2010 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 9-17-2010 

# H oward Leb of

sky v . C ity of P hi l a delphi a 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 . 09-2873

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and 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 ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2010 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. 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 owar d L ebof

sk y v . C ity of P hi l a de lp hi a" (2010). 2010 D e cisio n s . P ape r 595. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010/595NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL

U N IT E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A L S F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

N o. 09- 2873

H O W A R D L E B O F S K Y , A ppel l ant

v. C IT Y O F P H IL A D E L P H IA

O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt fort he East ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a ( D . C . N o. 2- 06- cv- 05106 ) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le J. W il li am D itter

Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

Sept ember13, 2010 B efor e: SL O V I T E R , B A R R Y and SM I T H , C i r cui tJ udges

( Fi l ed: Sept ember17, 2010 ) OP I NI ON2

S L O V IT E R , C i r cui tJudge . A ppel l antH ow ar d L ebofs ky , an att orneyw ho w as form er l yempl oy ed i n t he Law D epart m entof the C i t yof Phi l adel phi a, appea l s fr om the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s gr antof su m m aryjud g m en t fo r de fe n d an t C ityo f P h il ad elph ia (“C ity ” o r “L aw D ep artm en t”). A ft erhe ac cept ed a hi gher - pay i ng j ob w i t h a pr i vat e l aw fi r m , L ebofs kyfi l ed a c om pl ai nt a g a in st th e C itya lleg in g a g e d isc rim in a tio n in v io latio n o f th e A g e D isc rim in a tio n in E m p lo ym e n t A c t ( “ A D E A ” ), 2 9 U .S .C . § § 6 2 1 , et s eq. , and r ace di s cr i m i nat i on and re ta lia tio n in v io la tio n o f T itle V II o f

th e C iv il R ig h ts A c t o f 1 9 6 4 (“ T itle V II ” ), as am ended , 4 2 U .S .C . § § 2 0 0 0 e , et . s eq. W e w ill a f f ir m . I. L ebofs kyw as hi r ed i n 1996 atage f or t y - s i x as a deputyci t ys ol i ci t ori n t he s peci al l i t i gat i on uni t , w her e he f ocus ed on def

endi ng the C i t yi n di s cr i m i nat i on and r et al i at i on a c tio n s. W ith in f

o u r y e a rs h e w a s n a m e d th e a c tin g c h ief d e p u tyo f

th e u n it. In F eb rua ry2 0 0 0 , the m ay o r ap p o inted K en n eth T ruji ll o as th e n ew cityso li cit o r. T ruj i l l o m er ged the l aborand empl oym entfunct i ons of the s peci al l i t i gat i on uni ti nt o one new depart m ent . L ebofs ky ’ s pos i t i on as act i ng chi ef de putys ol i ci t orw as t erm i nat ed and a new s upervi s or ypos i t i on, l aborand empl oym entchi ef de put ys ol i ci t or , w as cr eat ed. D es pi t e Lebofs ky ’ s pr ofes s ed i nt er es ti n t hatpos i t i on, T ruj i l l o s el ect ed Pet erW i nebr ake, a thi r t y - four - y ear - ol d w hi t e mal e, fr om out s i de the Law D epart m ent . L ebofs kyw as t hen fi ftyy ear s ol d.3

A c c o r d i n g t o L e b o f

s k y, s o o n a f

t e rW i n e b r a k e w a s a p p o i n t e d a s c h i e f d e p u t y, W i nebr ake t ol d hi m t hathe “w ant ed t o br i ng on boar d new , y oung att orney s t o s t aff t he uni t . ” A pp. atB - 689. L ebofs kyw arned W i nebr ake thats uch a c om m entcoul d be cons t rued as evi dence of an i nt entt o engage i n i l l egal age di s cr i m i nat i on and coul d “get t he C i t y. . . i nt o t r oubl e her e. ” A pp. atB - 690. L ebofs kythen compl ai ned of W i nebr ake’ s “new , y oung at t or ney s ” s t at ementt o W i l l i am T hom ps on, the chi ef of l i t i gat i on. A few day s aft erL ebofs ky ’ s compl ai nt , W i nebr ake i ns t ruct ed Lebofs ky“t o get [hi s ] cl i ent s on t he phone r i ghtnow and t el l them [he] w on’ tbe pr act i ci ng empl oym ent l aw anym or e. ” A pp. atB - 693. L ebofs kyr epor t ed the i nci dentt o T hom ps on. L ebofs ky a lso c o n ten d s th a t W in e b ra k e th e n in stru c ted m e m b e rs o f th e lab o r a n d e m p lo ym e n t u n it n o tt o s p e a k wi t h h i m. D onna M ouzay ck, t he per s on r es pons i bl e fori nves t i gat i ng di s cr i m i nat i on compl ai nt s w i t hi n t he Law D epart m ent , overhear d one of the conve r s at i ons betw een T hom ps on and Lebofs ky . M ouzay ck s poke t o W i nebr ake a bouthi s “new , y oung at t or ney s ” comm entand w as s at i s fi ed that“ther e w as [not ] age di s cr i m i nat i on goi ng on her e atal l . ” A pp. atB - 838. M ouzay ck al s o r eca l l ed s peaki ng w i t h atl eas ttw o other e m p lo y e e s a b o u t th e in c id e n t. L ebofs kyw as t hen as s i gned t o a new pos i t i on, s eni orat t orneyfunct i oni ng as s peci al couns el on l i t i gat i on m at t er s , w hi ch Truj i l l o char act er i zed a s one w i t h “s om e l evel o f p r e s t i g e , ” Ap p . a tB- 1 2 2 7 , a n d o n e “ wh e r e [ Le b o f s k y ] c o u l d b e s u c c e s s f

