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 2-19-2009 

# W i lli ams v . N J T re nt on 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 . 07-4154

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_2009

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

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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 " W i ll i am s v . N J T r e nt on" (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1853. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1853NOT 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- 4154

_____________ FA I RY W I LLI A M S; GA RY LI TTLE, A p p e llan ts

v. NEW J ERSEY TREN TON PS YC HI ATR I C H OSPI TAL,

A n A g e n c y o f

th e S t a t e o f

N e w J e r s e y; G R E G O R Y L O V E , A ct i ng B us i nes s M anage r

__________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt

forthe D i s tr i ctof N ew J er s ey ( D . C . C i vi l N o. 04- cv- 06041) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H onor abl e Fr eda W ol fs on

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

on February2, 2009 B efore: R E N D E L L , JO R D A N , and R O T H , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed: February19, 2009)

__________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

__________Per m anentappoi nt m ent s r equi r e ce r t i fi cat i on fr om an el i gi bl es l i s tgener at ed af t er 1 a n o p e n c o m p e tit iv e e x a m . P ro v isio n a l ap p o in tm e n ts a re a p p ro p ria te w h e n : 1 ) th e re is no compl et e l i s tof el i gi bl e empl oy ees and no one on a n i ncompl et e l i s tw i l l acc eptthe pr ovi s i onal appoi nt m ent ; 2) the appoi nt ee meet s the mi ni m um qual i fi cat i ons forthe j ob; and 3) the appoi nt i ng author i tycert i fi es thatfai l ur e t o m ake the pr ovi s i onal appoi nt m ent w ill s e ri o u s ly im p a irits w o rk . See N .J . A d m in . C o d e § § 4 -4 .1 - 4 .8 , 4 -2 .1 - 2 .3 , 4 -3 .1 . 2 R E N D E L L , C i r cui tJ udge. T h e p lai n ti ff

s in this em p loym en t discri m ination ca se a p p ea l th e D istri ct C o u rt ’s entryof s um m aryj udgm entagai ns tthem. T heycl ai m thattheyw er e deni ed a pa r t i cul ar j ob on the bas i s of r ace . Fai r yW i l l i ams and G aryL i t t l e ar e A fr i can A m er i cans w ho so u g h t th e p o sitio n o f

F o o d S e rv ice s S u p e rv iso r a t N e w Je rse yT re n to n P sy c h iatric H os pi t al ( “TP H ”) , the appe l l ee. T he Food Ser vi ces Super vi s orj ob t i t l e i s a compet i t i ve ci vi l s ervi ce pos i t i on governed byN . J . St at . A nn. § 11A ( the C i vi l Ser vi ce A ct ) and the N e w J e rs e yA d m in is tr a tiv e C o d e . W i l l i ams w as hi r ed i n 2001 as a “pr ovi s i onal ” empl oy ee i n the TP H Food Ser vi ces Super vi s orj ob. I n A ugus tof 2002, the N ew J er s eyD epart m entof Per s onnel ( “D O P”) 1 ann ou nced an o pen com peti t i ve ex am i nati on for the p osi t i on , i n acco rdance w i th N . J. A d m in . C o d e § 4 -2 .3 . T P H iss u e d a d e p a rtm e n t-w id e jo b p o stin g n o tify in g a ll D epart m entof H um an Servi ces ( “D H S”) empl oy ees aboutthe opportuni ty . I n D ece m ber of 2002, aft erthe exa m i nat i on, the D O P r el eas ed the el i gi bl es l i s t : appel l antG aryL i t t l e,N e w Je rse yc iv il se rv ice law d icta tes th a t d isa b led v e ter a n s re c e iv e p re f e re n c e in 2 hi r i ng. A ft ercert i fi cat i on of the r anki ngs fr om the compet i t i ve exa m i nat i on, the appoi nt i ng author i tyi s di r ect ed t o appoi ntone of the t op thr ee i nt er es t ed “e l i gi bl es ” fr om th e c e rt if ic a tio n lis t. See N .J . A d m in . C o d e § § 2 .1 (a ), 4 -4 .8 (a )( 3 ). 3 a di s abl ed vet er an w ho w or ked as an I ns t i tut i onal T r ade I ns truct oratthe N ew J er s ey D e p a rt m e n t o f

