2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 3-19-2009 

# E ric K el le rm an v . UP M C S t M argaret P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-1685

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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w . vi l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " E r ic Ke l le rm a n v

. UP MC S t M argar e t " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1721. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1721T he H onor abl e J os eph E. I r enas , Seni orU ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctJ udge fort he * D is tr ic t o f

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___________________ A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt F o r th e W e ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( 2- 06- cv- 00528) H onor abl e Ter r ence F. M cV err y , U . S. D i s t r i ctJ udge

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Judge * (F il ed : M arc h 1 9 , 2 0 0 9 )2



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! 0000 Couns e l f or t heAppe llant Al l i s on Fe l ds t e i n, Es q. J ohn J . Mye r s , Es q. E ck ert, S eam an s, C h erin& M ello tt Su it e 200 , 600 Grant Str ee t 44 Floo r, US . Ste elTo wer th 

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OP I NI ON OF THE COURT M cK E E , C i r cui tJ udge Er i c K e l l e r man ( “ K e l l e r man” ) a pp e a l s t he e ntr yof s umm a r yj ud gmen ti n f a vo rof U PM C S t. M arg are t H o sp it al (“S M H ”) in the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rtfo r th e W estern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a di s m i s s i ng K el l erm an’ s cl ai m s of s exual har as s m entand r et al i at i on. Fort he r eas ons t hatfol l ow , w e conc l ude thatt her e ar e genui ne i s s ues of m a te ri a l f

a c t a s to b o th c la im s a n d w ill th e re f o re re v e rs e th e g ra n t o f

s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t. I . B eca us e w e w r i t e pr i m ar i l yfort he part i es , i ti s notnece s s aryt o r eci t e the fa ct s orT h e s ta n d a rd o f re v ie w f o r a n o rd e r g ra n tin g s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t is p le n a ry. 1 Knabe v. B our

y C or p. , 114 F. 3d 407, 410 n. 10 ( 3d C i r . 1997) . T he r ecor d i s cons i der ed in th e lig h t m o s t f

a v o ra b le to th e n o n -m o v in g p a rt y . C e lo tex C o rp . v. C a tre tt , 47 7 U. S. 3 1 7 , 3 2 3 (1 9 8 6 ). V iew e d in th a t li g h t, th e re c o rd m u st e sta b lish th a t th e re a re sp e c if ic g e n u in e is s u e s o f

m a te ri a l f

a c t f o r t ri a l. A nders on v. Li ber t y Lobby , 477 U . S. 242, 256 (1 9 8 6 ). S e e A n dre w s v . C ity o f P h ila d e lp h ia , 895 F. 2d 1469, 1482 ( 3d C i r . 1990) ( s et t i ng 2 for t h t he t es tfors exual har as s m entw her e the pl ai nt i ff mustpr ove ( 1) he s uffe r ed i nt ent i onal di s cr i m i nat i on beca us e of hi s s ex; ( 2) t he di s cr i m i nat i on w as s ever e or p e rv a siv e ; (3 ) th e d isc rim in a tio n d e trim e n tallya f f e c ted h im ; (4 ) th e d isc rim in a tio n w o u ld detr i m ent al l yaff

ecta r eas onabl e per s on of the s ame se x i n t hatpos i t i on; and ( 5) t he e x iste n c e o f

re sp o n d e n t su p e rio r liab ili ty ). T h e d istric t co u rt n o ted th a t b e c a u se th e f if th pr ong w as notes t abl i s hed, i tw as notnece s s aryt o deci de w hethert he s econd pr ong w as e s ta b lis h e d . Kel l er m an v. U PM CSt . Mar

gar et , 2008 U . S. D i s t . L E X I S 10064 at*22 n .4 .(W .D .P a . F e b 1 1 , 2 0 0 8 ).

