2010 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 8-5-2010 

# T urne r v . P ro S olut ions C hiropra c t ic Inc 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 . 09-3064

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w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " T urne r v . P r o S o lut ion s C hir opr a ct ic Inc " (2010). 2010 D e cisio n s . P ape r 796. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010/796-1- NOT 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. 09- 3064

_____________ DARNELL TURNER , A ppel l ant

v. P RO- S OLUTI ONS F OR CHI ROP RACTI C, I NC.

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ro m th e U n ited S tate s D istric t C o u rt f o r th e W e ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . N o. 2- 07- cv- 01269) D i stri ctJudg e: H on orabl e D on et t a W . A m brose

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J ul y15, 2010 B efore: F U E N T E S , V A N A S K IE, and W E IS, C i rcui tJudg es.

( O pi ni on Fi l ed: A ugus t5, 2010) OPI NI ON O F THE COURT FU E N T E S, C i r cui tJ udge: D a rn e ll T u rn e r, an A f

ric a n -A m e ric a n , b ro u g h t th is T itl e V II a c tio n a g a in st h isT h e D is tr ic t C o u rt h a d f e d e ra l q u e s tio n ju ri s d ic tio n p u rs u a n t to 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 3 3 1 . 1 W e h a v e ju ri s d ic tio n p u rs u a n t to 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . -2- f o rm e r e m p lo y e r, P ro -S o lu tio n s F o r C h iro p ra c tic, In c . (“P ro -S o lu tio n s” ), alle g in g th a t h is fi r i ng w as the r es ul tof r aci al di s cr i m i nat i on. T he D i s tr i ctC our tgr ant ed def endantPr oSol ut i ons ’ m ot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent . T he C our tconcl uded thatT urnerhad s at i s fi ed the fir stst age o f t he fa m i l i ar M cD on nell -D ou glas i nq uiry , m aking ou ta pri m a facie cas e forr ace empl oym entdi s cr i m i nat i on, and thatPr o- Sol ut i ons had meti t s bur den atthe s econd s t age byexpl ai ni ng thati tt erm i nat ed Turne rbeca us e i ts us pect ed he ha d u n law fu ll yatt em p ted to sell it s eq u ipm en t. H o w ev er, th e c o u rtfo u n d that at th e third sta g e o f th e in q u iry , T u rn e r f

a iled to sh o w th a t P ro -S o lu tio n s’ e x p lan a tio n f o r its e m p lo ym e n t d e c is io n w a s a p re te x t f o r d is c ri m in a tio n . T urnerappea l s , ar gui ng thata j urycoul d di s bel i eve Pr o- Sol ut i ons ’ s t at ed r eas on forfi r i ng hi m beca us e he w as notconfr ont ed aboutthe att empt ed theftw hi l e he w or ked at the company , and s i nce hi s empl oy ercoul d notart i cul at e a s peci fi c bas i s forfea r i ng r e t a l i a t i o n f

r o m h i m. W e d i s a g r e e a n d wi l l a f f i r m. 1 I. B ec au se w e w ri te prim aril yfo r th e p arti es, w e se t fo rth o n lythe f ac ts an d h ist o ry thatar e r el evantt o ourconcl us i on. D efe ndantPr o- Sol ut i ons s el l s ther apeut i c and di agnos t i c equi pm ent , i ncl udi ng t el evi s i on m oni t or s , forus e bychi r opr act or s . Pl ai nt i ff T urner , an A fr i can- A m er i can, began w or ki ng forthe companyi n February2006, s hi ppi ng-3-

and tracki ng produ ct s sentfrom a w arehou se i n C eci l , P enn sy l van i a t o P ro- S olut i on s’ cus t om er s . Pr i ort o T urner ’ s hi r i ng, Pr o- Sol ut i ons out s our ced the w ar ehous i ng and s h ip p in g f