C o rr e c tio n , w a s ra n k e d f ir s t o n th e lis t. W illia m s w a s lis te d e ig h th . 2 I n J anuaryof 2003, both W i l l i ams and Li t t l e appl i ed forthe Food Ser vi ces S u p erv isor job . M an ag ers a t T P H interview ed L ittl e a n d sen t his fing erp ri n ts fo r a c rim in a l re c o rd c h e c k . In M a yo f 2 0 0 3 , Ja n e M c N e ill , a F o o d S e rv ice s S u p e rv iso r a t a di ffe r entD H S or gani zat i on, the N or th J er s eyD evel opm ent al C ent er , r es ponded t o the j ob pos t i ng. M cN ei l l , a w hi t e fe m al e, w as al r eadya perm anentempl oy ee i n the j ob t i t l e. She w as al s o cover ed bythe C om m uni cat i on W or ker s of A m er i ca ( “C W A ”) col l ect i ve bar gai ni ng agr eement , w hi ch pr ovi des thata perm anentempl oy ee mustbe gi ven pr efe r ence fora r eas s i gnm ent . B eca us e s he w as al r eadyperm anent , M cN ei l l di d notneed t o t ake the compet i t i ve exa m i nat i on. T PH appoi nt ed M cN ei l l t o t he Food Ser vi ces Super vi s orpos i t i on. H ertr ans fer i nt o the pos i t i on el i m i nat ed the vac ancy . T PH not i fi ed W i l l i ams on A ugus t12, 2003, t hat h e r p ro v is io n a l e m p lo ym e n t a s F o o d S e rv ic e s S u p e rv is o r w o u ld e n d o n A u g u s t 2 2 , 2 0 0 3 . T PH not i fi ed Li t t l e on Sept ember12, 2003, thathe w oul d notbe appoi nt ed t o the p o s itio n .4

T he pl ai nt i ffs fi l ed s ui ti n t he D i s tr i ctC our tal l egi ng thatT PH had vi ol at ed T i t l e V I I bydi s cr i m i nat i ng agai ns tthem on t he bas i s of r ace . T he D i s tr i ctC our tgr ant ed su m m a ryju d g m e n t to T P H o n S e p tem b e r 2 8 , 2 0 0 7 . W e h a v e ju risd ictio n p u rsu a n t to 2 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 9 1 . W e e x erc ise p lena ryrev iew o f a D istri ct C o u rt ’s gra n t of su m m ary ju d g m e n t. L a u re n W

. ex re l. Je a n W

. v. D eF la m in is , 4 8 0 F . 3 d 2 5 9 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 7 ). F o rth e r e a s o n s s t a t e d b e l o w, we wi l l a f f i r m. DI S CU S S I ON I . F a i r y W i l l i a ms W i l l i ams ar gues thatT PH vi ol at ed Ti t l e V I I w hen i taw ar ded the Food Ser vi ces Super vi s orpos i t i on t o J ane M cN ei l l i ns t ead of t o her . T o m ake outa pr i m a fa ci e ca s e of em ploym ent di scr i m i nati on un der T i t l e V II , a plai nti ff m ustshow that: 1) she i s a m emberof a pr ot ect ed cl as s ; 2) s he i s qual i fi ed forthe pos i t i on s he s eeks ; 3) s he w as s ubj ectt o an adve r s e empl oym entact i on; and 4) others i m i l ar l ys i tuat ed per s ons noti n t he p ro te c te d g ro u p re c e iv e d b e tte r t re a tm e n t. R eev es v. Sanders on P l um bi ng P r ods . , I nc. , 530 U . S. 133, 142 ( 2000) . A pl ai nt i ff w ho m akes outa pr i m a fa ci e ca s e i s ent i t l ed t o a pr es um pt i on of unl aw ful di s cr i m i nat i on, w hi ch an e m pl oy erm ayr ebutbypr oduci ng e v id e n c e o f