S e e Mo o re v . C ity o

f P h ila d e lp h ia , 4 6 1 F .3 d 3 3 1 , 3 4 0 -4 1 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 6 ) (to 3 es t abl i s h a cl ai m of r et al i at i on underT i t l e V I I , a pl ai nt i ff mustpr ove that( 1) he enga ged i n a c t i v i t yp r o t e c t e d b yTi t l e VI I ; ( 2 ) t h e e mp l o y e rt o o k a n a d v e r s e a c t i o n a g a i n s th i m; a n d (3 ) th e re w a s a c a u sa l co n n e c tio n b e tw e e n h is p a rticip a tio n in th e p ro tec ted a c tiv ity and the adve r s e empl oym entact i on) . T he di s t r i ctcour tnot ed thatbeca us e i tfound a l ack o f c a u sa l co n n e c tio n , itd id n o t n e e d to d e c id e w h e th e r K e llerm a n a c tu a llye n g a g e d in p ro te c te d a c tiv ity. Kel l er m an , 2 0 0 8 U .S . D is t. L E X IS 1 0 0 6 4 , a t * 2 7 n .5 . 3 h ist o ryo f th is case ex ce p t i n so fa r as m ayb e h elpf u l t o o u r brief

d iscu ssion . W ith reg ard

1 t o K el l erm an’ s s exual har as s m entcl ai m , t he di s t r i ctcour tfound thatK el l erm an di d not es t abl i s h r es pondeats uper i orl i abi l i t y , t he fi fth pr ong of the A nd rew s t es t . K el l erm an 2 now ar gues t hatt he di s t r i ctcour terr ed i n hol di ng s o beca us e he ga ve SM H m anage m ent n o tice th a t M s. H e m p h ill w a s h a ra ss in g h im a n d m a n a g e m e n t f a iled to a d e q u a tely re sp o n d . T h e d istric t co u rt d ism iss e d K e llerm a n ’s r e talia tio n c laim b a se d o n its concl us i on t hathe had notes t abl i s hed a c aus al nexus betw een hi s s exual har as s m ent compl ai ntand hi s t erm i nat i on. O n appea l , K el l erm an ar gues t hatt her e i s a fa ctual 34

di s put e bas ed on the t i m i ng of the t er m i nat i on of hi s empl oym entas w el l as evi dence t hat SM H m anage m ental r eadyknew abouthi s pr evi ous empl oym entatD i vi ne Pr ovi dence H o sp ital w e ll b e f

o re th e yc h o se to ter m in a te h is e m p lo ym e n t. H e re lies u p o n th e latte r to ar gue thata fa ct fi ndercoul d r egar d SM H ’ s r eas on fort erm i nat i ng hi m as pr et extual and in ste a d c o n c lu d e th a t h e w a s a c tu a llyter m in a ted b e c a u se h e e n g a g e d in a c tiv ityth a t is p rotec ted u n d er T it le V II. II. T o es t abl i s h r es pondents uper i orl i abi l i t yand ther ebys at i s fyt he fi fth pr ong of An dr e ws , an empl oy ee mustpr es ents uffi ci entevi dence t o r ai s e genui ne i s s ues of m at er i al fac taboutw hethert he “de fenda ntknew ors houl d have know n of the har as s m entand fai l ed t o t ake pr om ptr emedi al act i on. ” An dr e ws , 895 F. 2d at1486 ( i nt ernal quot at i on m arks and cit at i on s om i t t ed). O nce an em ploy er has noti ce of al l eged harass m ent, i tm ust ta k e p ro m p t r e m e d ia l a c tio n th a t is re a s o n a b ly ca lc u la te d to p re v e n t f u rt h e r h a ra s s m e n t. Knabe , 1 1 4 F .3 d a t 4 1 2 . W hetherSM H t ook pr om ptr emedi al act i on upon l earni ng of the har as s m ent cannotbe det erm i ned on s um m aryj udgementbeca us e ther e i s a mat er i al di s put e about w h en S M H k n ew o f H em p h il l’ s all eg ed h ara ssm en t. K ell erm an claim s tha t i n N o v em b er, 2003, he compl ai ned aboutH emphi l l ’ s conductt o R eed a nd s hor t l yt her eaf t ert o N apl es and Fant i ni . A ccor di ng t o K el l erm an, t hos e compl ai nt s putSM H on not i ce thathe w as bei ng s exual l yhar as s ed bec aus e he s ai d H emphi l l w as “i nfatuat ed” a nd “bother i ng hi m . ”5

