2008 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 7-7-2008 

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. P athm ark S t ores Inc 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 . 07-2731

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. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " H e r shg or don v

. P athm ark S t or e s Inc " (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 892. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/892NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N o. 07- 2731 RO BE RT HE RS HGOR DON,

A ppel l ant v . P ATHM ARK ST ORES , I NC. O n 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 E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i vi l N o. 06- cv- 01234) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H on. T i m othyJ . Savage Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J une 6, 2008 B E FO R E : A M B R O , C H A G A R E S and C O W E N , C i r cui tJ udges

( Fi l ed: J ul y7, 2008) OP I NI ON C O W E N , C i r cui tJ udge. R obertH er s hgor don appea l s fr om the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s gr antof s um m aryj udgm ent in f av o r of P athm ark S tores, Inc . (“P athm ark ”). H ersh g o rdo n asse rt ed that P athm ark d isc rim in a ted a g a in st h im b a se d o n h is d isa b ili tyw h e n it d id n o t allo w h im to re tu rn to

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wo r k f o l l o wi n g b a c k s u r g e r y . W e wi l l a f f i r m. I. H ersh g o rdo n b eg an w o rkin g fo r P athm ark in A p ri l 20 0 2 as a sh iftsu p erv isor. In J ul y2002, H er s hgor don i nj ur ed hi s back w hi l e on the j ob. A ft erthi s i nj ury , H er s hgor don cont i nued t o w or k atPathm ark w i thoutr es tr i ct i ons . I n Sept ember2002, H er s hgor don w a s p ro m o te d to n ig h t s to re m a n a g e r. H er s hgor don underw entback s ur geryi n A ugus t2003. H e w as outof w or k fr om A ugus t2003 unt i l O ct ober2003. H er s hgor don w as s ubj ectt o cert ai n doct or ’ s r es tr i ct i ons upon hi s r eturn t o w or k. In Ja n u a ry2 0 0 4 , H e rsh g o rd o n u n d e rw e n t a s e c o n d b a c k su rg e ry . H e w a s u n a b le to re tu rn to w o rk f

o r e ig h t m o n th s. In S e p tem b e r 2 0 0 4 , h is d o c to r c lea re d h im to re tu rn to w o rk w ith c e rta in re stric tio n s. P a th m a rk d e ter m in e d th a t h e c o u ld n o t re tu rn to w o rk w ith th e re s tr ic tio n s a s g iv e n , a n d d e n ie d h is re q u e s t to re tu rn to w o rk . S u b se q u e n tly , a P a th m a rk o f f icia l su g g e ste d to H e rsh g o rd o n th a t h e su b m it a r eques tfora r eas onabl e ac comm odat i on. O n N ovember2, 2004, H er s hgor don s ubm i t t ed a r eques tfora r eas onabl e ac comm odat i on al ong w i th a phy s i cal capa bi l i t i es eval uat i on fi l l ed outbyhi s doct or . H er s hgor don s peci fi cal l yr eques t ed thathe r eturn t o the ni ght m anage rpos i t i on, orthathe be pr om ot ed t o a tr ai nee f oras s i s t ants t or e manageror gener al s t or e manager . O n N ovember11, 2004, Pathm ark’ s A m er i can W i th D i s abi l i t i es (“A D A ”) c o m m ittee d en ied H ersh g o rdo n ’s req u est fo r a rea so n ab le ac co m m o d ati o n . In

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d en y ing the re q u est, the c o m m ittee n o ted th at i t caref u ll yco n side red the d o ctor’s m andat ed r es tr i ct i ons as theyr el at ed t o H er s hgor don’ s ni ghtm anage rpos i t i on. T he c o m m itt e e c o n c lu d e d th a t th e w o rk a c tiv ityre stric tio n s w e re su c h th a t an yre a so n a b le acc om m odat i on w oul d be i ns uffi ci entt o al l ow H er s hgor don t o funct i on as a non- uni on as s oci at e. O n N o v e m b e r 2 1 , 2 0 0 4 , H e rsh g o rd o n su b m itt e d a se c o n d re q u e st f o r a re a so n a b le acc om m odat i on al ong w i th a phy s i cal capa bi l i t i es form fi l ed outbyhi s doct orthatw as l es s r es tr i ct i ve than the N ovember2 s ubm i s s i on. Pathm ark’ s A D A comm i t t ee r ej ect ed thi s s econd r eques t . Speci fi cal l y , the comm i t t ee not ed thatw hi l e the new r es tr i ct i ons i l l us tr at ed H er s hgor don’ s i m pr ovement , the r eas onabl e ac comm odat i ons thatcoul d be p ro v id e d w o u ld b e in s u f f ic ie n t f o r H e rs h g o rd o n to f

