T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T SCO TT M I LLER, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. CL ARK COU NTY SCHOO L DI ST RI CT ; e t a l., D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees. N o. 09- 15140 D . C . N o . 2 : 0 2 - c v - 0 1 6 4 1 - J C MP AL ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt

f orthe D i s tr i c tof

N e va da J a m e s C . M a ha n, D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d M a r c h 12, 2010 ** S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: H A L L , N O O N A N , an d C A L L A H A N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. S c ottM i l l e r( “ M i l l e r ” ) t i m e l y appe a l s f r om as um m a ry j udgm e nti n f a vorof defe nd ant s and appel l ee s C l ark C ou nty S choo l D i stri ct , E dw ar d G ol dm an, W i l l i am H o f f m a n , a n d E liz ab e th F r a s e r( c o lle c tiv e ly , “d e f e n d a n ts ” o r“th e D is tr ic t” ) , in th is



# FI LED APR30 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

4 2 U . S . C . § 1 9 8 3 act i o n . M i l l er al l eg ed th atd efen d an t s v i o l at ed h i s d u e p ro cess r i ght s a nd hi s F i r s tA m e ndm e ntr i ght s of f r e e s pe e c h a nd f

r e e dom of

a s s oc i a t i on w h e n th e y te rm in a te d h is e m p lo y m e n t a s ap o s t- p r o b a tio n a ry te a c h e ro f w o r ld hi s t ory a taD i s tr i c thi gh s c hool i n 2000, on gr ounds of i ns ubor di na t i on. T he di s tr i c tc ourtha d j ur i s di c t i on pur s ua ntt o 28 U . S . C . § 1331 a nd 42 U . S. C. § 1 9 8 3 . W e h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n p u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 , a n d w e a f f i rm. I. B e c aus e the pa rt i e s a r e f a m i l i a rw i th the f

a c tua l a nd pr oc e dur a l hi s t ory of thi s c a s e , w e w i l l notr e c ounti the r e , e xc e pta s ne c e s s a ry t o ourdi s pos i t i on of the c la im s o f e rr o rr a is e d o n ap p e a l. II. A di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de c i s i on t o gr a nts um m a ry j udgm e nti s r e vi e w e d de no vo . B uono v . N

or ton , 371 F . 3d 543, 545 ( 9th C i r . 2004) . W e m us tde t e rm i ne , vi e w i ng the evi dence i n the l i gh tm ostfa vo rabl e t o the no nm ov i ng party, w hether there ar e any genui ne i ss ues of m at er i al fa ctand w hether the di stri ctcourtcorr ec t l y app l i ed th e r e le v a n t s u b s ta n tiv e la w . O l s e n v . I daho State B d. of

Me di c i ne , 363 F . 3d 916, 922 ( 9th C i r . 2004) . W e m us tnotw e i gh the e vi de nc e orde t e rm i ne the truth of the m a tte rb u t o n ly a s c e rta in w h e th e rag e n u in e is s u e o f m a te r ia l f

a c t e x is ts f

o rtr ia l. B a lin t v . C a rs o n C ity , 1 8 0 F .3 d 1 0 4 7 , 1 0 5 4 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) ( e n b a n c ) .3 III.

M i l l e rc ont e nds tha tthe r e a r e ge nui ne i s s ue s of m a t e r i a l f

a c tw he the r : ( 1) he had con st i tut i on al l y a dequ at e not i ce of the re as on s f or hi s di sm i ss al , and an oppor tuni ty t o pr e s e nthi s s i de of the s t ory be f

or e hi s e m pl oy m e ntw a s t e rm i na t e d; and (2) hi s prot ec t ed spee ch or as soci at i on al ac t i vi t i es w i th fel l ow un i on m em bers w er e m ot i vat i ng fa ct ors behi nd the di sc i pl i ne. W e di sa gree . A. U n d is p u te d e v id e n c e e s tab lis h e s th a t M ille rr e c e iv e d th e d u e p r o c e s s to w hi c h he w a s e nt i t l e d unde rf e de r a l l a w , a s he r e c e i ve d pr e - t e rm i na t i on not i c e of the re as on s f