T he di s t r i ctcour tdi s agr eed. T he courtconcl uded thatSM H w as notgi ven not i ce of t he sexual nature of the harass m ent unt i l K el l erm an’s M ay20 04 com plai nt t o S aun ders, b e c a u se u n til th e n K e llerm a n h a d o n lyre f e rre d to H e m p h ill ’s le tters a n d c a rd s, b u t d id n o t s p e c if

ic a lly c o m p la in th a t h e r c o n d u c t h a d a n y th in g to d o w ith h is g e n d e r. T her e i s obvi ous l ya fa ctual di s put e aboutw hen K el l erm an fi r s tnot i fi ed SM H of t he al l eged ha r as s m entas w el l as w hetherthe not i ce gi ven w as adequa t e t o pl ace SM H on not i ce thatH emphi l l ’ s conductt ow ar d K el l erm an w as genderbas ed. Fol l ow i ng t he N ovemberm eet i ng, SM H i s s ued a ve rbal w arni ng t o H emphi l l , butt he ade quacyof that w arni ng i s y etanotherfac tual di s put e thatcannotbe r es ol ved att he s um m aryj udgm ent s t a ge . M or e ov e r , i n M a y , 20 04 , w he n Kel l e r man p r od uc e d o ve r t l ys e xu a l l e t t e r s , SM H s us pended H emphi l l forfi ve day s and then tr ans ferr ed hert o a di ffe r ents hi ft . A l t hough she nev er w orked w i t h K el l erm an ag ai n, w e beli eve the adeq uacyof thatres po nse i s al so an issue o f f

ac t m aterial to S M H ’s l iabili tyu n d er T it le V II. A c c o r d i n g l y, K e l l e r m a n ’ s c l a i m o f g e n d e rd i s c r i m i n a t i o n c a n n o tb e r e s o l v e d b y a m ot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent , and the di s t r i ctcour terr ed bygr ant i ng s um m aryj udgm ent o n t h a tc l a i m. III . K el l erm an al s o ar gues t hatt he di s t r i ctcour terr ed i n gr ant i ng s um m aryj udgm ent t o SM H on hi s r et al i at i on cl ai m . U nder§ 704( a) of Ti t l e V I I , an empl oy eri s pr ohi bi t ed fr om r et al i at i ng agai ns tan empl oy ee “ beca us e he ha s oppos ed anypr act i ce made an6

unl aw ful empl oym entpr act i ce byt hi s s ubchapt er . ” 42 U . S. C . § 2000e- 3( a) . T he di s t r i ct cour tfound thatK el l erm an fa i l ed t o es t abl i s h a p rim a fa c ie cas e forr et al i at i on beca us e he di d notes t abl i s h a ca us al connec t i on betw een hi s s exual har as s m entcompl ai ntand the te rm in a tio n o f

h is e m p lo ym e n t. K el l erm an cl ai m s t hatt he t i m i ng of hi s t erm i nat i on i s “unus ual l ys ugges t i ve” beca us e he w as t erm i nat ed l es s t han a mont h aft erhe fi l ed hi s compl ai nti n 2004. T he l aw i s w el l s et t l ed thata pl ai nt i ff mayes t abl i s h a ca us al connec t i on bys how i ng a s uffi ci ent l ys ugges t i ve t empora l r el at i ons hi p betw een the pr ot ect ed ac t i vi t yand the al l eged ret al i at orycon du ctor bysubm i t t i ng “ci rcum st anti al evidence . . . t hat gi ve[s] r i se t o an i nfer ence of ca us at i on. ” Mar r a v. P hi l adel phi a H ous . A uth. , 497 F. 3d 286, 302 ( 3d C i r . 2007) . W hi l e ther e i s no pers e rul e abo ut r el y i ng on t em po ral proxim i t yt o est abli sh c a u sa tio n in re talia tio n c a se s, th e p ro b a tiv e v a lu e d e p e n d s o n “ h o w p ro x im a te th e e v e n ts actual l yw er e, and the cont exti n w hi ch the i s s ue ca m e bef or e us . ” Farrel lv. P l an t ers Li f es aver s C o. , 2 0 6 F . 3 d 2 7 1 , 2 7 9 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 0 ). SM H ar gues t hatt he t i m i ng her e i s nots uffi ci entt o es t abl i s h caus at i on. A l t hough t her e i s s om e author i t ys ugges t i ng t hatt i m i ng al one i s nots uffi ci entt o es t abl i s h a ca us al c o n n e c tio n , D e lli S a n ti v . C N A In s . C o , 88 F . 3d 19 2, 19 9 n . 1 (3d C i r. 19 96 ), w e hav e al so exp l ai ned t hat t i m i ng t hat i s “‘ un usuall ysugg est i ve’ of ret al i at orym oti ve” m ayest abli sh a c a u s a l lin k . Kr ous e v. A m er i can St er i l iz erC o. , 126 F. 3d 494, 503 ( 3d C i r . 1997) ( ci t i ng R obi ns on v. C i t

