Court Opinion

ID: 2664114
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2014-04-04 03:17:58.861779+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:37:20.140442
License: Public Domain

NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLICATION.

                              UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                              FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PETUNIA ROSIER

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ERIC H. HOLDER, JR.
Attorney General of the United States sued in
his official capacity

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                                      MEMORANDUM OPINION

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                                     LEGAL STANDARDS

A. Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies & Standards of Review:

       1.      Title VII:

       ³7LWOH 9,, SODLQWLIIV DUH QRUPDOO\ H[SHFWHG WR H[KDXVW DGPLQLVWUDWLYH UHPHGLHV DQG WKH

SODLQWLII ZKR IDLOV WR FRPSO\ WR WKH OHWWHU ZLWK DGPLQLVWUDWLYH GHDGOLQHV µRUGLQDULO\ ZLOO EH

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GHQLHG D MXGLFLDO DXGLHQFH¶´ Brown v. Marsh  )G   '& &LU FLWDWLRQV

RPLWWHG 7R VDWLVI\ WKH H[KDXVWLRQ UHTXLUHPHQW IHGHUDO HPSOR\HHV ³PXVW LQLWLDWH FRQWDFW ZLWK

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LQ WKH FDVH RI SHUVRQQHO DFWLRQ ZLWKLQ  GD\V RI WKH HIIHFWLYH GDWH RI WKH DFWLRQ´  &)5 

D ³%HFDXVH XQWLPHO\ H[KDXVWLRQ RI >7LWOH 9,,@ DGPLQLVWUDWLYH UHPHGLHV LV DQ

DIILUPDWLYH GHIHQVH WKH GHIHQGDQW EHDUV WKH EXUGHQ RI SOHDGLQJ DQG SURYLQJ LW´ Bowden v.

United States  )G   '& &LU  FLWDWLRQV RPLWWHG

        7LWOH 9,, H[KDXVWLRQ UHTXLUHPHQWV DUH QRW MXULVGLFWLRQDO EXW UDWKHU IXQFWLRQ OLNH D VWDWXWH

RI OLPLWDWLRQV 7KHUHIRUH D 5XOH E PRWLRQ WR GLVPLVV IRU ³IDLOXUH WR VWDWH D FODLP XSRQ

ZKLFK UHOLHI FDQ EH JUDQWHG´ LV WKH DSSURSULDWH YHKLFOH WR FKDOOHQJH DQ DOOHJHG IDLOXUH WR H[KDXVW

See Artis v. Bernanke  )G   Q '& &LU  Gordon v. National Youth

Work Alliance  )G   '& &LU  +RZHYHU ZKHQ ³PDWWHUV RXWVLGH WKH

SOHDGLQJV DUH SUHVHQWHG WR DQG QRW H[FOXGHG E\ WKH FRXUW WKH PRWLRQ PXVW EH WUHDWHG DV RQH IRU

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SDUWLHV ³D UHDVRQDEOH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR SUHVHQW DOO WKH PDWHULDO WKDW LV SHUWLQHQW WR WKH PRWLRQ´ Id

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LVVXHV RI PDWHULDO IDFW H[LVW WKH &RXUW PXVW GUDZ DOO MXVWLILDEOH LQIHUHQFHV IURP WKH HYLGHQFH LQ

                                                  
IDYRU RI WKH QRQPRYDQW Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.  86    cited in

Cruz-Packer v. Dist. of Columbia,  ) 6XSSG   ''& 

             Rehabilitation Act:

       ,Q FRQWUDVW WR 7LWOH 9,, FODLPV WKH ODZ RI WKLV &LUFXLW LV WKDW ³DGPLQLVWUDWLYH H[KDXVWLRQ

XQGHU WKH 5HKDELOLWDWLRQ $FW LV D MXULVGLFWLRQDO UHTXLUHPHQW    ´ Sataki v. Broadcasting Bd. Of

Governors  ) 6XSSG   Q ''&  FLWLQJ Spinelli v. Goss  )G  

'& &LU  7KXV WKH SURSHU PHWKRG IRU FKDOOHQJLQJ H[KDXVWLRQ XQGHU WKH 5HKDELOLWDWLRQ

$FW LV D 5XOH E PRWLRQ WR GLVPLVV IRU ODFN RI VXEMHFW PDWWHU MXULVGLFWLRQ See Porter v.

Jackson  ) 6XSSG   Q  ''&  FLWDWLRQV RPLWWHG (YHQ LQ WKH DEVHQFH RI

D 5XOH E PRWLRQ WKH &RXUW KDV DQ LQGHSHQGHQW GXW\ WR DVVHVV MXULVGLFWLRQ Mt Healthy

City Sch. Dist. Bd. Of Educ. v. Doyle  86   

       ,Q RUGHU WR DFFHVV MXULVGLFWLRQ XQGHU 5XOH E WKH &RXUW LV QRW OLPLWHG WR WKH FRQILQHV

RI WKH FRPSODLQW 5DWKHU WKH &RXUW PD\ JR RXWVLGH WKH SOHDGLQJV DQG FRQVLGHU HYLGHQFH IRXQG LQ

WKH UHFRUG ZKHQ QHFHVVDU\ WR IXOO\ UHVROYH E MXULVGLFWLRQDO FKDOOHQJHV Herbert v.

National Academy of Sciences  )G   '& &LU  :KHWKHU RU QRW WKH &RXUW

UHOLHV RQ GRFXPHQWV RXWVLGH RI WKH FRPSODLQW WKH QRQPRYLQJ SDUW\ ³LV HQWLWOHG WR DOO UHDVRQDEOH

LQIHUHQFHV WKDW FDQ EH GUDZQ LQ KHU IDYRU´ Artis  )G DW  HPSKDVLV LQ RUJLQDO

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                                            ANALYSIS

A. Title VII Claims:

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 FRPSODLQW WKDW VKH VDWLVILHG WKH DGPLQLVWUDWLYH H[KDXVWLRQ UHTXLUHPHQW <HW VKH GRHV SOHDG

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 $GPLQLVWUDWLYH 5HPHGLHV´ 5RVLHU QRWHV VKH ILOHG DQ LQWHUQDO GLVFULPLQDWLRQ FRPSODLQW ZLWK WKH

 '2- DQG D VXEVHTXHQW ((2& FKDUJH LQYROYLQJ KHU GLVFULPLQDWLRQ DQG UHWDOLDWLRQ FODLPV

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 LV DQ DIILUPDWLYH GHIHQVH DQG WKHUHIRUH >3ODLQWLII LV@ QRW UHTXLUHG WR DQWLFLSDWH LW LQ K>HU@

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