Court Opinion

ID: 9470865
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 03:18:19.001944+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:42:08.831523
License: Public Domain

BAUER,
Circuit Judge, dissenting.
The underlying issue on this appeal is whether the EEOC charge against Staley sets forth sufficient facts to comply with the date, place, and circumstances requirements of section 706(b). Because I believe the charge in this case failed to meet the statutory requirements, I respectfully dissent.
Section 706(b) requires the EEOC to serve a notice of the charge upon the employer; this notice must include “the date, place and circumstances of the alleged unlawful employment practice.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(b). In addition to this statutory requirement, EEOC’s procedural regulations require that the charge contain a “statement of the facts, including pertinent dates, constituting the alleged unlawful employment practices.” 29 C.F.R. § 1601.-12(a)(3) (1981). These requirements are intended to give the employer sufficient notice to challenge an overbroad subpoena, and to protect the employer from open-ended “fishing expeditions.” Shell Oil Co. v. United States EEOC, 676 F.2d 322 (8th Cir.1982), reh’g denied, 689 F.2d 757, cert. granted, — U.S. —, 103 S.Ct. 1181, 75 L.Ed.2d 429 (1983).
Moreover, the EEOC charge is intended to enable the parties to determine whether conciliation may be appropriate, and to aid the courts and the employer in determining what employment material is relevant and discoverable. See Shell Oil Co., supra. A charge wholly lacking any basis in fact cannot satisfy these goals. Accordingly, I read section 706(b) to require that the EEOC charge include some factual basis for the agency’s belief that an employer has engaged in unlawful employment practices.
The charge brought against Staley consisted of a series of conclusory statements alleging discrimination against women and blacks in virtually every aspect of employment. The charge does not detail any specific instances of discriminatory treatment of employees or applicants. Similarly, the charge fails to describe any of Staley’s allegedly discriminatory practices.
Since the charge against Staley failed to include any factual basis for the allegation that Staley had engaged in unlawful employment practices, I believe that the charge was invalid under section 706(b). An invalid charge, of course, cannot support the issuance of an administrative subpoena. For this reason, I respectfully dissent from the affirmance of the subpoena’s enforcement.