y of P i t t s bur gh , 1 2 0 F .3 d 1 2 8 6 , 1 3 0 2 (3 d C ir. 1 9 9 7 )). W h e th e r o r n o t7

tim in g a lo n e w o u ld b e s u f f ic ie n t, K e lle rm a n h a s p ro d u c e d a d d itio n a l e v id e n c e o f p re te x t. A tt he depos i t i on, he t es t i fi ed thathe t ol d SM H of hi s pr i orempl oym enthi s t or yatD i vi ne Pr ovi dence w hen he w as fi r s ti nt ervi ew ed fort he j ob i n M ar ch, 2 002, butt hathi s fai l ur e t o i ncl ude thatpr i orempl oym enton hi s j ob appl i cat i on di d notbecome an i s s ue unt i l aft er h e f iled h is E E O C c o m p lain t. W e a g re e th a t th e tim in g o f h is te rm in a tio n c o m b in e d w ith evi dence of a pr et extual expl anat i on forhi s t erm i nat i on i s s uffi ci entt o es t abl i s h a p r i ma fa c ie c a se o f

re talia to ryd ism iss a l. W her e a pl ai nt i ff e s t abl i s hes a p rim a fa c ie r et al i at i on cas e, t he bur den s hi ft s t o t he d e f e n d a n t to a rt ic u la te a le g itim a te , n o n -r e ta lia to ry re a s o n f o r t h e a d v e rs e a c tio n . R eev es v. Sanders on P l um bi ng P r od. , I nc. , 530 U . S. 133, 142 ( 2000) . SM H r el i es on K el l erm an’ s i nacc ur at e empl oym entappl i cat i on. SM H cl ai m s t hati tdi d notl earn of K el l erm an’ s pas templ oym entatD i vi ne Pr ovi dence H os pi t al unt i l M ar t yK l i ng i nfor m ed R ee d in Ju n e 2 0 0 4 that K ell erm an h ad “w alke d o ff the jo b ” the re, an d that ith ad ev ery rig h t to th e n ter m in a te h im p u rsu a n t to its c o rre c tiv e a c tio n p o licy . A c c o rd in g to K el l erm an, how ever , SM H knew of hi s pas templ oym entw i t h D i vi ne Pr ovi dence H o sp it al as e arlyas M arc h 2 0 0 3 , y et did n o t t erm inate h is em p loy m en t un ti l a y ea r l ater, th re e w e e k s a f

te r h e c o m p la in e d o f

s e x u a l h a ra s s m e n t. Itis no t fo r a c o u rtto d ec ide th e sig n ifi ca n ce , if an y , o f th e ti m ing o f K ell erm an ’s t erm i nat i on orw hen SM H l earned of hi s pr i orempl oym ent . Such di s put es m us tbe reso lved b ya f

ac tfi n d er, an d the d istri ct co u rtthere fo re e rred in g ran ti n g su m m ary8

j u d g me n to n t h e r e t a l i a t i o n c l a i m. I V. Fort he r eas ons s t at ed above , w e r ever s e s um m aryj udgm entforSM H on K el l erm an’ s s exual har as s m entand r et al i at i on cl ai m s and r emand forfur t herpr ocee di ngs c o n s is te n t w ith th is o p in io n .