u n c tio n a s a n o n -u n io n a s s o c ia te . I n J anuary2005, Pathm ark’ s A D A comm i t t ee r eopene d H er s hgor don’ s cas e bas ed o n an ind ep en d en t m ed ical ex am ination . W h il e the co m m ittee n o ted H ersh g o rdo n ’s cont i nued i m pr ovement , i tonce a gai n found thatanyr eas onabl e ac comm odat i on that P at hm ark m i gh tprovide w ou l d b e i nsuff i ci ent t o en able H ers hg ordon t o fu ncti on as a non- uni on as s oci at e. In M a rc h 2 0 0 6 , H e rsh g o rd o n f iled h is c o m p lain t in th e D istric t C o u rt. H e rsh g o rd o n a lleg e d th a t P a th m a rk v io late d th e A D A w h e n it ref u se d to re in sta te h im to the ni ghts t or e managerpos i t i on. A ft erthe cl os e of di s covery , the D i s tr i ctC our tgr ant ed su m m a ryju d g m e n t in f a v o r o f P a th m a rk . It d e ter m in e d th a t H e rsh g o rd o n f a iled to

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e s ta b lis h h is p ri m a f

a c ie c a s e b e c a u s e P a th m a rk d id n o t r e g a rd h im a s d is a b le d . H e rsh g o rd o n tim e lyf

iled a n o tice o f

a p p e a l. II. W e h av e a p p ell ate jurisdicti o n p u rsua n t t o 2 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 9 1 . W e e x erc ise p lena ry r evi ew overa D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s or dergr ant i ng s um m aryj udgm ent . See Lexi ngt on I ns . C o. v . W . P a . H o s p ., 4 2 3 F .3 d 3 1 8 , 3 2 2 n .2 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 5 ). III . T h e A D A p ro h ib its d isc rim in a tio n a g a in st a q u a lifie d in d iv id u a l w ith a d isa b ili ty b e c a u se o f

th e d isa b ili tyo f

su c h in d iv id u a l. S e e 4 2 U .S .C . § 1 2 1 1 2 (a ). T o m a k e o u t a pr i m a fa ci e ca s e of di s cr i m i nat i on underthe A D A , a per s on m us tes t abl i s h thathe ( 1) has a di s abi l i ty ; ( 2) i s a qual i fi ed i ndi vi dual ; and ( 3) has s uffe r ed an a dver s e empl oym ent act i on beca us e of thatdi s abi l i ty . See Turne rv. H er s heyC hocol at e, U . S. , 440 F. 3d 604, 611 ( 3d C i r . 2006) ( ci t at i ons om i t t ed) . “The t erm ‘ di s abi l i ty ’ m eans , w i th r es pectt o an i ndi vi dual - ( A ) a phy s i cal orm ent al i m pai r m entthats ubs t ant i al l yl i m i t s one of the maj or l i fe a ct i vi t i es of s uch i ndi vi dual ; ( B ) a r ecor d of s uch an i m pai r m ent ; or( C ) bei ng r egar ded as havi ng s uch an i m pai r m ent . ” 42 U . S. C . § 12102( 2) . I n thi s cas e, H er s hgor don as s ert ed thatPathm ark r egar ded hi m as havi ng a di s abi l i typur s uantt o pr ong ( C ) of the A D A ’ s di s abi l i tydefi ni t i on. A per s on i s “r egar ded as ” havi ng a di s abi l i tyi f he:

( 1) H as a phy s i cal orm ent al i m pai r m entthatdoes not s ubs t ant i al l yl i m i tm aj orl i fe a ct i vi t i es buti s tr eat ed bythe cover ed ent i tyas cons t i tut i ng s uch l i m i t at i on; (2 ) H a s a p h y sic a l o r m e n tal im p a irm e n t th a t su b sta n tially

