1610.11—Appeals to the Legal Counsel from initial denials.
(a)
When the Legal Counsel's designee, the regional attorney, or the regional attorney's designee, has denied a request for records in whole or in part, the person making the request may appeal within 30 calendar days of its receipt. The appeal must be in writing addressed to the Legal Counsel or designee, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 131 M Street, NE., Washington DC 20507, and clearly labeled as a Freedom of Information Act appeal. Any appeal of a denial in whole or part by a regional attorney, or the regional attorney's designee, must include a copy of the regional attorney's, or the regional attorney's designee's determination.
(b)
The Legal Counsel or designee shall act upon the appeal within 20 working days of its receipt, and more rapidly if practicable. If the decision is in favor of the person making the request, the decision shall order records promptly made available to the person making the request. The Legal Counsel or designee may extend the 20 day period in which to render a decision on an appeal for that period of time which could have been claimed and consumed by the Legal Counsel's designee, the regional attorney, or the regional attorney's designee, under § 1610.9 but which was either not claimed or consumed in making the original determination.
(c)
The decision on appeal shall be in writing and signed by the Legal Counsel or designee. A denial in whole or in part of a request on appeal shall set forth the exemption relied on, a brief explanation of how the exemption applied to the records withheld and the reasons for asserting it, if different from that described by the Legal Counsel's designee, the regional attorney, or the regional attorney's designee under § 1610.10, and that the person making the request may, if dissatisfied with the decision on appeal, file a civil action in the district in which the person resides or has his principal place of business, in the district where the records reside, or in the District of Columbia.
(d)
No personal appearance, oral argument or hearing will ordinarily be permitted in connection with an appeal to the Legal Counsel or designee.
(f)
In the event that the Commission terminates its proceedings on a charge after the regional attorney or the regional attorney's designee denies a request for the charge file but during consideration of the requester's appeal from that denial, the request may be remanded for redetermination. The requester retains a right to appeal to the Legal Counsel from the decision on remand.