44 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. 977,
Matthew E. JACKSON, Jr., Appellant,
v.
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, David C. Sullivan and Wesley W.
Posvar, in their official and individual capacities.
No. 86-3391.
United States Court of Appeals,
Third Circuit.
Argued Feb. 11, 1987.
Decided Aug. 19, 1987.
Matthew E. Jackson, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa., pro se.
Steven P. Fulton, Martha Hartle Munsch (argued), Reed, Smith, Shaw and McClay, Pittsburgh, Pa., for appellees.
Before HIGGINBOTHAM and STAPLETON, Circuit Judges, and RODRIGUEZ, District Judge.*
OPINION OF THE COURT
A. LEON HIGGINBOTHAM, Jr., Circuit Judge.
This appeal requires us to determine whether summary judgment was properly granted for the defendants-appellees in an employment discrimination case. Because record evidence demonstrates the existence of genuine issues of material fact that must be resolved at trial, we determine that, in part, it was not properly granted. We therefore will reverse the judgment of the district court on appellant's federal claims concerning his discharge and remand them for trial.
I. BACKGROUND
Appellant Matthew E. Jackson, Jr., who is black, was hired on July 15, 1975 by appellee the University of Pittsburgh ("Pitt") to work as an attorney in its legal department. Jackson continued in this position until January 3, 1984, when he was discharged by appellee David C. Sullivan, who had then been Pitt's general counsel, and Jackson's supervisor, for one year. Jackson thereafter filed an internal grievance with Pitt concerning his termination; he also complained to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission ("PHRC"), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs ("OFCCP"), that his discharge was racially motivated.1 On February 1, 1985, Jackson commenced this action, alleging federal claims under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000e-2 (1982), and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Voting Rights Act of 1870, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1981 (1982), and pendent state claims. After discovery and a hearing, the district court denied Jackson's motion for summary judgment and entered summary judgment for appellees. Jackson v. University of Pittsburgh, No. 85-0264 (W.D.Pa. June 11, 1986). This appeal followed. Our jurisdiction is conferred by 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1291 (1982).
II. THE GOVERNING LAW
We review grants and denials of summary judgment by applying the same test a district court should employ. Marek v. Marpan Two, Inc.,
Inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts contained in the evidential sources submitted to the trial court must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. The non-movant's allegations must be taken as true and, when these assertions conflict with those of the movant, the former must receive the benefit of the doubt.
Goodman,
In a federal discrimination case such as this one, the governing law includes the "method of ... presumptions and shifting burdens of production" set forth by the Supreme Court in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green,
First, the plaintiff has the burden of proving by the preponderance of the evidence a prima facie case of discrimination. Second, if the plaintiff succeeds in proving the prima facie case, the burden shifts to the defendant "to articulate some legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the employee's [dismissal]." Third, should the defendant carry this burden, the plaintiff must then have an opportunity to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the legitimate reasons offered by the defendant were not its true reasons, but were a pretext for discrimination.
Texas Dep't of Community Affairs v. Burdine,
This Court noted recently, in the context of a federal age discrimination claim, that "a defendant's burden of production as the moving party on summary judgment generally is to show that the plaintiff cannot meet his [or her] burden of proof at trial." Chipollini v. Spencer Gifts, Inc.,
intent is a substantive element of this cause of action--generally to be inferred from the facts and conduct of the parties--the principle is particularly apt that courts should not draw factual inferences in favor of the moving party and should not resolve any genuine issues of credibility.
Ness v. Marshall,
III. APPELLEES' MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
Appellees' motion for summary judgment, which the district court granted, sought judgment in its favor "in all respects." App. at 791. Thus, while the district court's brief opinion is less than clear in explaining the precise claims to which its order applies, we have concluded that the district court entered summary judgment for appellees on Jackson's Title VII and Section 1981 claims concerning his discharge, on his similar federal claims concerning Pitt's processing of his grievance, and on his pendent state claims alleging fraud, defamation and invasion of privacy. We will address these distinct summary judgments in that order.
A. Pitt's Discharge of Jackson
Appellees make no contention that Jackson has failed to establish a prima facie case under the McDonnell Douglas method of proof. We note that (i) he belongs to a racial minority; (ii) he was employed as one of Pitt's in-house attorneys and was qualified for that position; (iii) he was discharged from that position; and (iv) his co-workers, who are white, were not discharged. The district court correctly found that Jackson established a prima facie case. See McDonnell Douglas,
Under McDonnell Douglas, appellees have also fulfilled their ensuing burden of production "to articulate some legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason" for Jackson's dismissal.
