Full opinion text
MEMORANDUM OPINION COLLEEN KOLLAR-KOTELLY, District Judge. Plaintiff Camille Grosdidier (“Grosdidier”) brings this action against the Broadcasting Board of Governors (“BBG” or the “agency”) pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq., and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”), 29 U.S.C. §§ 621 et seq. Grosdidier alleges that her employer, the Voice of America (“VOA”), an entity within the BBG, discriminated against her based on her race, age, sex, and national origin and retaliated against her for complaining about this discrimination. Presently pending before the Court are Defendant’s [21] Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings or Alternatively, [15] Motion for Summary Judgment and Plaintiffs [23] Motion for Adverse Presumption. For the reasons explained below, the Court shall GRANT-IN-PART Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment with respect to all of Plaintiffs claims except her claim that Defendant retaliated against her by reducing her editing responsibilities after October 5, 2007, with respect to which the Court shall DENY-IN-PART Defendant’s motion. The Court shall also DENY Plaintiffs Motion for Adverse Presumption. I. BACKGROUND Camille Grosdidier has worked as an International Broadcaster with the French to Africa Service of the Voice of America since 1987. Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 2. Grosdidier is a white female of French national origin who is a naturalized citizen of the United States. Id. ¶ 1. She is employed at the GS-12 level. Id. ¶2. The BBG encompasses all U.S. civilian international broadcasting, including the VOA, Radio Free Europe, and other networks. Id. ¶ 14. BBG broadcasters distribute programming in sixty languages to an estimated weekly audience of 175 million people via radio, television, the internet, and other new media. Id. The VOA’s French to Africa Service primarily competes with French, British, and local African radio and media services. Id. ¶ 15. These competitors began using television, internet, and other new communication technologies before the VOA, and the French to Africa Service has since recognized the importance of multimedia forms of communication. Id. Throughout most of the time relevant to this litigation, the Chief of the French to Africa Service was Idrissa Seydou Dia (“Dia”). See Pl.’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 5. Dia had been acting in that capacity since sometime in 2003. Id. Between 1992 and 2002, Grosdidier filed a series of equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) complaints about discrimination and harassment in the workplace. See Def.’s Ex. Y (Aff. of Camille Grosdidier) at 1-2. In September 2002, Grosdidier filed a complaint about her nonselection for a GS-13 International Broadcaster position in the French to Africa Service, alleging discrimination based on her sex, color, and reprisal for engaging in EEO activity. Id. at 2. That complaint was dismissed by an administrative judge. See PL’s Ex. 2 (Gros-didier Dep.) at 37. Grosdidier also complained about an incident in 2000 when her supervisor, then-Chief Claude Porsella, removed her from editing duties. See id. at 32-33. She was eventually reinstated to editing duties. Id. at 33-34. Grosdidier contends that her EEO activity was generally known within the French to Africa Service. See Def.’s Ex. Y (Aff. of Camille Grosdidier) at 2. A. Grosdidier’s Complaints About Her Work Environment Around 2004 and 2005, Grosdidier complained to her supervisors about what she perceived to be a sexually charged atmosphere in the French to Africa Service. Dia had a particularly friendly relationship with one female producer in the office, who called Dia “Sexy Papa” and whom Dia called “Sexy Mama.” See PL’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 109. Ferdinand Ferella, who worked as a managing editor for the French to Africa Service, described this as “something of a joke.” Id. Dia testified that it did not have any sexual connotation, but instead resulted from Dia’s mistranslation of the Jimi Hendrix song “Foxy Lady.” See Pl.’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 40-41. Grosdidier objected to the banter between Dia and this employee. Grosdidier also complained about another female employee who called Ferella “mai-tre,” or “master,” which she thought was inappropriate. Pl.’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 110-11; Pl.’s Ex. 2 (Gros-didier Dep.) at 190. This conduct stopped after Grosdidier complained. Pl.’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 115. Grosdidier complained about hugging and kissing in the workplace that she perceived to be unprofessional and outside the bounds of what was acceptable in French culture. Pl.’s Ex. 2 (Dep. of Camille Gros-didier) at 185-86. On May 3, 2005, Grosdi-dier sent an email to Dia complaining about one particular female co-worker who gave a “big, long, fat hug” to a Senegalese man visiting the office; Grosdidier objected to what she perceived as the employee’s “pressing need to press herself against every man in sight on the slightest pretext — especially strangers — and the way this has ‘sexualized’ our French Branch office.” Pl.’s Ex. 30 (5/3/2005 Email from Grosdidier to Dia) at 17. Grosdidier also complained about an email sent around the office in April 2004 depicting a man straddling a cannon, which she perceived to be sexually suggestive. See Pl.’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 117; Pl.’s Ex. 29 at 12 (4/13/2004 Email from Grosdidier to Eric Agnero) (“Thanks for this edifying picture of a man with a giant object between his legs.”). Dia told Grosdidier that the employee who sent the email did not see anything sexual about the photograph, which depicted a famous musician from his home country. See PL’s Ex. 29 at 13; PL’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 36. In November 2003, the same employee had sent an email around the office containing a picture of an outdoor marketplace in which brassieres were prominently displayed. See PL’s Ex. 29 at 14. Grosdidier also complained about one male employee who wore short shorts to the office; Ferella agreed in his deposition testimony that his attire was unprofessional. See PL’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 118-19. Dia took informal action in response to Grosdidier’s complaints, warning people during a morning office meeting not to go overboard with physical contact and to keep things professional because “someone” might complain. See PL’s Ex. 6 (Dep. of Idrissa Dia) at 37-38. Dia denies identifying Grosdidier as the potential complainant. See id. at 132. Dia told Ferella that he was frustrated by Grosdidier’s complaints because he did not believe the conduct was sexual in nature. See PL’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 115— 16. Dia testified in his deposition that he was upset at Grosdidier for tarnishing his warm relationship with the employee who called him “Sexy Papa.” See Pl.’s Ex. 6 (Dep. of Idrissa Dia) at 41. B. Grosdidier’s Editing Duties & Other Work Responsibilities Although Grosdidier’s primary responsibilities as a broadcaster in the French to Africa Service involved reporting and producing news stories, she was occasionally given duties editing the work of other broadcasters. Grosdidier has produced evidence indicating that between February 2004 and at least April 2005, she was regularly assigned editing duties. See