### 5 l i m i t s m aj orl i fe a ct i vi t i es onl yas a r es ul tof the att i tudes of other s t ow ar d s uch i m pai r m ent ; or ( 3) H as [no s uch i m pai r m ent ] buti s tr eat ed bya cove r ed e n titya s h a v in g a su b sta n tiallylim iti n g im p a irm e n t. T ay l orv. Pathm ark St or es , I nc. , 177 F. 3d 180, 187 ( 3d C i r . 1999) . T o pr evai l undert he “r egar ded as ” pr ong, the pl ai nt i ff mustes t abl i s h thatthe empl oy erbel i eved thathe w as l i m i t ed i n hi s abi l i tyt o w or k i n “ei thera cl as s of j obs ora br oad r ange of j obs i n var i ous cl as s es as compar ed t o t he ave r age pe r s on havi ng compar abl e tr ai ni ng, s ki l l s , and abi l i t i es . ” See Sutt on v. U ni t ed A i rL i nes , I nc. , 527 U . S. 471, 491 ( 1999) . St at ed di ffe r ent l y , “t o be r egar ded as s ubs t ant i al l yl i m i t ed i n the maj orl i fe a ct i vi tyof w or ki ng, one mustbe r egar ded as pr ecl uded fr om m or e than a pa r t i cul arj ob. ” M urphyv. U ni t ed P a r c e l S e r v . , I n c . , 5 2 7 U. S . 5 1 6 , 5 2 3 ( 1 9 9 9 ) ; s e e a l s o T a y l o r , 1 7 7 F . 3 d a t1 9 2 ( “ An empl oy erw ho s i m pl y , and err oneous l y , bel i eves thata per s on i s i ncapa bl e of pe r form i ng a part i cul arj ob w i l l notbe l i abl e underthe A D A . L i abi l i tyatt ache s onl yt o a mi s t ake that caus es the empl oy ert o per cei ve the empl oy ee a s di s abl ed w i thi n the meani ng of the A D A , i. e ., a m ista k e th a t lea d s th e e m p lo y e r to th in k th a t th e e m p lo y e e is s u b sta n tially li m it ed in a m ajor li fe ac ti v ity . ”). I n thi s cas e, the r ecor d i ndi cat ed thatPathm ark onl ycons i der ed H er s hgor don t o be tem p o ra rilyin c a p a b le o f p e rf o rm in g h is jo b o f

n ig h t sto re m a n a g e r. T h is is n o t en o u g h to m ak e P athm ark li ab le un d er the A D A . S u m m aryjud g m en t w as p rop er b ec au se P athm ark onl yr egar ded H er s hgor don’ s i nj uryas t empora ry . See R i nehi m erv. C emcol i ft , I nc. , 292 F . 3 d 3 7 5 , 3 8 0 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 2 ) (no ti n g that tem p o raryn o n -ch ron ic i m p airm en t of sh o rt

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d u ra tio n is n o t a d is a b ility c o v e re d b yth e A D A ); s e e a ls o P o lla rd v . H ig h ’s o f B a lt., I n c ., 281 F. 3d 462, 471 n. 5 ( 4th C i r . 2002) ( not i ng thatthe empl oy erdi d notr egar d empl oy ee as di s abl ed w her e the dec i s i on nott o al l ow empl oy ee t o r eturn t o w or k “w as notdone bas ed on a f

aul typer cept i on thats he w oul d neverr eturn t o thatpos i t i on”) . I ndeed, H ersh g o rdo n ’s ow n d o ctor told P athm ark ’s A D A co m m ittee tha t H ersh g o rdo n ’s p ro g n o sis w a s “ g o o d .” F u rth e rm o re , an e m p lo y e r o n lyre g a rd s a p e rso n a s d isa b led if it det erm i nes thatthe per s on cannotper form a w i de r ange of j obs . See Tay l or , 177 F. 3d at 192; s ee a l s o K el l yv. D r exel U ni v. , 94 F. 3d 102, 109 ( 3d C i r . 1996) ( “the mer e fa ctt hat an empl oy eri s aw ar e of a n empl oy ee’ s i m pai r m enti s i ns uffi ci entt o demonstr at e ei ther thatthe empl oy err egar ded the empl oy ee a s di s abl ed orthatthatper cept i on caus ed the a d v e rse e m p lo ym e n t ac tio n ” ). H e rsh g o rd o n re lies h e a v ilyo n T a y lo r in h is a p p e llate br i ef. H ow ever , thi s cas e i s unl i ke Tay l or . I n T ay l or , the empl oy erdet erm i ned thatt he p l a i n t i f f wa s u n a b l e t o p e r f

o r m any j ob i n the s uperm arket . See 177 F. 3d at188.

I V. T he D i s tr i ctC our tpr oper l yent er ed s um m aryj udgm enti n favorof Pathm ark. A p p e l l a n t ’ s u n c o n t e s t e d m o t i o n t o s tr i k e a p o r t i o n o f h i s a p p e l l a t e b r i e f

i s g r a n t e d . We w ill a f f ir m .