Question about request: USPS East Union, Seattle, staff info, logs, video for 2013-01-12

Asked by Phil Mocek on April 16, 2013.

Phil Mocek sent this request to the United States Postal Service of the United States of America

Phil Mocek 04/16/2013

What can be done when an agency redacts not only likely-exempt content of a record of columnar data, but also the headings from the redacted columns? I requested a staff roster and one day of attendance records. United States Postal Service interpreted this to mean an Employee Listing Report and an Employee on the Clock Report. The reports were provided, but only employee’s last names, first initials, last initials, and (on one page of multiple) employee identification numbers were provided. Both content and headings of other columns were redacted.

Michael Morisy 04/16/2013

I believe you’re referencing this request.

I think you have a good shot at an administrative appeal, but it’s odd that, as far as I can tell, neither in the responsive documents nor in the cover letter page do they state why they’re redacting that information.

I would start with a simple administrative appeal pointing this out along the lines of:

I recently filed FOIA request 2013-FPRO-00320 and 2013-FPRO-00321. My request for an employee listing report was partially completed with a roster of employee last names, first initials, and last initials. In addition to being an incomplete response, much of the material included in this document was redacted without citing an exemption. The responsive documents are online here: https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/usps-east-union-seattle-staff-info-logs-video-for-2013-01-12-2507/#686238-responsive-documents I appeal this redaction without cited exemptions, and ask that the full, unredacted document be provided, or else that each redaction of information, included the redaction of column headers detailing held information, cite a FOIA exemption.

Hope this helps.