Court Opinion

ID: 9954499
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-26 15:01:32.743715+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:12:57.202576
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-2152    Document: 43     Page: 1   Filed: 03/26/2024

           NOTE: This order is nonprecedential.

   United States Court of Appeals
       for the Federal Circuit
                  ______________________

                 GERALD MITCHELL,
                     Petitioner

                             v.

      MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD,
                    Respondent
              ______________________

                        2023-2152
                  ______________________

      Petition for review of the Merit Systems Protection
 Board in Nos. AT-0831-19-0078-I-1 and AT-844E-13-3694-
 I-1.
                   ______________________

 Before DYK, WALLACH, and CUNNINGHAM, Circuit Judges.
 PER CURIAM.
                        ORDER
     In response to the court’s December 8, 2023 order to
 show cause, the Merit Systems Protection Board urges
 transfer of Gerald Mitchell’s petition for review with re-
 spect to MSPB Docket No. AT-844E-13-3694-I-1 and dis-
 missal with respect to No. AT-0831-19-0078-I-1. Mr.
 Mitchell opposes dismissal and moves for various relief.
     In No. AT-844E-13-3694-I-1, Mr. Mitchell challenged
 the Office of Personnel Management’s decision denying
Case: 23-2152     Document: 43     Page: 2    Filed: 03/26/2024

 2                                           MITCHELL v. MSPB

 him disability retirement benefits, alleging discrimination
 on the basis of his disability. In 2013, the administrative
 judge dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction when
 OPM rescinded the challenged decision.
     In 2018, Mr. Mitchell filed No. AT-0831-19-0078-I-1 to
 challenge OPM’s alleged discriminatory and retaliatory
 failure to respond to his requests for information and doc-
 uments related to his disability retirement benefits. In
 April 2019, the Board’s administrative judge dismissed the
 appeal for lack of jurisdiction. Mr. Mitchell then filed sep-
 arate petitions for Board review in both cases.
     On May 1, 2023, the Board joined the two petitions for
 administrative convenience, dismissed the petition as to
 No. AT-844E-13-3694-I-1 as untimely, and denied the peti-
 tion as to No. AT-0831-19-0078-I-1, affirming the dismissal
 in that case. On July 10, 2023, this court received Mr.
 Mitchell’s petition seeking judicial review of the Board’s
 May 1, 2023 decision. Mr. Mitchell’s filings here state that
 he wishes to pursue judicial review of his discrimination
 claims.
     As to No. AT-844E-13-3694-I-1, we agree with the
 Board that we lack jurisdiction. Federal district courts, not
 this court, have jurisdiction over “[c]ases of discrimination
 subject to the provisions of [5 U.S.C.] § 7702,” i.e., “mixed
 cases” involving adverse personnel actions appealable to
 the Board and allegations of covered discrimination.
 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(2); Perry v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 582 U.S.
 420, 432 (2017); Ash v. Off. of Pers. Mgmt., 25 F.4th 1009,
 1011 (Fed. Cir. 2022).
     Given Mr. Mitchell’s ongoing pursuit of discrimination
 claims in No. AT-844E-13-3694-I-1, that case is outside our
 jurisdiction. We conclude that transfer to the United
 States District Court for the District of Columbia is appro-
 priate under 28 U.S.C. § 1631. See 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f)(3)
 (providing that discrimination cases brought pursuant to 5
Case: 23-2152     Document: 43     Page: 3    Filed: 03/26/2024

 MITCHELL v. MSPB                                           3

 U.S.C. § 7702 “may be brought within the judicial district
 in which the respondent has his principal office.”).
      As to No. AT-0831-19-0078-I-1, we dismiss. Under cur-
 rent precedent, the filing deadline is mandatory and juris-
 dictional. See Fedora v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 848 F.3d
 1013, 1016 (Fed. Cir. 2017). Here, Mr. Mitchell’s petition
 was received outside of that deadline. Even assuming eq-
 uitable tolling is available, Mr. Mitchell has shown no basis
 for tolling here based only on a vague recollection of “some
 technical issue(s) with his computer system and/or printer
 and scanner and/or internet,” or “something of that nature”
 and “difficulty figuring out how to make thing[s] happen
 using the FedEx Office Store equipment.” ECF No. 20 at 1.
     Accordingly,
     IT IS ORDERED THAT:
     (1) MSPB Docket No. AT-844E-13-3694-I-1 is trans-
 ferred to the United States District Court for the District
 of Columbia pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1631.
    (2) This matter is dismissed as to MSPB Docket No.
 AT-0831-19-0078-I-1.
     (3) All pending motions are denied.
                                             FOR THE COURT

 March 26, 2024
     Date