial decision, which
     dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. 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

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        A nonprecedential order is one that the Board has determined does not add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 Parties may cite nonprecedential orders,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

     interpretation of statute or regulation or the erroneous a pplication 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 affec ted 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         It is undisputed that, on December 14, 2015, the appellant received a
     career‑conditional    appointment    to   the   competitive-service    position    of
     GS-0962-05 Contact Representative, subject to the satisfactory completion of a
     1-year probationary period. Initial Appeal File (IAF), Tab 1 at 1, 8. On June 10 ,
     2016, prior to the completion of her probationary period, she was terminated for
     performance deficiencies. IAF, Tab 1 at 8, Tab 9 at 9. The appellant filed the
     instant appeal defending her performance and alleging that she was subjected to
     age discrimination, bullying, and retaliation for approaching her union with
     complaints about her immediate supervisor and to help her understand how her
     supervisor was monitoring her and conducting her appraisals. IAF, Tab 1 at 5,
     11-19.
¶3         After informing the appellant of her jurisdictional burden and providing her
     an opportunity to respond, IAF, Tab 3 at 2-5, the administrative judge issued an
     initial decision that dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction because the
     appellant failed to make a nonfrivolous allegation that she was an “employee”
     under 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1) with Board appeal rights under 5 U.S.C. chapter 75
     or that she had a basis to appeal on one of the limited grounds set forth in
     5 C.F.R. § 315.806, IAF, Tab 10, Initial Decision (ID) at 4-5. The appellant has
                                                                                        3

     filed a petition for review, arguing that the administrative judge ig nored her
     substantive arguments and that she had prior Federal service from 1965 to 1967.
     Petition for Review (PFR) File, Tab 2 at 3-5, 8-9. The agency has opposed the
     appellant’s petition, and the appellant has filed a reply to the agency’s opposition.
     PFR File, Tabs 4-5.
¶4         To establish Board jurisdiction over an appeal of an adverse action under
     5 U.S.C. chapter 75, an individual must, among other things, show that she
     satisfies one of the definitions of “employee” in 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1).
     Walker v. Department of the Army, 119 M.S.P.R. 391, ¶ 5 (2013).              For an
     individual in the competitive service, this generally means that she must either
     (1) not be serving a probationary or trial period under an initial appointment, or
     (2) have completed 1 year of current continuous service under other than a
     temporary appointment limited to 1 year or less.         5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(A);
     see Walker, 119 M.S.P.R. 391, ¶ 5. In an adverse action appeal, if an appellant
     makes a nonfrivolous allegation of Board jurisdiction, she is entitled to a hearing
     at which she must prove jurisdiction by preponderant evidence.           Barrand v.
     Department of Veterans Affairs, 112 M.S.P.R. 210, ¶ 8 (2009).          Nonfrivolous
     allegations of jurisdiction are allegations of fact that, if proven, could establish
     that the Board has jurisdiction over the matter at issue. Walker, 119 M.S.P.R.
     391, ¶ 6 n.2; 5 C.F.R. § 1201.4(s).
¶5         Here, there is no dispute that the appellant was appointed to her position on
     December 14, 2015, subject to a 1-year probationary period, and she was
     terminated approximately 6 months into her probationary period. ID at 2; IAF ,
     Tab 1 at 1, 8, Tab 9 at 9. Thus, it is undisputed that the appellant was terminated
     while still serving her probationary period, foreclosing any claim to Board appeal
     rights under 5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(A)(i).
¶6         On review, the appellant claims that her alleged prior Federal service from
     1965 to 1967 should be considered for purposes of establishing jurisdiction under
     5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1)(A)(ii). PFR File, Tab 2 at 9. Prior Federal service in
                                                                                         4

     competitive-service positions can be credited towards completion of a later
     probationary period in a competitive-service position if the employee shows the
     following: (1) the prior service was rendered immediately preceding the
     appointment; (2) it was performed in the same agency; (3) it was performed in the
     same line of work; and (4) it was completed with no more than one break in
     service of less than 30 days. Hurston v. Department of the Army, 113 M.S.P.R.
     34, ¶ 9 (2010); 5 C.F.R. § 315.802(b). Here, the appellant cannot meet the first
     and fourth factors because the alleged prior Federal service occurred
     approximately 50 years before the instant appointment, with a 48 -year break in
     service. Additionally, she has failed to allege any facts that, if proven, could
     establish the remaining factors.     Her only assertion is that the prior Federal
     service was performed at the same Federal building as the position from which
     she was terminated.     PFR File, Tab 2 at 9.      We find that her assertions are
     insufficient to establish a nonfrivolous allegation of creditable prior Federal
     service amounting to 1 year of current continuous service pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
     § 7511(a)(1)(A)(ii).
¶7        Because the appellant failed to make a nonfrivolous allegation that she was
     not serving a probationary period at the time of her termination or that she had
     any creditable prior Federal service amounting to 1 year of current continuous
     service, we agree with the administrative judge’s conclusion that the appellant
     failed to nonfrivolously allege that she is an “employee” within the meaning of
     5 U.S.C. § 7511(a)(1). Therefore, the appellant has no chapter 75 appeal rights
     before the Board. 2 Absent an otherwise appealable action, we lack jurisdiction

     2
       A probationary employee who lacks chapter 75 appeal rights may have the right to
     appeal a termination to the Board on the limited grounds set forth in 5 C.F.R.
     § 315.806. Walker, 119 M.S.P.R. 391, ¶ 5. The administrative judge found, and we
     agree, that the appellant did not allege that she met any of the limited categories
     discussed in the regulations. ID at 3-4. The appellant does not challenge this finding
     on review, and we find no reason to disturb it.
                                                                                           5

     over the appellant’s discrimination claim. PFR File, Tab 2 at 9; see Penna v. U.S.
     Postal Service, 118 M.S.P.R. 355, ¶ 13 (2012).
¶8         Regarding the appellant’s retaliation claim, the precise nature of this claim
     is unclear, but we find no potential for jurisdiction over this matter as an
     individual right of action (IRA) appeal at this time because the appellant’s own
     submissions reflect that she did not file for corrective action with the Office of
     Special Counsel (OSC), which is a prerequisite for an IRA appeal. IAF, Tab 1
     at 4; see 5 U.S.C. § 1214(a)(3); Davis v. Small Business Administration,
     74 M.S.P.R. 281, 288 (1997) (finding that, because the appellant’s own
     submissions established that she had not sought corrective action from OSC, she
     could not have made a nonfrivolous allegation of the Board’s jurisdiction over an
     IRA appeal, regardless of whether the administrative judge had apprised her of
     the requirements for establishing jurisdiction over an IRA appeal).
¶9         Accordingly, we find no basis to disturb the initial decision.

                              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 rights, the Merit
     Systems Protection Board does not provide legal advice on which option is most
     appropriate for your situation and the rights described belo w 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

     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.
                                                                                        6

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
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 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.
                                                                                  7

      (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 re ceives 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 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:
                                                                                      8

                            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
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).

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 peti tions 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 Novemb er 26, 2017. Pub. L. No. 115-195,
132 Stat. 1510.
                                                                                 9

      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.
      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.