(a)(1) There is in the Department an Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication.

There is at the head of the Office a Director. (2) The Director shall be a career appointee in the Senior Executive Service. (3) The Director reports directly to the Secretary or the Deputy Secretary concerning matters within the responsibility of the Office. (b)(1) The Director is responsible for making the final agency decision within the Department on the merits of any employment discrimination complaint filed by an employee, or an applicant for employment, with the Department.

The Director shall make such decisions in an impartial and objective manner. (2) No person may make any ex parte communication to the Director or to any employee of the Office with respect to a matter on which the Director has responsibility for making a final agency decision. (c) Whenever the Director has reason to believe that there has been retaliation against an employee by reason of the employee asserting rights under an equal employment opportunity law, the Director shall report the suspected retaliatory action directly to the Secretary or Deputy Secretary, who shall take appropriate action thereon. (d)(1) The Office shall employ a sufficient number of attorneys and other personnel as are necessary to carry out the functions of the Office.

Attorneys shall be compensated at a level commensurate with attorneys employed by the Office of the General Counsel. (2) The Secretary shall ensure that the Director is furnished sufficient resources in addition to personnel under paragraph (1) to enable the Director to carry out the functions of the Office in a timely manner. (3) The Secretary shall ensure that any performance appraisal of the Director of the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication or of any employee of the Office does not take into consideration the record of the Director or employee in deciding cases for or against the Department.