or the di sc i pl i ne, an expl anat i on of the D i stri ct ’ s e vi dence, and n ot i ce of the m eans throu gh w hi ch he coul d p re se nthi s s i de of the st ory t o a fi nal d e c is io n m a k e r . Se e G i lbe r t v . H om ar , 5 2 0 U .S . 9 2 4 , 9 2 9 ( 1 9 9 7 ) ; C le v e land B d. of E du c . v . L o u de rm ill , 470 U . S . 532, 546 ( 1985) . S pe c i f i c a l l y , on N ove m be r14, 20 00 , the D i stri ctpers on al l y s erved M i l l erw i th a“ N ot i ce of Int ended D i sc i pl i nary A c t i on: R e c om m e nda t i on f orD i s m i s s a l ” ( “ N ot i c e ” ) , w hi c h i nf orm e d hi m tha tthe S upe r i nt e nde nti nt e nde d t o r e c om m e nd hi s di s m i s s a l t o the C l a rk C ounty B oa r d of S c hool T rus t e e s ( “ B oa r d” ) . I n hi s f i r s ta m e nde d c om pl a i nt , M i l l e ra dm i tt e d tha the r e c e i ve d the N ot i c e , w hi c h s t a t e d the gr ounds upon w hi c h the di s m i s s a l w a s be i ng r e c om m e nde d, i nc l udi ng i ns ubor di na t i on, a nd l a i d outthe f a c t s upon w hi c h the4

r e c om m e nda t i on w a s ba s e d, i nc l udi ng pr i orw a rni ngs , a dm oni t i ons , a nd s us pe ns i ons . I ta l s o a dvi s e d M i l l e rof hi s r i ght s unde rN e va dal a w and s e c t i on 36 -8 of the col l ec t i ve bargai ni ng agre em ent(“ C B A ”) t o d em and a heari ng before a n a rbi tr a t orw ho w oul d ha ve the f i na l s a y on hi s di s m i s s a l , hi s obl i ga t i on t o m a ke such a dem and w i thi n t en days of re ce i ptof the N ot i ce , and h i s ari gh tt o an i nf orm a l pr e - a rbi tr a t i on he a r i ng be f or e the S upe r i nt e nde nt ’ s de s i gne e w i thi n f i ve d a y s a f te rr e c e ip t o f

a n a rb itr a tio n d e m a n d . O n i t s f ac e, thi s und i sput ed evi dence s h o w s th a t f

e d e r a l d u e p r o c e s s r e q u ir e m e n ts w e r e s a tis f ie d . Se e B r e w s te rv . B d. of E du c . o f th e L y n w o o d U n ifie d Sc h . D is t., 149 F . 3d 971, 986- 87 ( 9th C i r . 1998) ( le tte rs ta tin g p o s s ib le a c tio n a n d g r o u n d s f o ra c tio n , a n d e x p la in in g o p p o r tu n ity to p r e s e n t e m p lo y e e ’s p o s itio n , s a tis f ie d “m e a g e r ” f

e d e r a l d u e p r o c e s s r e q u ir e m e n ts ) . M i l l e r ’ s c l a i m tha the w a s e nt i t l e d t o f urtherno t i ce of the B oard m ee t i ng at w h ic h th e S u p e r in te n d e n t’s r e c o m m e n d a tio n w o u ld b e c o n s id e r e d is w ith o u t m e r it. N e ith e rth e C B A n o ra n y N e v a d as ta tu te r e q u ir e d s u c h a d d itio n a l in f o rm a tio n in th e N o tic e , se e N e v . R e v . S ta t. § 3 9 1 .3 1 7 , a n d M ille rc ite s n o o th e rau th o r ity s u p p o rtin g th is c o n te n tio n . M ille rf u rth e rs u g g e s ts h e h a d ad u e p r o c e s s r ig h t to ah e a r in g o n th e m e r its o f h is d is m is s a l, b u t h e a d m its