o r w h ic h T u rn e r b e c a m e re s p o n s ib le . N icho las P isci o tt an o , the b roth er o f P ro-S o luti o n s’ P reside n t and C E O , D r. M a u ric e P isc io ttan o , als o w o rk e d in th e w a re h o u se , tho u g h h e w a s n o t in v o lv e d in p ac k ag ing an d sh ipp ing . P isci o tt an o is C au ca sian . In M ay2 0 0 6 , u p o n T u rne r’s recom m end at i on , P ro- S olut i on s hi red B ry an C herry , w ho i s A fri can-A m eri can, t o assi st T u rn e r i n th e w a re h o u s e . I n Sept ember2006, the w ar ehous e ow ner , R i char d E r enber g, t ol d D r . Pi s ci ot t ano thatT urnerhad as ked one of E r enber g’ s empl oy ees i f he w ant ed t o buya t el evi s i on outof the w are h o u se. D r. P isci o tt an o ask ed H arryF reu ch t, the C h ief o f P o li ce fo r ne arb yP eters T ow ns hi p, foradvi ce. Fr euchtexpl ai ned thatthe w ar ehous e w as out s i de hi s j ur i s di ct i on, b u t s u g g e s te d P is c io tta n o s e t u p a “ s tin g ” o p e ra tio n a n d c o n ta c t th e C e c il p o lic e . D r . Pi s ci ot t ano i ns t ead t ol d Pr o- Sol ut i ons ’ D i r ect orof O per at i ons E dw ar d B i s hop to f ire T u rn e r, C h e rry , an d N ich o las P isc io ttan o , an d tell th e m th e c o m p a n yin ten d e d to l ook i nt o out s our ci ng the w ar ehous e func t i ons . A ccor di ng t o D r . Pi s ci ot t ano, he w as conce rned aboutr et al i at i on s houl d he ac cus e Turne rof s t eal i ng. “[H ] e coul d beatm e up, he coul d pul l a gun on me, ” D r . Pi s ci ot t ano expl ai ned i n hi s depos i t i on t es t i m ony . ( Supp. A p p . a t 3 9 a .) “ P e o p le w h o s e ll [ s to le n ] T V s , I t h in k th e y ’r e p ro b a b ly a l ittle c ra z y . I d o n ’t k n o w w h a t e ls e th e ym ig h t d o .” (I d . a t 3 9 a .)C herr yfi l ed a s ubs t ant i al l ys i m i l arcompl ai nti n D ece m ber2007. T he D i s tr i ct 2 C our tgr ant ed def

endantPr o- Sol ut i ons ’ m ot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent . C herrydi d not a p p e a l . C h e r r y v . P r o - S o l u t i o n s f o r C h i r o p r a c t i c , I n c . , N o . 0 7 - 1 6 9 2 , 2 0 0 9 U . S . D i s t . LE X IS 86594 (W. D. Pa. Sept. 22, 2009). -4- Pr o- Sol ut i ons di d notout s our ce i t s w ar ehous e oper at i on. A ppr oxi m at el yone w eek a f ter th e th re e f

irin g s, th e c o m p a n yh ire d T im o th yL in d e n , w h o is C a u c a sia n , to w o rk in the w ar ehous e. H e qui taboutone mont h l at er . E m pl oy ees al r eadyw or ki ng forPr oS o luti o n s ass u m ed w are h o u se d u ti es th ere af ter. A ccordi ng t o the affi dav i tof R aym on d H un t er, an em ploy ee of ano ther w arehou se t enant , N i chol as Pi s ci ot t ano t ol d hi m thatw hatthe companyhad done t o T urnerw as “mess ed up, ” thathi s br otherD r . Pi s ci ot t ano “di d not‘ do w el l ’ ar ound bl ack pe opl e, ” and th a t th e e x p lan a tio n f

o r th e f irin g s “ w a s f

a lse .” (R e p . & R e c c . at 4 .) H u n ter re layed th is t o C herry , w ho t ol d T urner . H ow ever , apartfr om the al l eged e m pl oym entdi s cr i m i nat i on compl ai ned of byT urneri n t hi s cas e, nei therT urnernorC herryeverexper i ence d any f o rm o f d isc rim in a tio n , n o r h e a rd a n yd e ro g a to ryc o m m e n ts c o n c e rn in g th e ir ra c e , w h ile theyw ere em ploy ed at Pro-Solut i on s. O n Sept ember9, 2007, T urnerfi l ed a c om pl ai ntagai ns tPr o- Sol ut i ons , al l egi ng thathi s fi r i ng w as bas ed on i l l egal r ace di s cr i m i nat i on i n vi ol at i on of Ti t l e V I I of the C i vi l R i ght s A ct , 42 U . S. C . § 2000e et s eq , 4 2 U .S .C . § 1 9 8 1 a n d th e P e n n sy lv a n ia H u m a n R e l a t i o n s A c t( “ P H R A ” ) , 4 3 P a . C o n s . S t a t . § 9 5 5 ( a ) . A tth e c l o s e o f d i s c o v e r y, 2 Pr o- Sol ut i ons fi l ed a mot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent . Fol l ow i ng di s covery , the D i s tr i ct-5-