u l , ” Ap p . a tB-4

1 2 2 9 . L e b o f

s k y , b yc o n tr a s t, c h a ra c te ri z e d it a s “ a d e a d -e n d p o s itio n ” a n d a d e m o tio n . A p p e llan t’s B r. at 1 6 . H is f irst a ss ig n m e n t in th is n e w p o sitio n w a s to a ss ist T ru jil lo in devel opi ng a new , aff

i r m at i ve l i t i gat i on uni t . L ebofs kyw as notas s i gned t o l ead thi s new uni t , buti ns t ead Truj i l l o s el ect ed Shel l eySm i t h, a thi r t y - fi ve- y ear - ol d A fr i can- A m er i can w om an. A few m ont hs l at er , i n February2001, L ebofs kyadvi s ed M ouzay ck thathe w as l eavi ng t he Law D epart m entforpr i vat e pr act i ce. M ouzay ck pr opos ed a “ s peci al p o rtf o lio ” o f h ig h p ro f

ile m a tters th a t L e b o f

sk yc o u ld h a n d le in a n a p p a re n t ef f o rt to convi nce hi m t o s t ay . A pp. atB - 834. L ebofs kym etw i t h T ruj i l l o and M ouzay ck and s t at ed thathe w oul d s t ayi f the C i t yconduct ed an i nves t i gat i on i nt o W i nebr ake’ s al l eged a g e d is c ri m in a tio n a n d g a v e h im th e title o f c h ie f d e p u ty. N e ith e r r e q u e s t w a s g ra n te d . A w eek l at er , L ebofs kys ubm i t t ed a r es i gnat i on m emora ndum . I ts etfor t h no condi t i ons on w hi ch he w oul d w i t hdr aw hi s r es i gnat i on; i tdi d nots aythathe w as l eavi ng beca us e “ther e w as a r efus al t o do an i nves t i gat i on, ” A pp. atB - 780, nordi d i tal l ege d isc rim in a tio n . L e b o f

sk yth e re a f

ter a c c e p ted a p o sitio n a t a lo c a l law f irm , w h ich p a id h im tw e n typ e rc e n t m o re th a n h e e a rn e d a t th e L a w D e p a rtm e n t. O n Sept ember28, 2001, L ebofs kyfi l ed a c har ge of di s cr i m i nat i on w i t h t he Equal E m pl oym entO ppor tuni t yC om m i s s i on ( “EE O C ”) al l egi ng unl aw ful r ace and age d iscri m ination an d retali ati o n . L eb o fsk ythere af ter fil ed a c o m p lai n t i n the D istri ct C o u rt all eg ing , inter ali a, claim s u n d er the A D E A an d T it le V II. T he D i s t r i ctC our tgr ant edSum m aryj udgm entw i l l be gra nt ed “i f the pl eadi ngs , t he 1 di s coveryand di s cl os ur e m at er i al s on fi l e, and anyaff i davi t s s how t hatt her e is n o g enui ne i s s ue as t o anym at er i al fac tand thatt he mova nti s e nt i t l e d t o j ud gmen ta s a mat t e r of l a w . ” Fe d. R. Ci v. P. 56( c) ( 2) . “The evi dence of t he non- m ovant i s t o be bel i eved, and all j us t i fi abl e i nfer ence s ar e t o be dr aw n i n hi s favor . ” A nders on v. Li ber t y Lobby, I