— a n d a n a rb itr a to rs u b s e q u e n tly f o u n d

— th a t h e d id n o t r e q u e s t a rb itr a tio n o f h is te rm in a tio n g r ie v a n c e w ith in th e tim e lim its s ta te d in5

the N ot i c e . T hus , he c a nnotc om pl a i n tha the di d notr e c e i ve ahe a r i ng w he n he f a i l e d t o a v a i l h i ms e l f

o f th e o p p o r tu n i t i e s a c tu a l l y p r e s e n t e d t o h i m, se e B i gn al l v. N or th I daho C ol lege , 53 8 F . 2d 24 3, 24 6-47 (9th C i r. 19 76 ), and sum m ary j u d g m en tw as p ro p erl y en t ered as t o h i s d u e p ro cess cl ai m s. B. T o p re vai l on hi s c l ai m for vi ol at i on of hi s F i rs tA m endm entri gh t s, M i l l er w as re qu i re d t o p rove that : (1) he e ng aged i n p rot ec t ed ac t i vi ty; (2) the D i stri ct t o o kan ad v erse em p l o ym en tact i o n ; an d (3 ) h i s p ro t ect ed act i v i ty w as a “s ub s ta n tia l o rm o tiv a tin g f a c to r ” f o rth e a d v e r s e e m p lo y m e n t a c tio n . C oszal terv. C ity o f Sa le m , 32 0 F . 3d 96 8, 97 3 (9th C i r. 20 03 ). In order t o d em on stra t e that there i s agenu i ne i ss ue of m at er i al fa ctw hether prot ec t ed ac t i vi ty w as a s ub st ant i al or m ot i vat i ng fa ct or behi nd hi s di sm i ss al , M i l l erw as re qu i re d t o p re se ntevi dence tha t : ( 1) the r e w a s ve ry c l os e pr oxi m i ty i n t i m e be tw e e n pr ot e c t e d a c t i vi ty a nd the di s m i s s a l , s uc h tha taj ury c oul d i nf e rtha the w a s di s c ha r ge d i n r e t a l i a t i on f orthe a c tiv ity ; ( 2 ) h is e m p lo y e re x p r e s s e d o p p o s itio n to h is a c tio n s , e ith e rto h im o rto othe r s ; or( 3) hi s e m pl oy e r ’ s pr of f e r e d e xpl a na t i on f

orthe di s c ha r ge w a s f

a l s e a nd p r e - te x tu a l. Ke

ys e rv . Sa c r a m e n to C ity U n if. Sc h . D is t., 2 6 5 F .3 d 7 4 1 , 7 5 1 - 5 2 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) ; se e al

so C lark C ou nt

y Sch. D ist. v. B re eden , 53 2 U . S . 26 8, 27 3 (20 01 ). E v id e n c e p r e s e n te d b y th e D is tr ic t— in c lu d in g d e c la r a tio n s o f d e f e n d a n ts6

F ra se r, H offm an, and G ol dm an; transcr i pt s of m ee t i ng s hel d i n ear l y N ov em ber 20 00 betw ee n M i l l er , F ra se r, and h eras si st antpri nci pal (R ei d K i m ot o, w ho w as n o t an a m e d d e f

e n d a n t) to d is c u s s as tu d e n t c o m p la in t th a t h e h a d m a d e c o m m e n ts of as a c r i l e gi ous na tur e i n c l a s s ; a nd e xc e rpt s f r om M i l l e r ’ s ow n j ourna l de s c r i bi ng h is o b s tru c tiv e b e h a v io rd u r in g th o s e m e e tin g s — a m p ly s u p p o r ts d e f e n d a n ts ’ c la im tha tM i l l e rw a s di s m i s s e d f orc aus e , i . e . , f

