FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT M ay 1, 2008 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

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________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 05 -026 73 -C V -R W S -1 J E F F E R Y H A L L , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s G R E A T - W E S T H E A L T H C A R E , GR E AT - WE S T L I F E & A NN UI T Y I N S U R A N C E C O ., D e f e n d a n ts - A p p e lle e s , K R I S T I H O L T , S HA R ON HA Z E L T ON D e f e n d a n ts .

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________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 05 -026 75 -C V -R W S -1 L I S A W I L L I A M S , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t,2 v ersu s G R E A T - W E S T H E A L T H C A R E , GR E AT - WE S T L I F E & A NN UI T Y I N S U R A N C E C O ., D e f e n d a n ts - A p p e lle e s , P A T T Y N U Z Z O , K R I S T I H O L T , e t a l., D e f e n d a n ts .

________________________ N o. 07- 14125 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 05 -026 76 -C V -R W S -1 S O N Y A R A D I N A B R O W N , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s G R E A T - W E S T H E A L T H C A R E , G R E A T - W E S T L I F E & A N N U I T Y I N S U R A N C E C O ., K R I S T I H O L T , S H A R O N H A Z E L T O N , D e f e n d a n ts - A p p e lle e s .3 ________________________ N o. 07- 14126 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 05 -026 77 -C V -R W S -1 L A T I S H A F O R B E S , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s G R E A T - W E S T H E A L T H C A R E , G R E A T - W E S T L I F E & A N N U I T Y I N S U R A N C E C O ., D e f e n d a n ts - A p p e lle e s , K R I S T I H O L T , S H A R O N H A Z E L T O N , D e f e n d a n ts .

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rom the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e N o r th e rn D is tr ic t o f G e o r g ia

_________________________ ( M ay 1, 2008) B efo re E D M O N D S O N , C h i ef Ju d g e, P R Y O R an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:4

J e f f e ry H a l l , L i s a W i l l i a m s , S ony aB r ow n, a nd L a t i s haF orbe s , c urr e nta nd fo rm er em p l o yees o f G reat -W estH eal th care, app eal su m m ary j u d g m en t s ag ai n st the i rc om pl a i nt s of

e m pl oy m e ntdi s c r i m i na t i on unde rf e de r a l l a w a nd ne gl i ge nt re t ent i on and sup ervi si on un der G eorgi a l aw . T he em pl oyee s a rgue thatthe di stri ct c our te rr e d i n i t s e vi de nt i a ry rul i ngs a nd m a de i m pe rm i s s i bl e f i ndi ngs of

f a c t , but the em pl oyee s f

ai l t o exp l ai n w hy they a re ent i t l ed t o a re vers al of the sum m ary ju d g m e n ts . W e a f

f irm . I . B AC KG RO UN D A cen tral co m p o n en to f th e em p l o yees’ al l eg at i o n s o f d i scri m i n at i o n ag ai n st G r e a t - W e s ta r e pape rc opi e s of e m a i l s tha tc ont a i ne d r a c i a l l y de r oga t ory l a ngua ge al l eg ed l y sen tb y S h aro n H azel t o n , a m an ag er atG reat -W est , t o B arb ara V an V o ri s, an em pl oyee of G re at -W es t . B row n d i sc ov er ed the paper copi es on her off i ce chai r. T ho m as A ki n, a c om pu t erfore nsi cs experthi re d b y G re atW es t , concl ud ed tha te l e c tr oni c ve r s i ons of the pape rc opi e s w e r e nots e ntorr e c e i ve d ove rthe G r e a t - W e s tc om put e rne tw ork. A m agi stra t e j ud ge rul ed thatthe paper copi es of the al l eged em ai l s w er e i na dm i s s i bl e be c a us e the pape rc opi e s w e r e nota uthe nt i c . T he m a gi s tr a t e j udge a ls o r e je c te d th e e m p lo y e e s ’ a tte m p t to e x c lu d e th e te s tim o n y a n d r e p o r t o f A k in . T he m agi stra t e j ud ge re com m ended thatthe di stri ctcourtgrantsum m ary5

j ud gm ent s i n favor of G re at -W es tagai nstea ch em pl oyee . T he di stri ctcourt a f f i rm e d the e vi de nt i a ry rul i ngs a nd a dopt e d the r e c om m e nda t i ons of the m a g is tr a te ju d g e a n d e n te r e d s u m m a ry ju d g m e n ts in f a v o ro f G r e a t- W e s t. I I . STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW W e r e v ie w a s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t d e n o v o . S h u f o r d v . F id . N a t’l P r o p . & C as . Ins. C o. , 50 8 F . 3d 13 37 , 13 41 (11th C i r. 20 07 ). “ W e app l y the sa m e l egal st andards thatbo un d the di stri ctcourtand v i ew al l fa ct s a nd re as on abl e i nfer ence s i n the l i ghtm os tf

a vor abl e t o the nonm ovi ng pa r ty . ” I d.