PL’s Ex. 26 (2/6/2004 Email from Dia to French to Africa Service) at 2 (listing Grosdidier as one of two broadcasters on the editing team under the overall supervision of a senior editor); PL’s Ex. 42 (assignment sheets). Editing duties were normally handled by senior editors rather than broadcasters like Grosdidier. See PL’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 32-33. According to Timothee Donangmaye (“Do-nangmaye”), one of Grosdidier’s colleagues, only a few broadcasters who had excellent language skills were assigned to edit. See PL’s Ex. 20 (Dep. of Timothee Donangmaye) at 33-35. Donangmaye was one of those broadcasters who performed editing duties on a rotating basis. Id. at 35-36. Grosdidier’s editing skills were mentioned favorably in several performance evaluations during this period. See PL’s Ex. 40 (Performance Appraisal Report) at 8; PL’s Ex. 41 (Performance Appraisal Report) at 8. When assigned editing duties, Grosdidier would conduct the first editing review of other broadcasters’ work, and the final product would be reviewed again by other supervisors. See PL’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 43. Sometime in 2005, Dia made a change in the work assignments that resulted in Grosdidier working less on editing assignments. PL’s Ex. 34 (Dia Dep.) at 66-67, 70. It appears this change began around June 2005. See PL’s Ex. 3 (Assignment sheets). However, by April 2006, Grosdi-dier was being reassigned to editing duties on a rotating basis. See PL’s Ex. 34 (Dia Dep.) at 68-72; PL’s Ex. 27 (Assignment sheets). Records of weekly editing assignments produced by Grosdidier appear to indicate that she was assigned editing duties at least a few days each month between April and December 2006. See PL’s Ex. 27. Another aspect of Grosdidier’s duties at the VOA involved editing and uploading content on the VOA’s website. According to a project manager in the BBG’s Office of Internet Services, VOA employees cannot edit or upload content on the website unless they have received training in the content management system used by the VOA, which is called CommonSpot. See PL’s Ex. 22 (Decl. of Marlene Wright) ¶ 3. Since February 2006, an individual could not get a password to edit or upload news until completing three CommonSpot training classes. Id. ¶4. Grosdidier took her first training class on March 6, 2006 and completed the training requirement on March 23, 2006. Id. Timothee Donang-maye completed all three classes by May 2005. Id. In the summer of 2005, Dia sent his staff a memorandum stating that Do-nangmaye would be working on the internet with some other staffers, and Grosdidier assumed this meant that she should not be posting her own content on the website. See PL’s Ex. 14 (Grosdidier Dep.) at 88-90. In February 2007, Dia sent a memorandum to his supervisors requesting approval for Grosdidier to edit the VOA website. See PL’s Ex. 45 (2/12/2007 Memorandum). C. Vacancy for a GS-13 International Broadcaster Position In February 2006, BBG posted a vacancy announcement for an International Broadcaster, GS-13 position in the French to Africa Service. Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 16. There is some evidence in the record that Dia was aware that the vacancy would be filled as early as June 1, 2005. See Pl.’s Ex. 43 (6/1/2005 Email from Grosdidier to French to Africa Service). The vacancy announcement stated that applicants should have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (“KSAs”): (1) Proven ability to write balanced, objective radio, television and Internet scripts on news events and feature topics that appeal to, educate, explain, and provide context to international audiences; (2) Broad knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures of journalistic writing and editing and editing for radio, TV and Internet. (3) Knowledge of world affairs and U.S. foreign policy, as well as contemporary political, economic, cultural, and social developments and trends in the U.S. (4) Skill in establishing and maintaining effective and respectful working relationships with team members, colleagues in multi-media elements of VOA, and groups of individuals providing information or interviews for programs or program segments. (5) Demonstrated experience in writing/editing for a foreign audience. (6) Knowledge of international radio broadcast, TV and Internet techniques and practices. Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 18. A separate position description document described the major duties for the position to include “[pjlans and coordinates, as Webmaster, content of Website that includes news and feature material” and indicated that the incumbent “is a host of our weekly TV program.” See PL’s Ex. 52 (Position Description) at 6; Def.’s Ex. C (Position Description) at 2. The position description was initially drafted by an employee in the BBG’s human resources office, but the language regarding the webmaster duty and hosting the weekly TV program was added at Dia’s request. See Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 17; PL’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 165-67. Dia testified that it was quite clear that whoever was selected for the position would be hosting the TV show and managing the website. See PL’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 61-62. The position was informally described as “multi-media Senior Editor.” See Def.’s Ex. M. At the time the vacancy was announced, Donang-maye was hosting the French to Africa Service’s weekly ‘Washington Forum” program and was one of the people responsible for updating content on its website. See PL’s Ex. 20 (Donangmaye Dep.) at 36-38, 43. Dia testified that the reason the Service was hiring a GS-13 level broadcaster was because of the combined television hosting and internet duties. See PL’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 60-62. However, Donangmaye had been performing these duties as a GS-12 level employee, and another employee who worked on the internet was employed at the GS-9 level. See id. at 46; PL’s Ex. 46 (BBG/IBB Staffing Pattern). Ferdinand Ferella explained that hosting duties are not dependent on grade level. See PL’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferella) at 106. Dia selected a panel of three individuals to conduct the interviews of the candidates and make a recommendation to him. Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 19. Dia was the selecting official, and he had stated publicly that he would follow the recommendation of the panel in making his selection for the position. Id. The three panelists were Andre de Nesnera (“de Nesnera”), Sandra Le-maire (“Lemaire”), and Dianne Butts (“Butts”). Id. ¶ 20. All three were qualified to serve on the panel. Id. De Nesnera is a white male of French national origin; Lemaire is a black female of Haitian national origin; and Butts is an African-American female. Id. ¶¶ 21-23. The panelists received the vacancy announcement and the candidates’ application packets from Dia. Id. ¶ 24. The parties disagree about the extent to which Dia provided the panelists with additional information about the candidates or the position. According to de Nesnera, Dia told the panel about the responsibilities that would be associated with the job, but he did not provide any introductory remarks for each candidate and he did not tell the panelists what he was looking for in the candidates beyond the simple job description. See Pl.’s Ex. 9 (De Nesnera Aff.); Def.’s Ex. F (De Nesn-era Dep.) at 17-19. According to Lemaire, Dia gave only a brief description of the job as it was explained in the vacancy announcement and basic introductory information about each candidate, such as where the candidate was from. See PL’s Ex. 7 (Lemaire Dep.) at 26-32; PL’s Ex. 8 (Lemaire Aff.) ¶ 4. The panelists interviewed six candidates for the position on March 7, 2007. Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 25. The candidates to be interviewed included Grosdidier, Donangmaye, and four candidates from outside the VOA. The panel unanimously recommended that Donangmaye be selected for the position. Id. Donangmaye is a black male of Chadian national origin. Id. The panel drafted a memorandum explaining their choice of Donangmaye based on his qualifications. See Def.’s Ex. M. The memorandum explained that the panel was impressed by Donangmaye’s experience in “all three facets of the multi-media structure,” i.e., radio, television, and internet. See id. The memorandum further stated that the panel was impressed by Donangmaye’s leadership qualities and felt that Donangmaye understood the challenges facing the French to Africa Service. Id. The memorandum did not compare Donangmaye to any of the other candidates. See id. The record suggests that sometime after the panel drafted this memorandum, Dia informed them that they needed to include a score for each candidate along with the panel’s recommendation. See PL’s Ex. 10 at 4-5. Dia told them to rate the applicants on a scale of 1 to 100. See id. at 6. The panelists did not have a scoring sheet or a list of factors with which to assign a score; rather, the panel assigned scores based on the panelists’ recollection of the candidates’ qualifications and performances during their interviews. See PL’s Ex. 7 (Lemaire Dep.) at 53-55; PL’s Ex. 12 (De Nesnera Dep.) at 24-25. The panel assigned a score of 90 points for Donang-maye, 80 points for Grosdidier, and 85 points for the panel’s second-choice candidate, Rachid Jaafar (“Jaafar”); the other candidates were scored lower than Grosdi-dier. See Def.’s Ex. M; PL’s Ex. 12 (De Nesnera Dep.) at 26. Lemaire testified that she perceived from Grosdidier’s interview that there were people in the agency she did not get along with, suggesting she might conflict with management. See PL’s Ex. 7 (Le-maire Dep.) at 59-61. She testified that she thought Rachid Jaafar was a better candidate because he did not have these problems, explaining, “The difference between Ra[c]hid [Jaafar] and Camille [Gros-didier] was that Ra[c]hid had been an insider — was now on the outside and was coming back more neutral, so he really had no axe to grind with anyone.” Id. at 59. Lemaire got the impression that Grosdidier “wasn’t a total cheerleader for the agency and for management.” Id. at 61. Grosdidier contends that she did not say anything during her interview that would suggest she had any problems with management, but the only record evidence in support of this contention is the fact that Butts’s notes from the interview do not indicate any such statements. See PL’s Resp. Stmt. ¶ 72(d). Grosdidier testified that the interview was “disorganized,” and she felt that some of the questioning was aggressive. PL’s Ex. 14 (Grosdidier Dep.) at 74-75. According to Grosdidier, de Nesnera asked her, “Tell us why we shouldn’t go with an outsider? Tell us why you would be better.” Id. at 74. Grosdidier claims that she answered, “If you do find an outsider who’s best qualified, why not?” Id. Butts testified that she did not recall Grosdidier being asked this question, but instead she recalled Grosdidier volunteering something like, “fresh blood for this job might be good rather than me.” See PL’s Ex. 11 (Butts Dep.) at 60-61. Butts thought Grosdidier’s response was odd and suggested she did not really want the job. Id. at 61. De Nesnera perceived Grosdidier’s comments as suggesting that she was less qualified to lead her coworkers. See PL’s Ex. 12 (De Nesnera Dep.) at 29. Butts also testified that none of the candidates were asked whether an insider or outsider would be better, but her notes from the interview with Donangmaye include the phrase “Insider better why?” with a summary of Donangmaye’s explanation as to why he thought an insider was better. See PL’s Ex. 11 (Butts Dep.) at 59-60; PL’s Ex. 16 (Butts interview notes). Gros-didier also contends that de Nesnera asked her in a forceful voice about her leadership experience, claiming that the GS-13 position was supervisory, despite the fact that there was nothing about supervisory responsibilities in the job description. See PL’s Ex. 14 (Grosdidier Dep.) at 71-72. There is some conflicting evidence in the record about what factors were most important to the panelists in choosing Do-nangmaye as their top candidate. Le-maire testified that supervisory experience was an important factor, and this is also reflected in Butts’s notes. See PL’s Ex. 8 (Lemaire Aff.) ¶¶ 22-23; PL’s Ex. 16 (Butts interview notes) at 1. However, de Nesnera testified that supervisory experience was not a factor that was seriously considered or discussed. See PL’s Ex. 12 (De Nesnera Dep.) at 42-43. Both Le-maire and de Nesnera testified that internet skills were a deciding factor that set Donangmaye apart from Grosdidier. See id. at 20-21; PL’s Ex. 7 (Lemaire Dep.) at 72-73 (“With regards to being the best person for the job, we thought Timothee, because he had worked on the French to Africa website. But knowledge of the internet, I think, from what I recall, Ra[c]hid and Timothee were comparable and Camille, les[s].”). However, Butts did not recall internet experience being a main factor in the decision. See PL’s Ex. 11 (Butts Dep.) at 71. Defendant states in answers to interrogatories that Lemaire and de Nesnera also took some notes during the interviews but discarded them af-terwards. See PL’s Ex. 13 (BBG Discovery Responses) at 7. However, Lemaire claims in an affidavit that she did not take any notes. See Def.’s Ex. EE (Lemaire Aff.) at 44. Grosdidier claims that Dia selected panelists who would accede to his preference for Donangmaye and disfavor Grosdidier in the selection process. De Nesnera was a regular guest on the Washington Forum television program that Donangmaye hosted, and he testified at deposition that “you can’t find a better person” than Donang-maye to be the host of that program. See Pl.’s Ex. 12 (De Nesnera Dep.) at 8. Butts was the executive producer of the Washington Forum program, and she had selected Donangmaye for the hosting job after an audition. See PL’s Ex. 11 (Butts Dep.) at 6. Dia had also consulted with Butts, another Service Chief, about one of Grosdidier’s altercations with another female employee who also worked with Butts. Id. at 12-13. Butts testified that Dia had talked to her generally about Grosdidier’s complaints, and Butts believed that Grosdidier was not happy in the Service. Id. at 14-15. However, Butts testified that she did not talk to Dia about the selection process for the vacant position. Id. at 13. Lemaire indicated in her deposition that Dia selected her because of her experience in broadcasting, the internet, the French language, and African affairs. See PL’s Ex. 7 (Lemaire Dep.) at 25. Lemaire was friendly with Dia, but she was not his first choice for the panel. See id. at 13; PL’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 58-59. Lemaire testified that she was aware that there was “in-fighting” within that branch of the