nc. , 4 7 7 U . S . 2 4 2 , 2 5 5 (19 8 6 ). I n cons i der i ng t he sec ond el ement of a pr i m a fa ci e ca s e, 2 t he i nqui r yi s w hetherthe al l eged r et al i at i on “w el l m i ghthave di s s uaded a r eas onabl e w or ker fr om m aki ng ors uppor t i ng a cha r ge of di s cr i m i nat i on. ” Moor e v. C i t y of P hi l a. , 461 F. 3d 331, 341 ( 3d 5 su m m a ryju d g m e n t f

o r th e C ity , co n c lu d in g th a t “n o re a so n a b le f in d e r o f f a c t co u ld c o n c lu d e th a t L e b o f

sk yw a s s u b

jec ted to a h o stile w o rk e n v iro n m e n t, co n stru c tiv e ly di s char ged, orr et al i at ed aga i ns t. . . . ” Lebof s ky v . C i t y of P hi l a. , N o. 06- cv- 5106, 2009 W L 1 5 0 7 5 8 1 , at *2 1 (E . D . P a. M ay2 9 , 2 0 0 9 ). L ebofs kyappea l ed. II. T he D i s t r i ctC our thad j ur i s di ct i on under28 U . S. C . § 1331. W e r evi ew i t s or der under28 U . S. C . § 1291. O urr evi ew i s pl enaryand w e appl ythe s ame st andar d as the D is tr ic t C o u rt . D i que v. N . J. Stat e Pol i ce , 6 0 3 F . 3 d 1 8 1 , 1 8 5 (3d C ir . 2 0 1 0 ). 1

III . A. Le b o f

s k y ’ s Re t a l i a t i o n a n d Di s c r i mi n a t o r yTr e a t me n tCl a i ms T o est abli sh a pri m a facie r et al i at i on cl ai m un der T i t l e V II , the p l ai nti ff m ust d e m o n stra te th a t (1 ) h e e n g a g e d in p ro tec ted a c tiv ity ; (2 ) a f ter o r c o n tem p o ra n e o u s w ith t hatpr ot ect ed ac t i vi t y , he w as s ubj ectt o a mat er i al l yadver s e empl oym entact i on ; and ( 3) 2C i r . 2006) ( quot i ng B u rlin g to n N . & Sa n ta Fe Ry . C o . v. W h ite , 548 U . S . 5 3 , 6 8 (20 0 6 )). For t h i s r e a s o n , i n a d d i t i o n t o t h e o t h e r r e a s o n s c i t ed by 3 t he D i s t r i ctC our t , L ebofs ky ’ s cl ai m s of age di s cr i m i nat i on under the A D E A , rac e discrim ination u n d er T it le V II, an d a h o sti le w o rk e n v iro n m e n t als o f

a il. T h e p a rties a g re e th a t 3 0 0 d a y s is th e a p p lica b le 4 l i m i t at i ons per i od i n t hi s cas e. 6 a ca us al connec t i on exi s t ed betw een the pr ot ect ed ac t i vi t yand the adve r s e empl oym ent a c tio n . Mar r a v. P hi l a. H ous . A uth. , 4 9 7 F . 3 d 2 8 6 , 3 0 0 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 7 ). I n i t s m emora ndum of l aw s uppor t i ng s um m aryj udgm ent , the C i t yacknow l edged “[Lebofs ky ’ s ] al l egat i on t hathe compl ai ned” a nd as s um ed thathe coul d “es t abl i s h t he f irst e lem e n t o f

h is re talia tio n c laim .” A p p . at B -3 2 8 n .7 . W e th e re f o re a c c e p t ar

guendo t h a tL e b o f

s k y’ s c o m p l a i n t s c o n s t i tu t e d p r o t e c t e d a c t i v i t y. E ven so, L ebo fsky ’s cl ai m of ret al i at i on fai l s becau se the C i t yt oo k n o ad verse empl oym entact i on agai ns thi m w i t hi n 300 day s of hi s E E O C char ge. T o pur s ue an 3 em ploym ent di scr i m i nati on cl ai m un der T i t l e V II or the A D E A , an em ploy ee m ustfi rs t fi l e a c har ge w i t h t he EE O C w i t hi n 300 day s of an a dver s e empl oym entact i on orof n o tif ic a tio n to th e e m p lo y e e o f s u c h a n a c tio n . 4 2 U .S .C . § 2 0 0 0 e -5 (e )( 1 ); 2 9 U .S .C . § 626( d) ( 1) ( B ) . L ebofs kyfi l ed hi s char ge of di s cr i m i nat i on w i t h the EE O C on Sept ember 4 28, 2001. T her efor e, t o m eett he s t atut e of l i m i t at i ons r equi r ement , L ebofs kym us ts how t h a ta tl e a s to n e a d v e r s e e m p l o ym e n ta c t i o n o c c u r r e d a f t e rD e c e m b e r2 , 2 0 0 0 – 3 0 0 d a ys ea rl ier.7