C our tacc ept ed the magi s tr at e j udge’ s R eportand R ecomm endat i on and gr ant ed d e f e n d a n t’ s m o tio n f

o r s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t. T u rn e r f ile d a tim e ly n o tic e o f

a p p e a l. II. T h is C o u rtrev iew s d e n o v o the D istri ct C o u rt ’s de cisi o n g ran ti n g su m m ary j udgm ent , appl y i ng the s ame st andar d of r evi ew as thatus ed bythe D i s tr i ctC our t . C ur l ey v . K lem , 2 9 8 F .3 d 2 7 1 , 2 7 6 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 2 ). S u m m a ryju d g m e n t is a p p ro p ria te if “ th e re is no genui ne i s s ue as t o anym at er i al fac tand the movanti s ent i t l ed t o j udgm entas a mat t er o f law .” F e d . R . C iv . P . 5 6 (c ). T h e e v id e n c e m u st b e v iew e d in th e lig h t m o st f a v o ra b le to T u rne r, the n o n -m o v ing p arty . B artnick i v. V o p p er, 20 0 F . 3 d 1 0 9 , 1 1 4 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 9 ). T urner ’ s T i t l e V I I r ace di s cr i m i nat i on cl ai m s m us tbe s crut i ni zed unde rthe thr eesta g e in q u iryo f

M c D o n n e ll D o u g las C o rp . v . G re e n , an d its p ro g e n y . T h e a n a ly sis req u ir ed fo r ad

jud icati n g T u rne r’s clai m u n d er the P H R A is i d en ti ca l, an d w e the ref o re addr es s the cl ai m s t ogether . G oos byv. J ohns on & J ohns on M edi cal , I nc. , 228 F. 3d 313, 3 1 7 n .3 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 0 ). T urnerm ethi s i ni t i al bur den t o pr es enta pr i m a fa ci e ca s e of r ace empl oym ent di s cr i m i nat i on. M cD onnel l D ougl as C orp. v. G r een, 411 U . S. 792 ( 1973) ; M akkyv. C hert off, 541 F. 3d 205, 214 ( 3d C i r . 2008) . T he bur den of pr oduct i on s hi ft ed t o Pr oSol ut i ons t o art i cul at e a l egi t i m at e, non- di s cr i m i nat oryr eas on forT urner ’ s t erm i nat i on – a “r el at i vel yl i ghtbur den. ” Fuent es v. Per s ki e, 32 F. 3d 759, 763 ( 3d C i r . 1994) . A ft er P r o - S o l u t i o n s e x p l a i n e d th a ti ts u s p e c t e d T u rn e rh a d a t t e m p t e d t o s t e a l c o m p a n y p r o p e r ty,-6-

the bur den s hi ft ed bac k t o T urnert o s how bya pr eponder ance of the evi dence thatthe e m p lo y e r’ s p ro f

f e re d re a s o n w a s p re te x tu a l. I d . a t 7 6 3 . T he s ol e i s s ue i s w hetherthe D i s tr i ctC our tcorr ect l yconcl uded, atthe thi r d s t age o f th e in q u iry , tha t T u rn e r f a iled to sh o w th a t P ro -S o lu tio n s’ e x p lan a tio n f o r its empl oym entdeci s i on w as a pr et extfordi s cr i m i nat i on. T o avoi d s um m aryj udgm ent wh e n P r o - S o l u t i o n s p r o v i d e d l e g i t i ma t e , n o n - d i s c r i mi n a t o ryr e a s o n s f o rf i r i n g h i m, T urnerm us tpoi ntt o so m e e v id e n c e , d ire c t o r c irc u m sta n tial, f ro m w h ich a f