VOA, which she felt was common knowledge to those in the agency. PL’s Ex. 7 (Lemaire Dep.) at 59. De Nesnera testified, however, that he was not aware of any friction in the office. See PL’s Ex. 12 (De Nesnera Dep.) at 29-30. Grosdidier also claims that Dia did not provide the panelists sufficient time to review the candidates’ written qualifications because Grosdidier’s written qualifications were superior. There is conflicting evidence in the record regarding the extent to which the panelists relied on the candidates’ written qualifications. According to Lemaire, the panelists were provided a copy of the written application materials shortly before each interview, and she did not believe that they kept the materials for their deliberations after the interviews. See PL’s Ex. 7 (Dep. of Sandra Lemaire) at 27, 32-33, 53. Butts and de Nesnera both testified that they had the candidates’ written materials at the time of the deliberations. See PL’s Ex. 12 (Dep. of Andre de Nesnera) at 17; PL’s Ex. 11 (Dep. of Diane Butts) at 36-37. Lemaire testified that the panel’s assessment was based primarily on their overall assessment of the candidates and their interviews. Id. at 53-54. As part of her application, Grosdidier submitted a resume and a two-page statement setting forth her KSAs. See PL’s Ex. 23 (Grosdidier application materials). Grosdidier’s resume described her experience as a broadcaster with the French to Africa Service since 1987, which included experience as substitute host of “Washington Forum.” See id. at 4. Grosdidier explained that she had over twenty years of experience in the French to Africa Service and that she had been responsible for producing a weekly fifteen-minute economic news magazine program as well as a daily program covering events relating to the United States. See id. at 6. Grosdidier also highlighted her international travel and cultural experiences. See id. at 6-7. With respect to internet skills, Grosdidier stated in her KSAs statement that two of her colleagues had been responsible for managing content on the internet but that she had familiarized herself with the internet and was taking classes to become certified to assist with the internet duties. See id. at 7. Grosdidier also included a performance appraisal report in which Dia rated her achievement as “highly successful.” See id. at 9-19. Grosdidier’s educational background includes a masters degree in international affairs. See id. at 5. Donangmaye’s application packet described his experience as a broadcaster in the French to Africa Service since 1998 as well as his prior experience as a reporter for the Chadian government’s news agency. See Pl.’s Ex. 38 (Donangmaye application materials) at 1-2. Donangmaye also earned a masters degree in media analysis and management as a Fulbright Scholar at Virginia Commonwealth University. See id. at 2. Donangmaye highlighted his experience with internet technology in his application, noting that he was only one of two people within the French to Africa Service who could edit the website. Id. In his statement setting forth his KSAs, Do-nangmaye highlighted his writing and editing experience with the VOA and his experience as the host of “Washington Forum.” See id. at 3. At the time of the interview and selection, Donangmaye was not a U.S. citizen. Rachid Jaafar was working as the Washington senior correspondent for the Al-Jazeera broadcast network at the time he interviewed for the position of multi-media Senior Editor. See Def.’s Ex. AA (Jaafar application materials). Jaafar also worked as a broadcast journalist and news editor for VOA between 1984 and 2002, working primarily in the Arabic language. See id. at 1-2. Jaafar is also fluent in French and his resume reflected experience translating between French, English, and Arabic. See id. He earned a masters degree in international public policy in 2002. Id. at 1. In his KSA statement, he emphasized his experience as a reporter, his experience establishing and maintaining work relationships, and his familiarity with African issues. See id. at 3-4. Jaafar was a U.S. citizen at the time of the interview and selection. See Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 35. Dia accepted the panel’s recommendation of Donangmaye. On March 8, 2006, the day after the panel conducted its interviews and made its recommendation, Dia wrote to his supervisor explaining why Do-nangmaye should be selected for the position over Jaafar and Grosdidier, who were U.S. citizens. See Def.’s Ex. N (3/8/2006 Letter from Dia to Gwen Dillard). Dia wrote that he agreed with the panel that Donangmaye was the most qualified candidate for the job. See id. Dia praised Donangmaye’s command of the French language, his experience as a newswire writer (which Dia believed made Dia particularly qualified to edit the website), his knowledge of African issues, and his positive workplace relationships. See id. On March 22, 2006, Dia wrote a memorandum to the Chief of the agency’s Operations Division explaining why Donangmaye should be selected for the position over the other qualified U.S. citizens. See Def.’s Ex. N (3/22/2006 Memorandum from Dia to LaPrell Murphy). He wrote that Do-nangmaye had been selected for the GS-13 multi-media Senior Editor position and praised his qualifications. See id. Dia distinguished the experience of Jaafar as more relevant to the Arab world than to sub-Saharan Africa, which is targeted by the French to Africa Service. See id. Dia stated that Grosdidier had a better knowledge of sub-Saharan Africa than Jaafar but that it was not as extensive as Donang-maye’s. Id. Dia also noted that Grosdidier had not completed the CommonSpot training for the website. Id. Dia also stated that based on his knowledge of Grosdidier’s and Donangmaye’s respective strengths and weaknesses in the French language and African issues, as well as them interactions with colleagues in the Service, he was confident that Donang-maye was the best candidate for the position. Id. D. Grosdidier’s EEO Complaint Regarding Her Nonselection Grosdidier was notified of her nonselection for the promotion on April 3, 2006. See Answer ¶ 5(a)(i). On July 5, 2006, she timely filed a formal complaint alleging that she was not selected because of her sex, race, national origin, and her prior EEO activity. Compl. ¶ 5(a)(i)-(ii). In proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), Gros-didier conducted discovery and took numerous depositions. Id. ¶ 5(a)(iii). She deposed Dia on February 2, 2007. See Pl.’