A fte r ex am in in g t h e b rie fs a n d th e re c or d , w e h av e c on c lu d ed th at ora l arg u m en t is * u n n ec es sa ry . T h u s, th e a p p ea l is su b m itt ed on th e b rie fs a n d th e re c or d
. See F ED . R. A PP . P. 34(a)(2)
. 

# United States Court of App eals F or the Se ven th C ir cu it Ch i cago ,I l l i nois 60 604 Subm i tte d A ugust 2 1, 20 08 * Deci ded A ugust 2 1, 20 08

B efo re R IC H A R D A . PO SN E R, Cir cu i tJudg e IL A N A D IA M O N D R O V N E R, Cir cu i tJudg e D IA N E P . W O O D , Cir cu i tJudg e N o. 06- 3691 BR ANDON W EBB , P laint if f-A ppell ant,

v. CHRY S LERLL C , D efend a nt -A pp ellee
. A pp ealfro m the U ni ted S tat es Dist ri ct Court f orthe N or ther n Dis tr i ct o f I l l i no i s, W es te r n Di vi si o n. N o. 03 C 501 77 Ph i l i p G. R e i nh a r d, Judg e . O RD ER B ran d on W ebb sued his em p loyer, Ch rysler LL C ( th en know n as D aim lerCh rysler) , f o r r et al i at i nga g ains t hi m b ec au se he c o m pl aine d o fs ex ua l ha r as sment, s ex di sc r i m i na ti o n, an d r ac e di sc r i m i na ti o n a g ains t a co wor k er . T he di st r i ctc o ur t g r an te d s um m ar y j udg m en t f orChrysl er, r eas oni ng tha t W ebb had fa i l ed to sho w the re quir ed causalco nnecti on NONP RE C E DE NT I AL DI S PO S I T I ON To be ci ted o nl y in acco rdance w i th Fe d . R. A p p . P. 32 .1N o. 06
- 3691 Page 2

Th e di s t r i c tc o ur ta na l y z e d We b b ’ s r e t a l i a t i o n c l a i m un de r T i t l e V I I, 4 2 U. S
. C. 1 § 20 00 e- 3, b utr ej ec te d a r et al i at i o n c l ai m unde r 4 2 U. S
. C. § 1 98 1 be ca us e, a t th e ti m e, o ur prece dent precl ud ed § 1 981 cl ai m s a l l eging r eta l i ati on f oro pp osing r aci aldi scr i m i nati on aga i nst o ther s. Se e Hart v. Transi t M gm t. of Racine, Inc. , 4 2 6 F
. 3 d 8 6 3 , 8 6 6 ( 7 th C i r . 2 0 0 5 )
. We overru led th at asp ect of Hart i n H um ph ries v. C B O C S West, Inc ., 474 F.3d 387, 403 (7th C ir. 20 07 ), af f ’ d 128 S. Ct. 19 51 ( 2008 )
. Neverthel ess , r em and i s unneces sar y b ecause the dist ri ct cour t’ s a nal ysi s o fthe re tal i ati on cl ai m under Ti tl e VI Iappli es equal l y t o the c l ai m under § 1 98 1. See H um ph ries , 474 F
. 3d at 404. between hi s pro tect ed acti vi ti es and the adver se acti ons tak en byhi s e m plo yerag ai nst h i m. 1 On a ppea l W eb b, a ppea r i ngpr o s e, pr es en ts a l i ta ny o fg r i ev an ce s ag ains t th e l aw yer s who re prese nted hi m i n the dist ri ct c ourt, but he neve r add re sse s the di str i ct co ur t’ s r ul i ngi n a ny th i ngb utthe mos t cur so r y f as hi o n. Al th o ug h we l ibe r al l y c o ns true p ro se filing s, se e, e . g., M cCready v. E bay, Inc. , 45 3 F
. 3d 882, 89 0 ( 7th Ci r. 20 06) , pro se l i ti gants ar e no t fre e t o i gnor e F edera l Rule o fA pp el l ate Pro cedure 28, wh i ch r equi re s, am ong othe r thi ngs, thatthe bri efco ntai n the “appel l ant’ s co ntenti ons and the r eas ons f or th em, wi thc i ta ti o ns t o the a utho r i ti es a nd pa r ts o fthe r ec o r d o n whi chthe a ppel l an t re l i es. " F ED . R. A PP . P. 2 8 ( a ) ( 9 ) ( A) ; s e eAnde rs on v. Har dm an , 241 F.3d 54 4, 54 5 (7 th C ir. 20 01 ). I n other w or ds, “a br i efm ust co ntai n an ar gum ent c onsi sting o fm or e than a g ener al i zed ass er ti on o fer ro r, with c i tat i ons to supp or ti ng autho ri ty. ” Ande rs on , 241 F.3d at54 5. W eb b’ s br i ef

, whi chdo es no t ev enc ha l l en g e th e di st r i ctc o ur t’ s r ea so ns f o r g r an ting sum m ar y j ud gm ent t o Ch ry sl er, can onl y b ar el y b e s ai d to conta i n a g ener al i zed as ser ti on ofer ro r and does no t ci te any a uthor i ty at al l
. On M ar ch 31, 20 08, afterW ebb had tw i ce m i sse d the deadl i ne to fi l e hi s o pening bri ef, we dir ecte d him to “s et f or th hi s a rgum ents re gar ding w hy he bel i eve s the di str i ct c ourt ’ s o rderwas i n er ro r i n a b ri efthatco m pli es wi thfede r ala nd l o ca l r ul es . ” W eb b f ai l ed to do s o , a nd “ we c anno t fi l l the v o i d b y c r afting ar gum ents and perf or m i ng the nece ssa ryl ega l r ese ar ch. ” Id. DI S M I S S ED.