cannot show a causal connection between the plaintiffs protected activity and the allegedly retaliatory actions. Id. The defendant bases its argument on the time that elapsed between the plaintiffs protected activity and the plaintiffs performance review. Id. at 12. To establish causation based on the temporal proximity between the protected activity and an adverse employment action, the case law holds that the temporal proximity must be “very close.” Bree-den, 532 U.S. at 273, 121 S.Ct. 1508 (citing with approval cases holding that a three-month and a four-month period is insufficient to establish the necessary temporal proximity). The plaintiffs September 2000 request for a hearing constitutes a protected activity. Singletary v. Dist. of Columbia, 351 F.3d 519, 524-25 (D.C.Cir.2003) (<HOLDING>). Because the plaintiff received his November
holding that an attorneys repeated lies and deceptions about the status of the prisoners case were extraordinary circumstances holding appeal from an order dismissing action without prejudice was properly before this court holding that an attorneys letter inquiring about the status of an appeal from a decision dismissing a discrimination charge constituted protected activity holding there is no statutory barrier to an appeal from an order dismissing only a portion of a count holding that an appeal from an order vacating an award while directing a rehearing is an appeal improvidently taken