As t h e Di s t r i c tCo u r tn o t e d , n o s u c h a c t i o n o c c u r r e d wi t h i n 3 0 0 d a y s o f h i s E E OC char ge. L ebofs kycont ends t hathi s E E O C char ge w as notunt i m el y“[u] nderthe fe der al d isc o v e ryru le,” A p p e llan t’s B r. at 3 4 , b e c a u se h e d id n o t k n o w h e w a s d e m o ted u n til “af t ers ever al w eeks i n t he pos i t i on, ” A ppel l ant ’ s B r . at33. T hatpos thoc char act er i zat i on, how ever , bel i es L ebofs ky ’ s t es t i m onythathe vi ew ed the pos i t i on as “a d e m o tio n ” a s e a rlya s N o v e m b e r 3 0 , 2 0 0 0 , A p p . at B -7 0 3 , an d th a t h e “ k n [ e ]w [ h e ] h a d to g e to u t ” o f

t h e L a w De p a r t me n t“ a n d th a t ’ s wh a t[ h e ] tr i e d t o d o , ” Ap p . a tB- 7 0 8 . He “s t ar t [ed] l ooki ng foranotherpos i t i on . . . [a] l m os ti m m edi at el yaft er ” Shel l eySm i t h w as pr om ot ed. A pp. atB - 709. I ndeed, w i t hi n day s of the announc ementof herpr om ot i on, L ebofs kyappl i ed fornew empl oym entel s ew her e. T he onl yal l egedl yadver s e empl oym entact i on L ebofs kyi dent i fi es as occurr i ng w i t hi n t he l i m i t at i ons per i od w as dur i ng a meet i ng j us tpr i ort o hi s r es i gnat i on. T her e, a c c o rd in g to L e b o f

sk y , T ru jil lo “ m a d e it ab so lu telyc lea r th a t” n o in v e stig a tio n w o u ld ens ue. A pp. at780. L ebofs kyhad “ne vers een [ T ruj i l l o] s o angry . ” A pp. at780. T he D i s t r i ctC our tcorr ect l ynot ed that“M ouzay ck had a l r eadyi nves t i gat ed. ” Lebof s ky , 2009 W L 1507581, at*12. I ndeed, s he s poke w i th s ever al empl oy ees , i ncl udi ng W i nebr ake, and w as s at i s fi ed thatno unl aw ful di s cr i m i nat i on had occ urr ed. T he evi dence that T ruj i l l o w as aw ar e of thi s fac ti s uncontr over t ed. L ebofs kynextas s er t s t hatw e s houl d di s r egar d t he 300- dayt i m e barbeca us e, “[ u ]nd er the co n ti n u ing v iolati o n theo ry , a p lai n ti ff m ayp u rsue a c lai m fo r discrim inato ry8

o r re talia to ryc o n d u c t th a t b e g a n p rio r to th e f ili n g p e rio d if

h e c a n d e m o n stra te th a t ac t is par tof an ongoi ng pr act i ce o[ r ] pat t ern of di s cr i m i nat i on . . . . ” A ppel l ant ’ s B r . at35 ( ci t i ng W es tv. P hi l a. E l ec. C o. , 45 F. 3d 744 ( 3d C i r . 1995) ) . A l t hough w e have found that a f il ing req u ir em en t m ayb e tolled in the c o n text o f a T it le V II ho sti le w o rk e n v ir o n m e n t c la im , see W est , 45 F. 3d at754, w e have onl ydone s o w hen atl eas tone adver s e empl oym entact i on occurr ed w i t hi n t he fi l i ng per i od. T hi s i s nots uch a c as e, as t he D i s t r i ctC our tcorr ect l yconcl uded. B . L e b o f