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.). The EEOC did not grant Grosdidier the relief she requested. E. Additional Acts of Alleged Discrimination Grosdidier claims that after she complained about her nonselection, Dia failed to take appropriate steps to ensure that Grosdidier’s position description was updated to reflect the duties of “International Broadcaster” as opposed to “International Radio Broadcaster,” leaving her position vulnerable in the face of a potential reduction in force action. See Compl. ¶ 27; PL’s Ex. 2 (Grosdidier Dep.) at 39-40. The record shows that Dia submitted updated position descriptions to the agency’s Office of Human Resources for all of his employees in March or April 2007. See Def.’s Ex. P (Aff. of Carroll Cobb) at 4. Grosdidier disputes this but cites no contrary evidence in the record. See PL’s Resp. Stmt. ¶¶ 54-55. According to Grosdidier, Dia removed her from participating as a contributor or host on “Washington Forum” in the fall of 2006. See PL’s Ex. 58 (Grosdidier Aff.) at 6. Grosdidier also claims that shortly after Dia was deposed as part of the EEOC litigation in February 2007, she was again removed from editing duties on a rotational basis. See PL’s Opp’n at 41; PL’s Resp. Stmt. ¶ 59. Grosdidier has produced records of weekly editing assignments from 2007 that appear to indicate that Grosdidier was assigned editing responsibilities during one week in late January/early February 2007 (two days), one week in late February (one day), one week in late March (four days), one week in early May (five days), and no times throughout the rest of 2007. See PL’s Ex. 28 (2007 assignment sheets). It appears that when Gros-didier was not assigned editing duties, first-level editing was handled by either Henry Francisque, a GS-13 Senior Editor, Jean Claude Andre, another GS-12 broadcaster, or Donangmaye, now promoted to the GS-13 Senior Editor position. See id. Dia testified that Grosdidier had never had regular editing duties and that her assignments were always made on an ad hoc basis. See PL’s Ex. 6 (Dia Dep.) at 13-20. Ferdinand Ferella testified at his deposition in March 2009 that the primary editing assignments had not changed since 2004 when Grosdidier was initially assigned to be a part of the editing team. See PL’s Ex. 24 (Dep. of Ferdinand Ferel-la) at 58-60,147. Grosdidier also claims that Dia stopped speaking to her after she filed her complaint regarding her nonselection for the position. However, the only evidence she cites in support of this claim is an affidavit from one of her coworkers, Samuel Kiendrebeogo, who stated that Dia once asked him to relay a message to her regarding a trip she was scheduled to take to Mexico. See PL’s Ex. 33 (Aff. of Samuel Kiendrebeogo) at 5. Kiendrebeogo also states that Grosdidier told him that she was tired of having intermediaries relay messages from Dia, but this statement is hearsay and may not be considered by the Court as part of the record at summary judgment. Gleklen v. Democratic Cong. Campaign Comm., Inc., 199 F.3d 1365, 1369 (D.C.Cir.2000). On April 1, 2008, Grosdidier received a letter of admonition from Dia for turning off shared office printer that was being used by another employee. Def.’s Ex. Q (4/1/2008 Letter from Dia to Grosdidier). The letter stated that Grosdidier’s conduct was disruptive to the efficiency of the office and inconsiderate to coworkers. See id. F. Grosdidier’s Second EEO Complaint Grosdidier contacted an EEO counselor on November 20, 2007 to complain about further discrimination. Def.’s Stmt. ¶ 3. On December 27, 2007, Grosdidier filed a formal complaint of discrimination with the BBG. See Def.’s Ex. W (Formal Complaint of Discrimination). In her formal complaint, Grosdidier claimed that she had been discriminated against on the basis of her sex, national origin, and engaging in prior EEO activity in 2000, 2001, and 2006. See id. She claimed that the dates of the alleged discriminatory acts were November 20, 2007 and from January 2007 to the present (i.e., December 27, 2007). Id. Grosdidier complained about the fact that her position description had not been updated, reduced professional responsibilities, and her supervisor’s refusal to directly interact with her. Id. On January 9, 2008, the agency sent Grosdidier a letter indicating that the following claims had been accepted for processing: Whether you were subjected to a hostile work environment and discriminated against due to your Sex (female), National Origin (French) and Reprisal (engaging in prior protected EEO activity) when the following acts occurred: 1. On or about November 20, 2007, your supervisor refused to update your position description while updating those of your colleagues. 2. Your supervisor has reduced your professional responsibilities by decreasing your editing assignments, television air time, supervisory duties and rotational assignments; and 3. Since February 2007, your supervisor has refused to interact directly with you; instead he uses your colleagues or email to communicate with you. Def.’s Ex. R at 1. On April 2, 2008, Grosdi-dier’s attorney contacted the agency to amend her complaint to add a claim for: an ongoing pattern of behavior, aimed at Ms. Grosdidier because of her gender, age, national origin, and protected EEO activity and including, in addition to the allegations already included in the complaint, her Branch Chiefs (unjustifiable and disparate) direct and indirect criticisms of work performance, and his formal and informal disciplinary actions against her including, most recently, the issuance of a letter of admonition on April 1, 2008. See Pl.’s Ex. 1 (4/2/08 Letter from Leslie D. Alderman III to Delia Johnson, Int’l Broadcasting Bureau). The agency responded on May 12, 2008, indicating that Grosdidier’s complaint had been amended to include her allegation that her sex, age, national origin, and prior EEO activity were factors in her receiving a letter of admonition on April 1, 2008. See Pl.’s Ex. 1 (5/12/08 Letter from Delia Johnson to Leslie D. Alderman III). II. LEGAL STANDARD Defendant has filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings or alternatively, a motion for summary judgment. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(d), if “matters outside the pleadings are presented to and not excluded by the court, the motion must be treated as one for summary judgment under Rule 56.” Because the parties have engaged in discovery and presented evidence outside the pleadings for the Court’s consideration, the Court shall treat Defendant’s motion solely as a motion for summary judgment. “The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). A party asserting that a fact cannot be or is genuinely disputed must support the assertion by: (A) citing to particular parts of materials in the record, including depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including those made for purposes of the motion only), admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materials; or (B) showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute, or that an adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support the fact. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)(1). “If a party fails to properly support an assertion of fact or fails to properly address another party’s assertion of fact as required by Rule 56(c), the court may ... consider the fact undisputed for purposes of the motion.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(e). When considering a motion for summary judgment, the court may not make credibility determinations or weigh the evidence; the evidence must be analyzed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, with all justifiable inferences drawn in his favor. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “If material facts are at issue, or, though undisputed, are susceptible to divergent inferences, summary judgment is not available.” Moore v. Hartman, 571 F.3d 62, 66 (D.C.Cir.2009) (citation omitted). The mere existence of a factual dispute, by itself, is insufficient to bar summary judgment. See Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. “Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Id. For a dispute about a material fact to be “genuine,” there must be sufficient admissible evidence that a reasonable trier of fact could find for the nonmoving party. Id. The Court must determine “whether the evidence presents a sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or whether it is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law.” Id. at 251-52, 106 S.Ct. 2505. “If the evidence is merely colorable, or is not sufficiently probative, summary judgment may be granted.” Id. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (internal citations omitted). The adverse party must “do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Mat-sushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Conclusory assertions offered without any factual basis in the record cannot create a genuine dispute. See Ass’n of Flight Attendants-CWA v. U.S. Dep’t of Transp., 564 F.3d 462, 465-66 (D.C.Cir.2009). III. DISCUSSION In her Complaint, Grosdidier asserts causes of action for discrimination based on her race, national origin, sex, age, and prior EEO activity. Grosdidier’s specific claims are based on: (1) her nonselection for the GS-13 International Broadcaster position in March 2006; (2) the reduction in her editing duties and other responsibilities, including removal as substitute host of “Washington Forum”; (3) the failure to update her job description to reflect the duties of International Broadcaster; (4) her supervisor’s cessation of direct interaction with her; (5) the letter of admonition issued to her in April 2008; and (6) the vocal and demeaning criticism Grosdidier received of her work performance and interaction with coworkers. Based on these actions, Grosdidier asserts claims for discrimination, retaliation, and hostile work environment. In its motion for summary judgment, Defendant contends that Grosdidier has failed to exhaust many of her claims, that she has not suffered any adverse employment action, and that she has not produced evidence sufficient for a reasonable jury to conclude that she was the victim of discrimination, retaliation, or a hostile work environment. Grosdidier concedes that she did not -exhaust her age discrimination claims and has withdrawn any claims for violations of the ADEA. See Pl.’s Resp. Stmt. ¶ 12; Pl.’s Opp’n at 1. Accordingly, the Court shall grant Defendant’s motion for summary judgment with respect to Grosdidier’s ADEA claims. Grosdidier disputes Defendant’s other contentions and has filed a motion for an adverse inference based on the destruction of certain evidence relating to her interview for the GS-13 International Broadcaster position. The Court shall address the parties’ arguments below. A. Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies Before filing suit under Title VII, federal employees must timely exhaust their administrative remedies. See 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-16(c); Harris v. Gonzales, 488 F.3d 442, 443 (D.C.Cir.2007). Under the broad authority conferred by Congress, the EEOC “has established detailed procedures for the administrative resolution of discrimination complaints, including a series of time limits for seeking informal adjustment of complaints, filing formal charges, and appealing agency decisions to the Commission.” Bowden v. United States, 106 F.3d 433, 437 (D.C.Cir.1997). The administrative time limits created by the EEOC function like statutes of limitations with which complainants must comply. Id. Of particular significance in this case is the requirement that “[a]n aggrieved person ... initiate contact with a[n EEO] Counselor within 45 days of the date of the matter alleged to be discriminatory or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 days of the effective date of the action.” 29 C.F.R. § 1614.105(a)(1); 488 F.3d at 443. “[A] court may not consider a discrimination claim that has not been exhausted in this manner absent a basis for equitable tolling.” Steele v. Schafer, 535 F.3d 689, 693 (D.C.Cir.2008). Any civil action that follows a charge of discrimination “is limited in scope to claims that are ‘like or reasonably related to the allegations of the charge and growing out of such allegations.’ ” Park v. Howard Univ., 71 F.3d 904, 907 (D.C.Cir.1995) (quoting Cheek v. W. & S. Life Ins. Co., 31 F.3d 497, 500 (7th Cir.1994)); see also Na’im v. Rice, 577 F.Supp.2d 361, 369-70, 372 (D.D.C.2008). “At a minimum, the Title VII claims must arise from the administrative investigation that can reasonably be expected to follow the charge of discrimination.” Park, 71 F.3d at 907. Defendant bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies. Na’im v. Rice, 577 F.Supp.2d at 370 (citing Brown v. Marsh, 777 F.2d 8, 13 (D.C.Cir.1985)). 1.Claims of Discrimination Based on Race In her Complaint, Grosdidier asserts causes of action for discrimination based on race with respect to each alleged adverse employment action. See Compl. ¶ 32. However, she did not list race as a basis for her claims on her December 2007 EEO complaint, on which she relies for all of her claims save her nonselection claim. Grosdidier does not dispute this, and she does not argue in her opposition brief that her claim of race discrimination was “like or reasonably related” to her claims of sex, national origin, or reprisal discrimination. See Pl.’s Resp. Stmt. ¶ 11; PL’s Opp’n at 34-35. Accordingly, the Court shall grant Defendant’s motion for summary judgment with respect to Grosdidier’s claims for discrimination based on race relating to actions other than her nonselection for a GS-13 International Broadcaster position. 2.Claim Based on Reduction of Duties Grosdidier asserts causes of action for discrimination and retaliation based on the alleged reduction in her editing responsibilities and other work duties. Grosdidier contacted an EEO counselor about her reduction in duties in November 2007, but Defendant contends that this was untimely because it was not within 45 days of the alleged reduction in duties. The record clearly shows that many of Grosdi-dier’s complaints about reduced responsibilities pertain to events that occurred more than 45 before she contacted an EEO counselor in November 2007. See, e.g., PL’s Resp. Stmt. ¶ 9 (“Plaintiffs editing duties were reduced dramatically in the latter part of 2005.”); PL’s Opp’n at 41 (“[Dia] removed Ms. Grosdidier from participating as a contributor or host on Washington Forum in the fall of 2006.”). Therefore, her complaint in November 2007 was untimely with respect to these actions. Grosdidier does not identify in her opposition brief any specific reduction in duties that occurred during the 45-day time period preceding her EEO counseling. However, she does claim that her editing responsibilities were reduced from February 2007 onward, and therefore she has claimed that her editing duties were reduced during and after the 45-day period preceding her EEO counseling, which began on October 5, 2007. The record indicates that assignments were made on a weekly basis. To the extent that Grosdidier purports to assert claims based on weekly assignments after October 5, 2007, they have been timely exhausted. See Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618, 628, 127 S.Ct. 2162, 167 L.Ed.2d 982 (2007) (“[I]f an employer engages in a series of acts each of which is intentionally discriminatory, then a fresh violation takes place when each act is committed.”). However, the Court shall grant Defendant’s motion for summary judgment with respect to Grosdidier’s claims for discrimination and retaliation based on any reduction in her workplace responsibilities that occurred more than 45 days before she initiated EEO counseling. 