* This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of

law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. This court generally disfavors the

citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under

the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

Filed 10/17/96

TENTH CIRCUIT

MARIA S. VELAZQUEZ,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

IBP, INC.,

Defendant-Appellee.

No. 95-3239

(D.C. No. 94-4015-SAC)

(District of Kansas)

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

Before SEYMOUR, Chief Judge; PORFILIO and LUCERO, Circuit Judges.

Appellant Maria Velazquez brought this retaliatory discharge suit against her

former employer, IBP, Inc., alleging she was fired for pursuing workers’ compensation

remedies and for absences due to work-related injuries. The district court entered

summary judgment in favor of IBP. We affirm.
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In May 1988, Ms. Velazquez was hired as a lifter meat trimmer at IBP’s meat

processing facility in Emporia, Kansas. After approximately five months, Ms. Velazquez

complained of pain in her left hand and wrist. Upon recommendation by her supervisor,

Ms. Velazquez switched to a packaging position. Several months later, Ms. Velazquez

began to experience back pain. Because of this back pain, she was reassigned to a lightduty position in the “hamburger department.” 

In March 1989, Ms. Velazquez filed her first claim for workers’ compensation

benefits for her back pain. However, the Administrative Law Judge found she was not

entitled to temporary total disability compensation. In May 1990, Ms. Velazquez filed a

second claim for workers’ compensation benefits after sustaining additional injuries. 

This second claim was denied as well.

Because of her continued back pain, Ms. Velazquez sought time off to recuperate,

but IBP apparently refused her request. She then asked her physician to put her on early

maternity leave, and he did so. In October 1990, Ms. Velazquez returned from her

maternity leave. However, she continued to experience pain. In February 1991, Ms.

Velazquez sought treatment for her back pain from a chiropractor who recommended she

discontinue work for three to six months.

On February 4, 1991, Ms. Velazquez contends she provided a copy of her

chiropractor’s recommendations to IBP’s Workers’ Compensation Coordinator. The

Coordinator allegedly told Ms. Velazquez either to do her job or go home until IBP called
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her back to work. IBP denies this conversation ever took place. Nevertheless, Ms.

Velazquez claims after this alleged conversation, she left IBP and returned home. Ms.

Velazquez never returned to work. One year later, on February 3, 1992, she received a

letter of termination from IBP. The letter indicated Ms. Velazquez was fired for violating

IBP’s leave of absence policy by failing to return to work within a twelve month period.

Subsequently, Ms. Velazquez filed suit in the United States District Court for the

District of Kansas alleging IBP fired her in retaliation for pursuing workers’

compensation benefits. While discovery was ongoing, IBP moved for summary

judgment.

After denying her request to postpone ruling until further discovery was

completed, the district court granted IBP’s motion. The court found Ms. Velazquez was

unable to demonstrate she was capable of performing work available at IBP. Moreover,

the court held Ms. Velazquez failed to identify any evidence indicating she was fired in

retaliation for filing workers’ compensation claims rather than for violation of IBP’s

attendance policy.

On appeal, Ms. Velazquez argues summary judgment was inappropriate. She

contends, first, she presented a prima facie case of retaliation by IBP. Second, Ms.

Velazquez asserts there was sufficient evidence of her ability to work. Finally, she argues

discovery was incomplete, and the district court should have stayed the summary

judgment motion pending further discovery. Summary judgment is appropriate “if the
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pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with

the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that

the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). In

considering a summary judgment motion, we view the evidence in the light most

favorable to the non-moving party. However, the non-moving party may not “rest on

ignorance of facts, on speculation, or on suspicion and may not escape summary

judgment in the mere hope that something will turn up at trial.” Conaway v. Smith, 853

F.2d 789, 794 (10th Cir. 1988). Instead, the non-moving party must set forth “specific

facts” indicating there is a genuine issue for trial. Applied Genetics Int’l, Inc. v. First

Affiliated Sec., Inc., 912 F.2d 1238, 1241 (10th Cir. 1990).

To establish a prima facie case of retaliatory discharge under Kansas law, Ms.