ori ns ubor di na t i on, a nd notbe c aus e of a ny pr ot e c t e d s pe e c h ora s s oc i a t i ona l a c t i vi ty . M i l l e rf a i l e d t o c ontr ove r tthe D i stri ct ’ s s ho w i ng of cause w i th any of the types of evi dence out l i ned b y the court i n Ke ys e r . T hus , the di s tr i c tc our tdi d note rri n c onc l udi ng the r e i s no ge nui ne is s u e f o rtr ia l o n M ille r ’s F ir s t A m e n d m e n t c la im s . A s athres ho l d m att er , the di stri ctcourtfoun d thatM i l l erpres ent ed no ac tual evi dence i dent i fy i ng any prot ec t ed spee ch i n w hi ch he had eng aged, and M i l l erhas f a i l e d t o de m ons tr a t e tha tthe di s tr i c tc our te rr e d i n thi s r e s pe c t . T hi s f a c ta l one d e f e a ts h is c la im th a t h e w a s d is m is s e d in v io la tio n o f h is f r e e s p e e c h r ig h ts . See D e n n is o n v . C o u n ty o

f Fr e de r ic k

, V a ., 921 F . 2d 50, 53 ( 4th C i r . 1990) , c i t i ng C o n n ic k v . M y e rs , 4 6 1 U .S . 1 3 8 , 1 4 6 ( 1 9 8 3 ) . M i l l eral so fa i l ed t o p re se ntevi dence s uffi ci entt o rai se a genui ne i ss ue that p r o te c te d s p e e c h o ro th e rp r o te c te d c o n d u c t w a s am o tiv a tin g f a c to rb e h in d h is di s c i pl i ne . T he m e r e f

a c ttha the w a s t e rm i na t e d f ori ns ubor di na t i on m or e tha n a7

m o n th aft er h e, al o n g w i th m o re th an 1 0 0 o th er t each ers, v o t ed t o fo rm a T each ers’ A dvi s ory C om m i tt e e ( “ T A C ” ) doe s nots a t i s f y the “ t e m por a l pr oxi m i ty ” t e s tof Ke ys e r, 2 6 5 F .3 d a t 7 5 1 - 5 2 ; se e al so C lark Cou nt

y Sch. D ist. v. B re eden , 5 3 2 U . S. 26 8, 27 3 (20 01 ) ( m er e t em po ra l prox i m i ty i s i nsuffi ci entun l es s the prot ec t ed ac t i vi ty and advers e e m pl oym entac t i on occurre d “ verycl ose” i n t i m e) . M oreover, o n ce i tw as p ro p erl y fo rm ed b ased o n a m aj o ri ty v o t e o f th e h i g h sch o o l ’ s t each ers, no thi ng i n the re cord sugg es t s thatF ra se r or a ny other defe nd antexpres se d o p p o s itio n to M ille r ’s p a rtic ip a tio n in th e T A C , o ra n y a c tiv itie s o f th e T A C . T h e o n ly e v id e n c e o f

a n y p u rp o r te d h o s tility to M ille r ’s p u rp o r te d s p e e c h is the fa ctthatM i l l erw as qu es t i on ed abou tstud entcom pl ai nt s. H ow ever , M i l l er deni ed m aki ng the st at em ent s abo utw hi ch the stud ent s c om pl ai ned; he adm i tt ed o n ly to te a c h in g e v o lu tio n a s b o th f a c t a n d th e o ry , ap r a c tic e F r a s e re x p r e s s ly approv ed. Indeed, the m ee t i ng transcr i pt s— w hi ch w er e c om m i ss i on ed by M i l l er h im s e lf

— s h o w e d th a t F r a s e ra n d K im o to b e h a v e d c o u r te o u s ly a n d p r o f e s s io n a lly t ow ar d h i m despi t e hi s ow n u np rofe ss i on al ou tbu rs t s a gai nstthem , thatM i l l erw as t ol d o f the nature of the com pl ai nt s and gi ven the op po rtun i ty t o res po nd , and that F r a s e ra nd K i m ot o r e a di l y a c c e pt e d M i l l e r ’ s de ni a l s w he n he ga ve the m , a nd i nqui r e d aboutthe c ont e xtof the s t a t e m e nt s he a dm i tt e d. T hus , the r e i s no e vi de nc e tha tF r a s e rora ny othe rde f e nda ntoppos e d a ny s pe e c h know n t o ha ve8

been express ed by M i l l er . F i nal l y, M i l l erhas f

ai l ed t o rai se a genui ne i ss ue of m at er i al fa ctw hether in s u b o r d in a tio n w a s af a ls e o rp r e te x tu a l r e a s o n f o rh is d is c ip lin e . O u rin q u iry in to w h e th e rth e p r o f

f e r e d b a s is f

o rM ille r ’s s u s p e n s io n s a n d d is m is s a l w e r e le g itim a te orpr e t e xtua l i s l i m i t e d t o w he the rde f e nda nt s be l i e ve d tha tM i l l e rw a s gui l ty of i nsub ordi nat i on , as they c on si st ent l y a ss ert ed, and i f s o, w hether these bel i ef s w er e th e r e a s o n s f

o rh is d is c ip lin e . V

i l l i ari m o v. A loh a Islan d A i r, Inc. , 281 F . 3d 1054, 1 0 6 3 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 2 ) ( p r e te x t d o e s n o t e x is t w h e r e e m p lo y e rh o n e s tly b e lie v e d its re as on for i t s a ct i on s) . M i l l er m ak es n o effo rtt o sh o w th at , atth e t i m e o f th e d i sci p l i n ary act i o n s, a ny de f e nda ntbe l i e ve d di s c i pl i ne f ori ns ubor di na t i on w a s notw a rr a nt e d. I ns t e a d, M i l l e r ’ s pr e t e xta r gum e nti s ba s e d e nt i r e l y upon as ni ppe tof t e s t i m ony F r a s e rga ve d u r in g th e a rb itr a tio n h e a r in g , tw o y e a r s a f te rh e w a s d is c h a r g e d , m o m e n ta r ily w a ve r i ng on the i s s ue w he the rhe ha d al e ga l r i ghtt o r e f us e t o pa r t i c i pa t e i n the N ov em ber 200 0 m ee t i ng s. Iti s c l ear f rom the ent i re ty of hert es t i m on y, ho w ever , th a t F r a s e rh a d r e lie d o n th e D is tr ic t le g a l d e p a r tm e n t’s a d v ic e a s to th e p r o p r ie ty of the di sc i pl i ne, and thaton ce her r ec ol l ec t i on of the event s w as re fr es hed, nei ther s h e n o ra n y o th e rd e f

e n d a n t b e lie v e d M ille rh a d ar ig h t to d e c lin e to p a r tic ip a te in tho se i nv es t i gat ory m ee t i ng s w i th i m pu ni ty. T o the contrary , the re cord show s that9

e v e ry o n e c o n n e c te d w ith th e e v e n ts , in c lu d in g M ille r ’s o w n a d v o c a te s , n o t o n ly b e lie v e d h is c o n d u c t w a s in s u b o r d in a te , b u t r e p e a te d ly to ld h im s o a t th e tim e . M i l l erhas c i t ed no thi ng i n the re cord t o sug gestthatothers w ho engaged i n si m i l ar i ns ubor di na t e a c t s w e r e notdi s c i pl i ne d i n s i m i l a rde gr e e s . A s M i l l e rha s thus f a ile d to r a is e a n y g e n u in e is s u e o f m a te r ia l f

a c t a s to a n y e s s e n tia l e le m e n t o f h is F i rstA m en d m en tcl ai m s, su m m ary j u d g m en tw as p ro p erl y en t ered as t o th o se c au s e s o f a c tio n . I V. T h e j u d g m e n to f

th e d i s tr i c tc o u r ti s AF F I R ME D.