le g itim a te n o n d is c ri m in a to ry re a s o n s f o r i ts a c tio n s . Fu e n tes v . P e rs k ie , 3 2 F . 3 d 7 5 9 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 4 ). T he part i es do notdi s put e thatW i l l i ams i s a mem berof a pr ot ect ed cl as s , thats he s uffe r ed an a dver s e empl oym entact i on, orthatM cN ei l l , w ho i s nota mem berof theT h e lette r is d a ted O c to b e r 1 6 , 2 0 0 1 , b u t W ill iam s c laim s n o t to h a v e re c e iv e d it 3 unt i l 2003. O n a form dat ed N ovember7, 2001, how ever , W i l l i ams ac know l edged havi ng r ece i ved a numberof empl oym entdocument s , i ncl udi ng a “f ul l - t i m er s offe r let ter. ” (A p p . 1 0 5 -06 , 1 5 8 . ) 5 pr ot ect ed cl as s , gotthe j ob. T PH ar gues thatW i l l i ams w as notel i gi bl e forthe pos i t i on beca us e herper form ance on t he compet i t i ve exa m i nat i on putherei ghth on the el i gi bl es l i s t : the A dm i ni s tr at i ve C ode di ct at es thatonl ythe t op thr ee appl i cant s ar e cons i der ed for th e p o s itio n . N .J . A d m in . C o d e § § 4 -3 .2 , 5 -2 .1 (a ). W i l l i ams cont ends thats he w as a perm anentempl oy ee, nota pr ovi s i onal one, and ther efor e s he s houl d nothave ha d t o t ake the compet i t i ve exa m . She s ay s thatdur i ng her i nt ervi ew s he w as t ol d s he w oul d become perm anent , and poi nt s t o the pens i on deduct i on i n h e rp a y c h e c k a n d th e f a c tth a ts h e r e c e i v e d a p e r f o r ma n c e e v a l u a t i o n , wh i c h s h e c l a i ms o n lyp e rm a n e n t em p lo y e e s re c e iv e . S h e a lso n o tes th a t p ro v isio n a l ap p o in tm e n ts a re o n ly s u p p o s e d t o l a s tf

o r1 2 mo n th s ; h a v i n g s e r v e d 1 2 mo n th s , s h e c l a i ms t o h a v e b e c o me p e rm a n e n t. T P H d e n ies th a t ite v e r to ld W ill iam s s h e w o u ld b e p e rm a n e n t, an d p o in ts to i t s offe rl ett ert o W i l l i ams, w hi ch s ai d thats he w oul d be a pr ovi s i onal empl oy ee. 3 T h e p ro b lem f

o r W ill iam s is th a t w h e th e r o r n o t sh e w a s to ld th a t sh e w o u ld become perm anentata ce r t ai n poi nt , and w hetherornots he s erved as a pr ovi s i onal empl oy ee f

orm or e than 12 mont hs , the N ew J er s eyA dm i ni s tr at i ve C ode does not c o n te m p la te a p ro v is io n a l e m p lo y e e b e c o m in g p e rm a n e n t th ro u g h a n e m p lo y e r’ s in a c tio n . T h e C o d e d icta tes e x a c tlyh o w e m p lo y e e s a re a w a rd e d p e rm a n e n t civ il se rv ice jo b s:6

thr ough compet i t i ve exa m i nat i ons and r ank on the r es ul t i ng el i gi bl es l i s t , ortr ans feror r eas s i gnm entfr om anotheror gani zat i onal uni t . A l though the C ode s t at es thatpr ovi s i onal app ointm ents shou l d n ot l astl on ger than 12 m on ths, there i s no p rovi si on that ent i t l es a pr ovi s i onal empl oy ee t o aut om at i c appoi nt m entas perm anentonce the 12 mont hs have p a s s e d . T h e N e w J e rs e yc o u rt s a g re e . See O ’ M al l ey v . D ep’ tof

E ner gy , 109 N . J . 309, 316- 17 ( 1987) ( “W e bel i eve i tw oul d thw artthe l egi s l at i ve i nt entt o al l ow a pr ovi s i onal em p loy ee to retain h is or h er p o sit ion m ere lyb ec au se th e C o m m issi o n co u ld n o t of fe r a tim e ly te s t.” ). A c c o rd in g ly , w e a g re e w ith th e D istric t C o u rt th a t W ill iam s h a s n o t m a d e o u t a pr i m a fa ci e ca s e underT i t l e V I I beca us e, gi ven herei ghth- pl ace fi ni s h on the exa m , s he d id n o t e s ta b lis h th a t s h e w a s q u a lif ie d f o r t h e p o s itio n . II . G a r y L ittle L i t t l e al s o al l eged a vi ol at i on of Ti t l e V I I . I ti s undi s put ed thatL i t t l e es t abl i s hed a pr i m a fa ci e ca s e of e m pl oym entdi s cr i m i nat i on: he i s A fr i can A m er i can; he w as qual i fi ed forthe Food Ser vi ces Super vi s orpos i t i on; and J ane M cN ei l l , a w hi t e w om an, w as selec ted f

o r th e p o sit ion o v er h im . T P H arg u es th at i t had a leg it im ate, no n d iscri m inato ry r eas on forhi r i ng M cN ei l l overL i t t l e, bas ed on M cN ei l l ’ s s eni or i tyand the fa ctthat M cN ei l l , a Food Ser vi ce Supervi s oratanotherl ocat i on w i thi n the s ame or gani zat i onal u n it, w a s re q u e stin g a late ra l r eas s ignm ent i nt o the TP H j ob. U nderthe C W A col l ect i ve7