a c tf in d e r c o u ld reas on ably ei ther (1) di sbel i eve the em ploy er’ s ar t i culat ed legi t i m at e reas on s; or ( 2) bel i eve thatan i nvi di ous di s cr i m i nat oryr eas on w as m or e l i kel ythan not a mot i vat i ng ordet erm i nat i ve ca us e of the empl oy er ’ s act i on. Id . a t 7 6 4 . W e agr ee w i th t he D i s tr i ctC our tthatT urnerhas notdemonstr at ed thatPr oSol ut i ons ’ expl anat i on forfi r i ng hi m i s a pr et extforunl aw ful di s cr i m i nat i on. T he evi dence pr es ent ed byT urnerm us t“al l ow a fa ctfi nderr eas onabl yt o i nferthateac h of the empl oy er ’ s pr offe r ed non- di s cr i m i nat oryr eas ons . . . w as ei thera pos thoc fa br i cat i on orotherw i s e di d notactual l ym ot i vat e the empl oym entact i on ( thati s , the pr offe r ed r eas on i s a pr et ext ) . ” I d. T urner ’ s bur den of pr oduct i on acc or ds w i th the bur den of pe r s uas i on r es t i ng, atal l t i m es , w i th t he pl ai nt i ff. See Texas D ept . of C m ty . A ffa i r s v. B ur di ne, 450 U .S . 2 4 8 , 2 5 3 (1 9 8 1 ). T h e re su lti n g “ d if f icu lt b u rd e n ” o n th e p lain tiff is “ in h e re n t” to adj udi cat i on of empl oym entdi s cr i m i nat i on di s put es . E zol d v. W ol f, B l ock, Schorrand S o lis -C o h e n , 9 8 3 F .2 d 5 0 9 , 5 3 1 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 2 ).-7-

T u rne r ha s o ff

ere d n o ev iden ce to d ispu te D r. P isci o tt an o ’s an d E ren b erg ’s t es t i m onyconce r ni ng T urner ’ s offe rt o E r enber g’ s empl oy ee t o buya t el evi s i on outof the w ar ehous e, orC hi ef Fr eucht ’ s t es t i m onythatD r . Pi s ci ot t ano s poke w i th hi m aboutthe at t em pted theft. R at her, T urner ar gu es that a j urycou l d d i sbel i eve P ro- S olut i on s’ expl anat i on beca us e he w as notconfr ont ed aboutthe theftw hi l e empl oy ed atPr oSol ut i ons . H ow ever , an empl oy eri s notr equi r ed t o di s cus s acc us at i ons of theftw i th an a t- w ill e m p lo y e e b e f

o re f ir in g h im . S e e W e a v e r v . H a rp s te r, 6 0 1 P a . 4 8 8 , 5 0 0 (2 0 0 9 ). W h e th e r d o in g s o is a b e tte r b u s in e s s p ra c tic e is ir re le v a n t to th e q u e s tio n o f p re te x t. F u e n te s , 3 2 F .3 d a t 7 6 5 . T urner al so argues t hat a j urycou l d d i sbel i eve P ro- S olut i on s’ exp l anati on becau se D r. P is c io tta n o f

a ile d to a rt ic u la te a s p e c if ic re a s o n f

o r f e a ri n g re ta lia tio n f

ro m T u rn e r. H o w e v e r, h e d id sa y : “P e o p le w h o se ll [s to len ] T V s, I th in k th e y ’re p ro b a b lya little c ra z y . I d o n ’t k n o w w h a t els e th e ym ig h t d o .” (S u p p . A p p . at 3 9 a .) M o re o v e r, w h ile pl ai nt i ff’ s evi dence need notdi r ect l ycontr adi ctdefe ndant ’ s expl anat i on, T urnerm aynot s im p ly ar g u e th a t th e f

a c t f in d e r s h o u ld d is b e lie v e h is f o rm e r e m p lo y e r’ s e x p la n a tio n . Fuent es , 32 F. 3d at764. T hatD r . Pi s ci ot t ano coul d nots peci fi cal l yi dent i fythe bas i s for hi s fea rof r et al i at i on does notunderm i ne the evi dence s uppor t i ng hi s s us pi ci ons of T u rn e r’ s ille g a l a c tiv itie s . III . F o r t h e f o re g o in g re a s o n s , w e a f f ir m th e ju d g m e n t o f

th e D is tr ic t C o u rt .