The true dispute in this appeal concerns the third stage of the McDonnell Douglas method of proof: Has Jackson introduced sufficient evidence to demonstrate the existence of a genuine issue whether appellees' "proffered justification is merely a pretext for discrimination"? Furnco,
We reject the district court's conclusion. The record, including Jackson's lengthy deposition, contains more than "a scrap of evidentiary material to support h[is] argument." Alizadeh v. Safeway Stores, Inc.,
Additionally, as to the substantive legal tasks that appellees allege Jackson mishandled during his years of employment at Pitt, Jackson counters with claims that he was not the lawyer who was responsible for some of the matters in question, App. at 111-12 (Deposition of Matthew E. Jackson, Jr.), and that Sullivan refused Jackson's requests to bring in outside counsel to handle other specialty matters. Id. at 546-50 (same). In addition, Jackson claims that he was the only attorney in the office who had no secretary, id. at 63-64; 87, 96, 137, 542 (same), and that he alone was denied the assistance of less-experienced legal staff members who were otherwise available. Id. at 205-06, 542-44 (same). Such evidence supports the reasonable inference that Jackson was treated less favorably than his white colleagues in ways that could explain any "deficiency" in his performance. Cf. Bellissimo,
We make no claim to believe or to disbelieve Jackson's evidence. That, we emphasize, is wholly the province of the factfinder at trial. See Bushman,
Appellees' central argument in this appeal--a position that the district court appeared to adopt in granting their motion for summary judgment--is that Jackson's deposition, because it is his only record evidence, is insufficient to create a genuine factual issue on the ultimate question of race discrimination. This position relies upon our decision in Molthan v. Temple Univ.,
In today's climate of public opinion, blatant acts of discrimination--the true "smoking guns"--can easily be identified, quickly condemned and often rectified in the particular settings where they occur. Much of the discrimination that remains resists legal attack exactly because it is so difficult to prove. Discrimination victims often come to the legal process without witnesses and with little direct evidence indicating the precise nature of the wrongs they have suffered. That is one of the reasons why our legal system permits discrimination plaintiffs to "prove [their] case[s] by direct or circumstantial evidence." United States Postal Serv. Bd. of Governors v. Aikens,
B. Pitt's Handling of Jackson's Grievance
Count II of Jackson's complaint alleges that Pitt, in processing Jackson's grievance, intentionally deviated from the provisions of its Staff Handbook, provisions that Pitt had previously represented as applying to all of its employees, and that this deviation itself was racially motivated, in violation of Title VII and Section 1981. See App. at 11. Appellees answer, inter alia, that Jackson, who held a nonclassified staff position at Pitt, is not covered by the handbook's grievance procedure for classified employees. On appellees' motion for summary judgment, the district court denied Jackson's claim, which it called a "procedural due process" claim, accepting instead appellees' argument that Jackson is not covered by the Staff Handbook procedure.6 Jackson, No. 85-0264, mem. op. at 2 (W.D.Pa. June 11, 1986).
Jackson has not addressed this aspect of the district court's judgment in either of his briefs or in his oral argument to this Court. Accordingly, we conclude that it has not been appealed. See generally Delaware Valley Citizens' Council for Clean Air v. Pennsylvania,
C. Jackson's Pendent Claims
After disposing of Jackson's federal claims, the district court asserted that it was within "its discretion [to] decline to consider the pendent State claims...." Jackson, No. 85-0264, mem. op. at 2 (W.D.Pa. June 11, 1986). Convinced that these pendent claims "raise[d] no peculiarly difficult or doubtful questions of State law [that] should be reserved for disposition by State courts," id., however, the district court also granted appellees' motion for summary judgment on these claims.
We conclude that this aspect of the district court judgment also has not been appealed. The only reference to these claims is the final words on the final page of Jackson's brief, which asks us to remand "for trial on the pendent state claims." Brief for Appellant at 50. This is insufficient to put the issue before us. See Fed.R.App.P. 28(a)(2) (appellant's brief must contain a statement of the issues presented for review); cf. Brown v. Sielaff,
IV. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, we will affirm the district court's denial of appellant's motion for summary judgment. We will reverse the district court's entry of summary judgment for appellees on appellant's federal claims concerning his discharge and remand them for trial on the merits. Costs will be taxed against appellees.
Notes
Honorable Joseph H. Rodriguez, United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, sitting by designation
On December 20, 1984, the OFCCP concluded that "[n]o elements of race consideration were found in complainant's termination." Appendix for Appellant ("App.") at 838. The record also indicates that Jackson withdrew his PHRC and EEOC charges before either of those agencies had made a determination. See id. at 529, 531 (Deposition of Matthew E. Jackson, Jr.). Jackson did, however, receive right to sue letters from these agencies on November 11, 1984, and December 17, 1984, respectively. Brief for Appellant at 27
At the same time the district court granted appellees' motion for summary judgment, it also denied Jackson's contemporaneous motion for summary judgment. Jackson separately appeals the denial of his summary judgment motion, claiming that, at stage two of the shifting McDonnell Douglas burdens, appellees failed to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for their challenged acts. In reality, however, this aspect of Jackson's appeal amounts to a claim that appellees' proffered reasons for terminating him are unsupported by a preponderance of the evidence and therefore are not worthy of credence. See Brief for Appellant at 39-46. We conclude that any such assessment must be made by the factfinder at trial; "[a]t the summary judgment stage, 'the judge's function is not ... to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial.' " Equimark Commercial Fin. Co. v. C.I.T. Fin. Servs. Corp.,
We also note Sullivan's alleged statement of "hope [that Jackson] doesn't think the black judges can help him." App. at 52a (Deposition of Matthew E. Jackson, Jr.); see also id. at 284 (same)
Although the oral argument has not, to our knowledge, been transcribed, these quotations from appellees' argument were obtained with care from the Court's audio tape
This is the record evidence and the inferences drawn therefrom that a court is not, at the summary judgment phase, free to minimize, much less disbelieve. Molthan, which was not a summary judgment case, did, by contrast, involve our Court's refusal to credit evidence--allegations that defendants there made a number of sexist comments--that "[t]he district judge did not believe...."
The district court found that "the grievance procedure upon which plaintiff relies is applicable only to classified employees whose code numbers appear in a specified list of job titles, which does not include plaintiff's job." Jackson, No. 85-0264, mem. op. at 2 (W.D.Pa. June 11, 1986)