bar gai ni ng agr eement , a perm anentempl oy ee w ho has s eni or i tym us tr ece i ve pr efe r ence forr eas s i gnm ent . M cN ei l l had bee n i n the pos i t i on for15 y ear s , and ther efor e had s eni or i tyoverthe ca ndi dat es on t he l i s tof el i gi bl es , none of w hom w er e perm anent empl oy ees i n t he s ame j ob t i t l e. M cN ei l l , as a perm anentempl oy ee w i thi n the t i t l e of Food Ser vi ces Super vi s or , w as s eni ort o L i t t l e, w ho w as perm anenti n the t i t l e of In s titu tio n a l T ra d e In s tru c to r. L i t t l e cl ai m s thatbeca us e he w as a di s abl ed vet er an and r anked f i r s ton the cert i fi cat i on l i s t , i tw as unl aw ful forT PH t o “bypas s ” hi m . H e ci t es the ci vi l s ervi ce l aw ’ s “rul e of thr ee” thatauthor i zes an empl oy ert o appoi ntone of the t op thr ee e l i gi bl es fr om the l i s t , as w el l as the s t atut e thats ay s thata “r egul arappoi nt m ents hal l be made f ro m a m o n g th o s e e lig ib le s .” N .J . A d m in . C o d e § 4 A -4 .8 (a ); N .J . S ta t. A n n . § 1 1 A : 4 -8 . L ittle ’s a rg u m e n t d o e s n o t r e f u te T P H ’s le g itim a te re a s o n f o r h ir in g M c N e ill. M cN ei l l ’ s appoi nt m entt o t he pos i t i on atT PH w as nota “r egul arappoi nt m ent ” butr ather a re a ss ig n m e n t o f

a p e rm a n e n t em p lo y e e w ith in th e sa m e jo b tit le, f ro m o n e lo c a tio n to another . C our t s i n t hi s C i r cui thave he l d thats eni or i typr ovi s i ons i n col l ect i ve bar gai ni ng a g re e m e n ts c a n p ro v id e le g itim a te , n o n d is c ri m in a to ry re a s o n s f o r e m p lo y e r a c tio n . See, e. g. , Mi l l s v. P hi la. G as W

orks , N o. 06- 2444, 2007 W L 2071881, at*4 ( E . D . Pa. J ul . 19, 2007) ( “[The pl ai nt i ff] has notpr oduced e vi dence , di r ectori ndi r ect , thatthe s el ect ed e m p lo y e e s w e re g iv e n p re f e re n tia l tr e a tm e n t, o th e r t h a n o n th e b a s is o f s e n io ri ty . . . .8

T h ere is no ev iden ce in the rec o rd f rom w h ich o n e c an inf

er tha t th o se e m p loy ee s w ere s el ect ed on the bas i s of thei rr ace orthatM i l l s w as r ej ect ed on the bas i s of hi s r ace . ”) M or eover , even a bs entthe s eni or i typr ovi s i ons of the col l ect i ve bar gai ni ng agr eement , i ti s cl earthattr ans fer s s uch as M cN ei l l ’ s ar e tr eat ed di ffe r ent l yfr om new appoi nt m ent s underN ew J er s eyl aw . T he N ew J er s eyA dm i ni s tr at i ve C ode s ect i on deal i ng w i th i nt er governm ent al tr ans fer s not es that“the exi s t ence of an ope n compet i t i ve or prom oti on al l i sti n the r ecei ving j uri sdi ct i on shal l no tbe a b ar t o the transfer . ” N . J. A d m in . C o d e § 4 -7 .1 A (c )(1 ). T h e n e x t se c tio n o f th e c o d e sa y s th a t re a ss ig n m e n ts s h a ll b e m a d e a t th e d is c re tio n o f th e h e a d o f

th e o rg a n iz a tio n a l u n it. I d. § 4- 7. 2. T he A d m in istra tiv e C o d e e n a b les th e tra n sf e r a n d re a ss ig n m e n t o f

p e rm a n e n t em p lo y e e s to n e w lo c a tio n s , w h e th e r o r n o t th e re is a c e rt if ic a tio n lis t f

o r t h e p o s itio n . T he D i s tr i ctC our tfound thatL i t t l e di d notr efut e TP H ’ s l egi t i m at e, nondi s cr i m i nat oryr eas on forhi r i ng M cN ei l l overhi m . W e agr ee.

I I I . C oncl usi on F o r th e re a so n s s e t f

o rth a b o v e , w e w ill A F F IR M th e O rd e r o f th e D istric t C o u rt.

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