sk y ’s C o n stru c tiv e D isc h a rg e C laim L ebofs kycont ends t hathe s uffe r ed cons t ruct i ve di s char ge due t o “a pe r s i s t ent pat t ern of di s cr i m i nat or yand r et al i at orytr eatm ent . ” A ppel l ant ’ s B r . at39. T o fi nd cons t ruct i ve di s char ge, a court“nee d m er el yfi nd thatthe empl oy erknow i ngl yperm i t t ed condi t i ons of di s cr i m i nat i on i n empl oym ents o i nt ol er abl e thata r eas onabl e per s on s ubj ectt o t hem w oul d r es i gn. ” G os s v. E xxon O f f i ce Sys . C o. , 7 4 7 F . 2 d 8 8 5 , 8 8 8 (3d C ir . 1984) . I n C l ow es v. A l l egheny V al l ey H os p. , 9 9 1 F . 2 d 1 1 5 9 , 1 1 6 1 ( 3 d Ci r . 1 9 9 3 ) , we i dent i fi ed s ever al fac t or s t hatm aybe i ndi cat i ve of c ons t ruct i ve di s char ge: ( 1) thr eatof di s char ge; ( 2) s ugges t i ng orencour agi ng r es i gnat i on; ( 3) a demot i on orr educt i on of pay orbenef i t s ; ( 4) i nvol unt arytr ans fert o a l es s des i r abl e pos i t i on; ( 5) al t er at i on of j ob re s p o n s ib iliti e s ; a n d (6 ) u n s a tis f a c to ry jo b e v a lu a tio n s . I d. T ur ni ng t o t hes e fa ct or s , L ebofs kyt es t i fi ed thatthe Law D epart m entthr eat ened hi m w i t h di s char ge w hen he s oughtoutw or k i n hi s r ol e as s eni orat t orneyand M ouzay ckO urconcl us i on i s but t r es s ed bythe fa ct s thatL ebofs ky 5 r emai ned i n hi s s uppos edl y “i nt ol er abl e” pos i t i on for s ever al m o n th s w ith o u t c o m p lain t a n d th a t h e w a s w ill in g to re c o n sid e r h is r e s i g n a t i o n i f

h e w e r e g i v e n th e t i t l e o f c h i e f d e p u t y. 9 t ol d hi m t o “fi nd w or k t o do or. . . be fi r ed. ” A pp. atB - 714. H ow ever , w hen Lebofs ky t ol d M ouzay ck thathe w as l eavi ng the Law D epart m entforpr i vat e pr act i ce, M ouzay ck tried to c o n v in c e h im to sta y . S h e p ro p o se d a “ sp e c ial p o rtf o lio ” o f m a tters f

o r h im to handl e. A pp. atB - 834. T her e i s no bas i s fora det erm i nat i on thathi s r es i gnat i on w as s u g g e s te d o r e n c o u ra g e d b yth e L a w D e p a rt m e n t. L ebofs kyas s ert s t hathi s t r ans fert o t he pos i t i on of s eni orat t orneyw as a “ d e fa c to d e m o tio n ,” A p p e llan t’s B r. at 3 2 , b e c a u se h e w a s “ a ss ig n e d w o rk th a t w a s n o t d e sira b le and w as m uch l es s s i gni fi cantt han w hat[he] had bee n doi ng pr evi ous l y ; [he] w as bei ng gi ven l i t t l e t o no w or k t o do t he maj or i t yof the t i m e; and, [he] w as deni ed a s ecur e pl ace i n the organizat i on structure. ” A pp . atB -344. H e com plai ns he w as m ov ed int o a les s des i r abl e off

i ce, l os tan as s i gned s ecr et ary , and hi s name w as om i t t ed fr om s et t l ement do cum ents . T h e D istric t C o u rt c o rre c tlyc o n c lu d e d th a t “n o re a so n a b le f in d e r o f f a c t as k e d to c o n s i d e rt h e l i t a n y o f

r e a l o rp e r c e i v e d s l i g h t s s u f f e r e d b y L e b o f

s k y, a l o n e o rc o l l e c t i v e l y, coul d concl ude thathe s uffe r ed undercondi t i ons thatcoul d be obj ect i vel ydes cr i bed as b e in g s o in to le ra b le th a t h e h a d n o [ re ]c o u rs e b u t to q u it.” Lebof s ky , 2009 W L 1507581, 5 at*21 ( ci t i ng G r ay v. Y ork N ew s papers , I nc. , 9 5 7 F .2 d 1 0 7 0 , 1 0 8 3 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 2 )) .A c c o rd in g ly , su m m a ryju d g m e n t w a s p ro p e rlye n ter e d a g a in st L e b o f sk yo n h is c o n s t ru c t i v e d i s c h a r g e c l a i m. I V. Fort he above s t at ed r eas ons , w e w i l l aff i r m the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s or dergr ant i ng s u m m a r y j u d g m e n ti n f a v o ro f t h e C i t y.

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