Jennifer Ho v. Patrick Donahoe

FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION JUL 25 2011 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U .S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT JENNIFER HO, No. 10-15373 Plaintiff - Appellant, D.C. No. 3:09-cv-01600-MEJ v. MEMORANDUM * PATRICK DONAHOE, Defendant - Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California Maria-Elena James, Magistrate Judge, Presiding ** Submitted July 12, 2011 *** Before: SCHROEDER, ALARCÓN, and LEAVY, Circuit Judges. Jennifer Ho appeals pro se from the district court’s summary judgment in her employment action against the United States Postal Service. We have * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3. ** The parties consented to proceed before a magistrate judge. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). *** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo. Kraus v. Presidio Trust Facilities Div./Residential Mgmt. Branch, 572 F.3d 1039, 1042-43 (9th Cir. 2009). We affirm. The district court properly granted summary judgment because Ho failed to raise a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether she complied with the administrative exhaustion requirement of timely contacting an Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) counselor. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.105(a) (prior to filing an employment discrimination lawsuit, a federal employee must initiate contact with an EEO counselor within forty-five days of the alleged discriminatory act); see also Kraus, 572 F.3d at 1043 (failure to comply with forty-five-day EEO contact requirement is “‘fatal to a federal employee’s discrimination claim’ in federal court” absent waiver, estoppel, or equitable tolling) (quoting Lyons v. England, 307 F.3d 1092, 1105 (9th Cir. 2002)). Ho’s remaining contentions are unpersuasive. Ho’s “Motion for Granting Appellant’s Appeal” and “Motion for Case Decision” are denied as moot. AFFIRMED. 2 10-15373