I I I . DI S CUS S I ON T he e m pl oy e e s r a i s e tw o i s s ue s on appe a l . F i r s t , the e m pl oy e e s c ha l l e nge the evi dent i ary rul i ng s of the di stri ctcourt . S ec on d, the em pl oyee s c on t end that the di stri ctcourtm ade i m perm i ss i bl e f ac tual fi nd i ng s. A s t o eac h i ss ue, w e a re l ef t t o w on der w hether G re at -W es tw as ent i t l ed t o sum m ary j ud gm enti n i t s f avor. T he em pl oyee s c on t end thatthe di stri ctcourterroneou sl y e xcl ud ed e vi de nc e , e rr one ous l y pe rm i tt e d e xpe r te vi de nc e , a nd f a i l e d t o appl y the doc tr i ne o f s p o ila tio n . T h e e m p lo y e e s a r g u e th a t th e r e w a s s u f f ic ie n t e v id e n c e to authent i ca t e the paper copi es of the em ai l s. T he em pl oyee s c on t end thatthe re po rt and t es t i m on y of A ki n sho ul d h ave been excl ud ed fr om the evi dent i ary r ec ord because A ki n w as no tqu al i fi ed t o p rovi de an expertop i ni on and h i s opi ni on re l i ed6

on i nsuffi ci entdat a. T he em pl oyee s s ug gestthatthe copi es of the em ai l s a re e n title d to a p r e s u m p tio n o f a u th e n tic ity b e c a u s e o f th e s p o ila tio n d o c tr in e . T he pr obl e m w i th the e m pl oy e e s ’ a r gum e nt s aboutthe s e e vi de nt i a ry rul i ngs i s thatthe em pl oyee s neverexpl ai n w hy these al l eged err ors by the di stri ctcourt m att er . T he em pl oyee s f ai l t o exp l ai n w hether the re sol ut i on of these evi dent i ary ru l i n g s i n th ei r fav o r w o u l d creat e g en u i n e i ssu es o f m at eri al facto r o th erw i se pr e c l ude the s um m a ry j udgm e nt s i n f a vorof G r e a t - W e s t . B e c a us e “ [ a ] n a r gum e nt notm a de i s w a i ve d, ” C ont ’ l T e c hni c a l S e rvs . v. R oc kw e l l I nt ’ l C orp. , 927 F . 2d 1198, 1199 ( 11th C i r . 1991) , the e m pl oy e e s ha ve w a i ve d a ny a r gum e nttha tthe e v id e n tia ry ru lin g s p r e c lu d e d th e s u m m a ry ju d g m e n ts in f a v o ro f G r e a t- W e s t. T he em pl oyee s’ other bare obj ec t i on i s thatthe di stri ctcourt“ drew in f e r e n c e s a n d c o n c lu s io n s o f f a c t a g a in s t, r a th e rth a n in f a v o ro f ,” th e e m p lo y e e s . T he F e de r a l R ul e s of

A ppe l l a t e P r oc e dur e r e qui r e br i e f s of appe l l a nt s t o i nc l ude

“ ci t at i on s t o the autho ri t i es and p art s of the re cord on w hi ch the appel l antre l i es , ” F ed. R . A pp . P . 28 (a )( 9)(A ), bu tthe em pl oyee s di d n otdesc ri be a s i ng l e i nfer ence o rf in d in g o f f a c t m a d e b y th e d is tr ic t c o u r t. I n s te a d , th e e m p lo y e e s d ir e c t th is C ou rtt o argum ent s c on t ai ned i n 8 1 p ages of four se para t e f i l i ng s i n the di stri ct c our t . T he s e a r gum e nt s onl y i nc orpor a t e d by r e f e r e nc e a r e w a i ve d. F ourS e a s ons H ot el s & R es ort s, B . V . v. C on sorc i o B arr S . A . , 37 7 F . 3d 11 64 , 11 67 n. 4 (11 th C i r.7

20 04 ). W e r ej ec tthe em pl oyee s a tt em ptt o “ bypass the rul es go verni ng spac e l i m i t at i on s a nd tra nsfe r [ thei r] du ty t o m ake a rgum ent s t o the j ud ges of thi s panel . ” I d. T he e m pl oy e e s ha ve w a i ve d a ny a r gum e nttha tthe di s tr i c tc our tm a de i m perm i ss i bl e f

ac tual fi nd i ng s or i nfer ence s. C on t ’ l T ec hn i ca l S ervs. , 92 7 F . 2d at 1199. I V . CONCL US I ON W e AF F I RM th e s u m m a ry ju d g m e n ts in f a v o ro f G r e a t- W e s t.