3.Claim Based on Cessation of Direct Interaction with Her Supervisor Grosdidier also asserts causes of action for discrimination and retaliation based on her supervisor’s alleged cessation of direct interaction with her. Grosdidier complained about this conduct to an EEO counselor in November 2007, and the only evidence in the record relating to this claim is a single incident in which Dia asked one of Grosdidier’s coworker’s to pass along a message to her. The record does not clearly indicate when this occurred, and therefore Defendant has failed to establish that Grosdidier did not timely exhaust this claim. 4. Claim Based on Hostile Work Environment In her Complaint, Grosdidier asserts a claim for hostile work environment based on her employer’s ongoing conduct. Grosdidier exhausted a hostile work environment claim, as demonstrated by the fact that the agency investigated whether she was subjected to a hostile work environment when her supervisor failed to update her position description, reduced her professional responsibilities, refused to interact directly with her, and issued her a letter of admonition. Even though Grosdidier did not explicitly allege a hostile work environment in her formal complaint, “[a] plaintiff may adequately exhaust administrative remedies without specifically alleging a hostile work environment claim in her formal EEO complaint so long as the hostile work environment claim is ‘like or reasonably related to the allegations ... [in the formal EEO complaint] and grows out of such allegations.’ ” Na’im v. Rice, 577 F.Supp.2d 361, 372 (D.D.C.2008) (quoting Roberson v. Snow, 404 F.Supp.2d 79, 96 (D.D.C.2005)). Therefore, to the extent that Grosdidier’s complaint is based on the allegations in her formal complaint, she has exhausted her claim. However, Defendant contends that Grosdidier is trying to expand her hostile work environment claim to include actions such as an alleged “sexually charged atmosphere” in 2005 and other events that were not described in Grosdidier’s December 2007 complaint. Grosdidier argues that the Court should consider acts dating back to 2005, relying heavily on National Railroad Passenger Corp. v. Morgan, 536 U.S. 101, 122 S.Ct. 2061, 153 L.Ed.2d 106 (2002), in which the Supreme Court held that “[pjrovided that an act contributing to the claim occurs within the filing period, the entire time period of the hostile work environment may be considered by a court for the purposes of determining liability.” 536 U.S. at 117, 122 S.Ct. 2061. However, the Morgan Court was focused only on Title VII’s statute of limitations. Id.; see 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1) (requiring Title VII plaintiffs to file a charge with the EEOC within either 180 or 300 days “after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred”). The Morgan Court did not explicitly address the parallel requirement that a plaintiff administratively exhaust her claims by presenting them to the EEOC or, in the case of a federal employee, the federal agency. “To satisfy the exhaustion requirement, the allegations in an administrative complaint must be sufficiently specific in order to ‘give federal agencies an opportunity to handle matters internally whenever possible.’ ” Hussain v. Gutierrez, 593 F.Supp.2d 1, 5 (D.D.C.2008) (quoting Brown v. Marsh, 777 F.2d 8, 14 (D.C.Cir.1985)), appeal dismissed, 2010 WL 1632715 (D.C.Cir.2010). “At a minimum, the Title VII claims must arise from the administrative investigation that can reasonably be expected to follow the charge of discrimination.” Park, 71 F.3d at 907. Although Grosdidier did present a claim for hostile work environment to the agency, the record shows that her claim was much more limited in scope than the claim she is asserting in federal court. Grosdidier’s formal administrative complaint, as subsequently amended, described only four sets of adverse actions: (1) failure to update Grosdidier’s position description; (2) reduction in Grosdidier’s responsibilities; (3) cessation of direct interaction from Grosdidier’s supervisor; and (4) a letter of admonition. Grosdidier’s formal complaint listed the dates of discriminatory conduct as extending from January 2007 to the present, meaning that the agency would not have had a basis to investigate Grosdi-dier’s claims about a “sexually charged atmosphere” or other discrete acts that occurred before January 2007. While Morgan recognizes that a hostile work environment constitutes a single adverse employment action that occurs over a period of time, Grosdidier’s December 2007 complaint, as amended, was not sufficiently specific to make the agency aware that she was claiming the existence of a hostile work environment as far back as 2005. Indeed, if Grosdidier had believed that her work environment was hostile in 2005, she presumably would have raised this issue in the formal complaint she filed in July 2006. Therefore, the Court finds that Grosdidier has failed to exhaust her hostile work environment claim to the extent that it relies on allegations that are not “like or reasonably related to” those she raised in her formal complaint with the agency. Accordingly, the Court shall not consider unrelated allegations in determining whether Grosdidier has established a hostile work environment claim. B. Grosdidier’s Nonselection Claim Grosdidier contends that her nonselection for the GS-13 International Broadcaster position was the result of discrimination based on her race, national origin, and sex and retaliation for her engaging in prior EEO activity. Defendant denies these allegations, arguing that Grosdidier was not selected for the position because she was not the most qualified candidate. Defendant argues that Grosdidier has failed to show that its legitimate explanation is pretext for discrimination or retaliation and that Grosdidier has failed to produce evidence sufficient for a jury to conclude that there was a causal connection between her nonselection and her sex, race, national origin, or protected EEO activity. Defendant also contends that Grosdidier’s complaints about her work environment in 2005 do not constitute protected activity and therefore cannot provide the basis for a retaliation claim under Title VII. The Court shall review the parties’ contentions below. 1. Discrimination and Retaliation Claims Under Title VII Title VII makes it unlawful for an employer to “fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, condition, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(l). Title VII also contains an antiretaliation provision that makes it unlawful for an employer to “discriminate against any of his employees or applicants for employment ... because he has opposed any practice made an unlawful employment practice by this subchapter, or because he has made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this subchapter.” Id. § 2000e-3(a). In the absence of direct evidence of discrimination or retaliation, Title VII claims are assessed pursuant to a burden-shifting framework initially set out by the Supreme Court in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802-03, 93 S.Ct. 1817, 36 L.Ed.2d 668 (1973). Pursuant to that framework, the plaintiff has the initial burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence a prima facie case of discrimination or retaliation. Tex. Dep’t of Cmty. Affairs v. Burdine, 450 U.S. 248, 252-53, 101 S.Ct. 1089, 67 L.Ed.2d 207 (1981). Then, “the burden shifts to the defendant ‘to articulate some legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the [adverse employment action].’ ” Id. at 253, 101 S.Ct. 1089 (quoting McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 802, 93 S.Ct. 1817). However, the D.C. Circuit has stressed that once an employer has proffered a nondiscriminatory reason, the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework disappears, and the court must simply determine whether the plaintiff has put forward enough evidence to defeat the proffer and support a finding of retaliation. Woodruff v. Peters, 482 F.3d 521, 530 (D.C.Cir.2007); see also Brady v. Office of the Sergeant at Arms, 520 F.3d 490, 494 (D.C.Cir.2008) (“[W]here an employee has suffered an adverse employment action and an employer has asserted a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for the decision, the district court need not — and should not — decide whether the plaintiff actually made out a prima facie case under McDonnell Douglas.”). In reviewing a motion for summary judgment, the court “looks to whether a reasonable jury could infer ... retaliation from all the evidence, which includes not only the prima facie case but also the evidence the plaintiff offers to attack the employer’s proffered explanation for its action and other evidence of retaliation.” Jones v. Bernanke, 557 F.3d at 677 (internal quotation marks omitted); accord Aka v. Washington Hosp. Ctr., 156 F.3d 1284, 1289 (D.C.Cir.1998) (en banc) (“[T]he focus of proceedings at trial (and summary judgment) will be on whether the jury could infer discrimination from the combination of (1) the plaintiffs prima facie case; (2) any evidence the plaintiff presents to attack the employer’s proffered explanation for its actions; and (3) any further evidence of discrimination that may be available to the plaintiff (such as independent evidence of discriminatory statements or attitudes on the part of the employer) or any contrary evidence that may be available to the employer (such as evidence of a strong track record in equal opportunity employment).”). A plaintiff who creates a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the employer has given the real reason for its employment decision will not always be deemed to have presented enough evidence to survive summary judgment. Aka, 156 F.3d at 1289. However, evidence of pretext usually will be enough to get a plaintiffs claim to a jury. Pardo-Kronemann v. Donovan, 601 F.3d 599, 604 (D.C.Cir.2010) (citing Jones v. Bernanke, 557 F.3d 670, 678-79 (D.C.Cir. 2009)). In a case involving nonselection for a promotion, a Title VII plaintiff may meet her burden “by persuading the court that a discriminatory reason more likely motivated the employer or indirectly by showing that the employer’s proffered explanation is unworthy of credence.” Burdine, 450 U.S. at 256, 101 S.Ct. 1089. “When an employer says it made a hiring decision based on the relative qualification of the candidates, ‘we must assume that a reasonable juror who might disagree with the employer’s decision, but would find the question close, would not usually infer discrimination on the basis of a comparison of qualifications alone.’ ” Jackson v. Gonzales, 496 F.3d 703, 707 (D.C.Cir.2007) (quoting Aka, 156 F.3d at 1294). “In order to justify an inference of discrimination, the qualifications gap must be great enough to be inherently indicative of discrimination.” Holcomb v. Powell, 433 F.3d 889, 897 (D.C.Cir.2006); see Aka, 156 F.3d at 1294 (holding that factfinder may infer discrimination where a reasonable employer would have found the plaintiff to be “significantly better qualified for the job”). A plaintiff attacking a qualifications-based explanation may also “seek to expose other flaws in the employer’s explanation” by, for example, demonstrating that the employer’s explanation was fabricated after the decision was made or that the employer’s explanation actually misstates the candidates’ qualifications. Aka, 156 F.3d at 1295. 2. Evidence Supporting Grosdidier’s Claims In her opposition brief, Grosdidier identifies a number of discrete categories of evidence supporting her claim that her nonselection for the GS-13 International Broadcaster position was discriminatory and/or retaliatory. Grosdidier’s evidence generally supports her theory that the selecting official, Idrissa Dia, preselected Timothee Donangmaye for the position and structured the promotion process in a way that ensured that Donangmaye would be selected over Grosdidier. Such preselection does not violate Title VII if is based on the qualifications of the candidate and not discrimination against a protected classification. Nyunt v. Tomlinson, 543 F.Supp.2d 25, 39 (D.D.C.2008), aff'd sub nom. Nyunt v. Chairman, Broadcasting Bd. of Governors, 589 F.3d 445 (D.C.Cir. 2009). However, Grosdidier contends that the evidence shows that the selection process was poisoned by discriminatory and/or retaliatory animus. The Court shall review each of Grosdidier’s contentions below. a. Evidence that Dia Bore Discriminatory and Retaliatory Animus Toward Grosdidier Grosdidier claims that Dia bore discriminatory and retaliatory animus against her based on her complaints about what she perceived to be a sexually charged workplace environment. There is evidence in the record that Dia was upset at Grosdidier for making complaints about his use of term “Sexy Mama” with a female employee, and this evidence could support a finding that Dia harbored some retaliatory animus against her. However, the evidence in the record cited by Grosdidier would not support a finding that Dia bore any discriminatory animus based on Grosdidier’s sex, race, or national origin. Although Grosdidier had complained about what she perceived to be sexually suggestive language or conduct in the workplace, none of the comments or conduct were directed at Grosdidier or clearly sexist. Cf. Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Servs., Inc., 523 U.S. 75, 80, 118 S.Ct. 998, 140 L.Ed.2d 201 (1998) (“We have never held that workplace harassment, even harassment between men and women, is automatically discrimination because of sex merely because the words used have sexual content or connotations.”). Furthermore, Grosdidier has presented absolutely no evidence of bias based on race or national origin in her workplace. Therefore, the record at most supports a finding that Dia bore retaliatory animus against Grosdidier based on her complaints about a sexually charged workplace. b. Evidence that Dia Manipulated Gros-didier’s Duties to Disadvantage Her in the Selection Process Grosdidier contends that after Dia learned that he would permitted to fill the GS-13 position, he took deliberate steps to disadvantage Grosdidier and advantage Donangmaye for the position. Specifically, Grosdidier claims that Dia removed her from regular editing duties shortly after he learned that he would be filling the GS-13 Senior Editor position. Although Defendant argues that editing assignments were made on an as-needed basis, there is evidentiary support for Grosdidier’s claim, since it appears that she stopped receiving editing assignments from Dia in June 2005 and began receiving them in April 2006 after Dia had selected Donangmaye for the position. However, there is no evidence that the panelists considered this as a factor in determining that Donangmaye was more qualified than Grosdidier. Grosdidier also contends that Dia disadvantaged her by precluding her from posting content on the French to Africa Service’s website. However, there is no evidence in the record that Dia preclu