UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 97-1776

JOHN S. COATES, III, Plaintiff - Appellant, versus

DONNA E. SHALALA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Defendant - Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, at Baltimore. Benson E. Legg, District Judge. (CA-94- 2966-L)

Submitted: December 11, 1997 Decided: December 23, 1997

Before HALL and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges, and PHILLIPS, Senior Circuit Judge.

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

John S. Coates, III, Appellant Pro Se. Lynne Ann Battaglia, United States Attorney, Allen F. Loucks, Diane M. Lank, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellee.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

See Local Rule 36(c).

PER CURIAM: Appellant appeals the district court's order granting Defen- dant's motion for partial dismissal, or, in the alternative, for summary judgment on his complaint alleging employment discrimina- tion. We have reviewed the record and the district court's opinion and find no reversible error. Accordingly, we affirm on the reason- ing of the district court. Coates v. Shalala, No. CA-94-2966-L (D.

Md. Apr. 1, 1997). We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED