FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT NOVEMB ER 3, 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 12024 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 4 - 0 2 4 5 2 - C V- T - 2 6 - T GW M A T T H E W T . B A RN H A R T , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s W A L - M A R T S T O R E S , I N C ., D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( N ove m b e r 3, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: M a tthe w B a rnha rtappe a l s the s um m a ry j udgm e nta ga i ns thi s c om pl a i ntof2

d is c r im in a tio n u n d e rth e A m e r ic a n s w ith D is ab ilitie s A c t, 4 2 U .S .C . § 1 2 1 1 7 ( a ) . B a rnha rt , w ho i s unabl e t o he a rw i thoutthe us e of ahe a r i ng a i d, f

i l e d ac om pl a i nt agai nsthi s e m pl oyer , W al -M artS t ores , Inc. , and al l eged thatW al -M arthad d is c r im in a te d a g a in s t h im o n th e b a s is o f h is d is ab ilityw h e n W a l- M a rt r e f u s e d to transfe r B arnh artt o the po si t i on of L oss P re vent i on A ss oci at e. B ec ause the di stri ct c ourtc orr e c t l y c onc l ude d tha tB a rnha rtc a nnotpe r f orm a n e s s e nt i a l f

unc t i on of

the L o ss P rev en t i o n A sso ci at e p o si t i o n an d th ath e d i d n o tsu ffer an ad v erse e m p lo y m e n t a c tio n , w e a f f irm . W e r evi ew a grantof sum m ary j ud gm entde no vo . M erri ttv. D i l l ar d P aper C o ., 1 2 0 F .3 d 1 1 8 1 , 1 1 8 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 7 ) . S u m m a ry ju d g m e n t is ap p r o p r ia te if the “ pl ea di ng s, depo si t i on s, answ er s t o i nt errogat ori es , and adm i ss i on s on fi l e, t oge the rw i th the a f

f i da vi t s , i f

a ny , s how tha tthe r e i s no ge nui ne i s s ue a s t o a ny m a t e r i a l f

a c ta nd tha tthe m ovi ng pa rty i s e nt i t l e d t o aj udgm e nta s am a tt e rof l aw . ” F ed. R . C i v. P . 56 (c ). W e m ayaf fi rm the di stri ctcourton any groun d that appe a r s i n the r e c or d. J a f f ke v. D unha m , 352 U . S . 380, 381, 77 S . C t . 307, 308 ( 1 9 5 7 ) . T he di s tr i c tc ourte rr one ous l y c ons i de r e d B a rnha rt ’ s c l a i m unde rthe bur de ns hi f t i ng f r a m e w ork of

M c D onne l l D ougl a s C orp. v. G r e e n, 411 U . S . 792, 802, 93 S . C t . 18 17 , 18 24 (197 3), bu tthatfr am ew ork typi ca l l y app l i es t o cl ai m s und er3

T i t l e V II of the C i vi l R i gh t s A ctof 19 64 , 42 U . S . C . § 2 00 0e etse q. B arnh art b r o u g h t h is c o m p la in t u n d e rth e A D A . D e s p ite its e rr o r , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt, in its us e of the M c D onne l l D ougl a s f r a m e w ork, s t i l l pr ope r l y c ons i de r e d e l e m e nt s of th e f r a m e w o rku s e d f

o rr e s o lv in g A D A c la im s .

“ [ T ] o e s t abl i s h apr i m af a c i e c a s e of

e m pl oy m e ntdi s c r i m i na t i on unde rthe A D A , a p l ai n t i ff m u std em o n strat e ‘ th at(1 ) h e h as a d i sab i l i ty, (2 ) h e i s a

‘ qua l i f i e d i ndi vi dua l , ’ w hi c h i s t o s a y , abl e t o pe r f orm the e s s e nt i a l f

unc t i ons of

the e m p lo y m e n t p o s itio n th a t h e h o ld s o rs e e k s w ith o rw ith o u t r e a s o n ab le a c c o m m o d a tio n , a n d ( 3 ) th e d e f e n d a n t u n la w f

u lly d is c r im in a te d a g a in s t h im be c aus e of

the di s abi l i ty . ’ ” D ’ A nge l o v. C onA gr aF oods , I nc . , 422 F . 3d 1220, 1 2 2 6 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) ( q u o tin g R e e d v . T h e H e il C o ., 2 0 6 F .3 d 1 0 5 5 , 1 0 6 1 ( 1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 0 )). “ If th e i n d i v i d u al i s u n ab l e t o p erfo rm an essen t i al fu n ct i o n o f h i s ··· jo b , e v e n w ith an a c c o m m o d a tio n , h e is , b y d e f in itio n , n o t a‘q u a lif

ie d in d iv id u a l’ and, there fore , no tcovered und erthe A D A . ” I d. at12 29 (i nt ernal qu ot at i on m ark om i tt ed). T o est abl i sh un l aw ful di sc ri m i nat i on base d o n the di sabi l i ty, an e m p lo y e e m u s t p r e s e n t e v id e n c e o f a n a d v e r s e e m p lo y m e n t a c tio n . D o e v . D e k a lb C o u n ty S c h o o l D is t., 1 4 5 F .3 d 1 4 4 1 , 1 4 4 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 8 ) . W a l- M a rt d o e s n o t d is p u te th a t B a rn h a rt is a n in d iv id u a l w ith ad is ab ility , in th a t h e is p e rm a n e n tly s u b s ta n tia lly lim ite d in h is ab ilityto h e a ra s c o m p a r e d to4

m e m b e r s o f

th e g e n e r a l p o p u la tio n . W a l- M a rt a r g u e s th a t, b e c au s e o f h is d i sab i l i ty, B arn h arti s u n ab l e t o p erfo rm an essen t i al fu n ct i o n o f th e L o ss P r e v e n tio n A s s o c ia tio n p o s itio n : to h e a ra n d c o m m u n ic a te in s ta n ta n e o u s ly w ith othe rL os s P r e ve nt i on A s s oc i a t e s thr oughoutthe s t or e . T o pe r f orm thi s f

unc t i on, L oss P re vent i on A ss oci at es use w al ki e- t al ki es and an i nt er com sy st em . B arnh art a r g u e s th a t th e ab ilityto h e a ris n o t e s s e n tia l b e c au s e h e c a n c o m m u n ic a te in s ta n ta n e o u s ly w ith th e u s e o f aT - M o b ile S id e k ic k , atw o - w a y p a g e r . A n e s s e nt i a l f

unc t i on of

apos i t i on i s af

unda m e nt a l duty of

the

“ em pl oym entpo si t i on the i nd i vi du al w i th a di sabi l i ty hol ds or desi re s, ” and “ do es n o t in c lu d e th e m a r g in a l f u n c tio n s o f

th e p o s itio n .” 2 9 C .F .R . § 1 6 3 0 .2 ( n ) ( 1 ) . E v id en ce o f w h eth era p ar ti cu lar f u n ctio n is es se n ti al ca n in clu d e th e e m p lo ye r’s j udgm e nt , the w r i tt e n j ob de s c r i pt i ons , a nd the c ons e que nc e s of notr e qui r i ng the i nd i vi du al t o p er form the funct i on . Id. A re as on abl e a cc om m od at i on i ncl ud es

“ [ m ] odi f i c a t i ons ora dj us tm e nt s t o the w ork e nvi r onm e nt , ort o the m a nne ror c i r c um s t a nc e s unde rw hi c h the pos i t i on he l d orde s i r e d i s c us t om a r i l y pe r f orm e d, thatenabl e aqu al i fi ed i nd i vi du al w i th a di sabi l i ty t o p er form the es se nt i al f u n c tio n s o f

th a t p o s itio n .” 2 9 C .F .R . § 1 6 3 0 .2 ( o ) ( 1 ) ( ii) . W e a g r e e w ith th e d is tr ic t c o u rt th a t B a rn h a rt’s c la im f a ils b e c au s e h e is u n ab le to p e r f

o rm th e e s s e n tia l f

u n c tio n s o f

th e e m p lo y m e n t p o s itio n th a t h e s e e k s .5

T he pr i m a ry purpos e of the L os s P r e ve nt i on A s s oc i a t e i s t o i de nt i f y a nd appr e he nd s h o p lif te r s . T o ap p r e h e n d as h o p lif te r , W a l- M a rt r e q u ir e s a n a s s o c ia te to m a in ta in c ons t a nta nd c ons i s t e ntvi s ua l c ont a c tw i th the s us pe c t e d s hopl i f t e rt o obs e rve the s hopl i f t e rthr ough the s t a ge s of r e m ovi ng a n i t e m f

r om the s he l f

, c onc e a l i ng the i t e m , a nd l e a vi ng the s t or e w i th the i t e m w i thoutpa y i ng. T he L os s P r e ve nt i on A s s o c ia te m u s t b e ab le to c o m m u n ic a te w ith o th e rW a l- M a rt p e r s o n n e l w h ile perf orm i ng these ob se rvat i on s. T he use of w al ki e- t al ki es and the i nt er com sy st em al l ow s i nst ant aneous com m un i ca t i on betw ee n ass oci at es , m anagem ent , and l aw e n f o r c e m e n t. B e c au s e o f

h is h e a r in g im p a irm e n t, B a rn h a rt c a n n o t p e r f o rm th is f u n c tio n o f

th e L o s s P r e v e n tio n A s s o c ia tio n p o s itio n . B a rnha rta r gue s tha ti ns t a nt a ne ous c om m uni c a t i on i s onl y ne c e s s a ry f or e m e r ge nc i e s a nd tha the c a n pe r f orm the f unc t i on of

i ns t a nt a ne ous c om m uni c a t i on w i th th e reaso n ab l e acco m m o d at i o n o f th e u se o f a S i d ek i ck . T h i s arg u m en tfai l s. F i r s t , the e vi de nc e doe s nots upportthe c onc l us i on tha ti ns t a nt a ne ous com m un i ca t i on i s nec es saryon l y f or em er genci es . S ec on d, al tho ug h a S i deki ck w oul d a l l ow c om m uni c a t i on be tw e e n a n a s s oc i a t e a nd othe ra s s oc i a t e s or m a n a g e m e n t, th e u s e o f th e S id e k ic kw o u ld r e q u ir e th e L o s s P r e v e n tio n A s s o c ia te t o br e a k hi s c ons t a ntobs e rva t i on of the s us pe c t . T o s e nd a nd r e c e i ve m e s s a ge s on th e S id e k ic k , a n in d iv id u a l m u s t d iv e rt h is a tte n tio n to th e s c r e e n o f th e S id e k ic kto6

type or r ea d a m es sa ge. B ec ause i tw ou l d n otperm i tB arnh artt o p er form an e s s e n tia l f

u n c tio n o f

th e p o s itio n , th e S id e k ic kis n o t ar e a s o n ab le a c c o m m o d a tio n . T he di stri ctcourtal so corr ec t l y c on cl ud ed thatthe deni alof a l at er al transfe r to th e L o s s P r e v e n tio n A s s o c ia te p o s itio n w a s n o t a n a d v e r s e e m p lo y m e n t a c tio n . W he the ra n e m pl oy m e nta c t i on i s a dve r s e i s de t e rm i ne d ba s e d on a n obj e c t i ve s t a nda r d. D e ka l b C ounty , 145 F . 3d a t1448- 49. A l a t e r a l tr a ns f e rtha tdoe s not r e s ul ti n “ l e s s e rpa y , r e s pons i bi l i t i e s , orpr e s t i ge ” i s nota dve r s e . I d. L i ke w i s e , the r e f us a l t o gi ve a n e m pl oy e e s uc h atr a ns f e rc a nnotbe a n a dve r s e e m pl oy m e nt a c tio n . B ecau se B arn h arti s n o ta q u al i fi ed i n d i v i d u al u n d er th e A D A an d b ecau se h e h as n o tsu ffered an ad v erse em p l o ym en tact i o n , th e su m m ary j u d g m en tag ai n st B arn h art ’ s co m p l ai n ti s AF F I RME D.