Velazquez must show: (1) she filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits or

sustained an injury for which she might assert a future claim for benefits; (2) IBP had

knowledge of her compensation claim or the fact that she had sustained a work-related

injury for which she might later assert a claim for benefits; (3) IBP terminated her

employment; and (4) a causal connection existed between the protected activity or injury

and the termination. See, e.g., Ramirez v. IBP, Inc., 1996 WL 80452 (10th Cir. (Kan.))

(quoting Ortega v. IBP, Inc., 1994 WL 373888 (D. Kan)). 
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After reviewing the record, we conclude Ms. Velazquez failed to prove the fourth

element of her prima facie case. There is simply no evidence of any causal connection

between Ms. Velazquez’ filing of her workers’ compensation claims and her termination.

Under Kansas law, an employee may demonstrate a causal connection by showing

either the employer required the employee to abandon her workers’ compensation claim

to retain her employment or that the discharge was based upon the employee’s absences

due to work-related injuries rather than upon an employer’s neutral attendance policy. 

See, e.g., Marinhagen v. Boster, Inc., 17 Kan. App.2d 532, 538, 840 P.2d 534, 539

(1992). Citing a plethora of retaliatory discharge cases in which IBP was a defendant,

Ms. Velazquez contends she presented evidence IBP has exhibited a pattern or practice of

firing employees who file workers’ compensation claims. Ms. Velazquez also submitted

evidence from supervisors at IBP suggesting IBP’s upper management is encouraged to

terminate injured employees because the company is self-insured for workers’

compensation and monitors the cost of employee injuries. She suggests this evidence is

sufficient to illustrate a causal connection between her termination and the filing of her

workers’ compensation claims.

Even ignoring the fact that the vast majority of the cases cited by Ms. Velazquez

were decided in favor of IBP on summary judgment, we nevertheless find Ms. Velazquez

failed to set forth any evidence of retaliation in this case. We agree with the district

court’s conclusion that the mere existence of a company program to decrease workers’
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compensation costs is, standing alone, insufficient to provide the causal connection

necessary to establish a prima facie case of retaliatory discharge.

Ms. Velazquez has not presented specific facts demonstrating IBP terminated her

for anything other than a violation of the company’s one-year leave of absence policy. 

Under Kansas law, an employer is permitted to discharge an injured employee pursuant to

a neutral attendance policy, even if the employee has a work-related injury or has filed a

workers’ compensation claim. Sanjuan v. IBP, Inc., 919 F. Supp. 378, 380-81 (D. Kan.

1996). 

Here, Ms. Velazquez argues IBP’s leave of absence policy is irrelevant because

she was never officially placed on leave. She further contends she was unaware of IBP’s

leave of absence policy and did not realize IBP treated her as if she had taken a leave of

absence. 

We are unpersuaded. The evidence indicates Ms. Velazquez received information

about IBP’s personnel policies during orientation shortly after she was hired. Moreover,

it is undisputed Ms. Velazquez never contacted IBP in the year during which she contends

she was on work-related injury leave. Ms. Velazquez presented no evidence IBP would

have refused to allow her to return to work had she sought to return within the one-year

period. Nor did she present evidence IBP would have conditioned such a return upon the

termination of her workers’ compensation claims. 
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In short, Ms. Velazquez’ retaliation claim must fail because she has not established

any connection between the filing of her workers’ compensation claims and IBP’s

termination. This decided, we need not reach the question presented by Ms. Velazquez’

second claim, whether there was sufficient evidence of her ability to work.

Similarly, Ms. Velazquez’ third claim is meritless. She contends the district court

should have stayed IBP’s summary judgment motion until further discovery was

completed. However, Ms. Velazquez did not file a Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(f) affidavit. This

court has held, “[w]here a party opposing summary judgment and seeking a continuance

pending completion of discovery fails to take advantage of the shelter provided by Rule

56(f) by filing an affidavit, there is no abuse of discretion in granting summary judgment

if it is otherwise appropriate.” Pasternak v. Lear Petroleum Exploration, Inc., 790 F.2d

828, 832-33 (10th Cir. 1986). After reviewing the record, we find no abuse of discretion

here.

AFFIRMED.

ENTERED FOR THE COURT

John P. Porfilio

Circuit Judge