FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T APR 27, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE U

NITED STATE S COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 0- 13 90 9 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 4 :0 9- cv -0 01 41 -HLM COREY JAC KSON, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l l Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t, vers us B&L DISP OSAL, INC., d.b .a. BLD Rol l-Of

f Co nt ai ne rs , ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Defen da nt -Ap pe ll ee.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e North ern Dis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Ap ril 27 , 20 11 ) Befo re CARNES, WILSON andBLACK, Cir cu itJu dg es . PER CURI AM: Co rey Ja ck so n app eal s t he di st ric t co urt’s g ran t o f su m m ary jud gm en t i n h is em pl oym en t d is cri m in at io n l aws ui t, wh ic h c la im edret al ia ti on by his form erem

pl oyer, B&L Dis po sa l, In c., in vi ol at io n o f Tit le VII of th e Ci vi l Ri gh ts Act o f 19 64 , 42 U.S.C. § 2 00 0e –3 (a). I. Ja ck so n, a wh it e m al e, ha d c om pl ai ne d t o J oh n Gri ffi n, h is imm ed ia te supe rv is orat B &L, ab ou t h is co -wo rk ers us in g ra ci al sl ur s i n c as ua l co nv ers at io n du rin g l un ch es , bre ak s, an d o ccas io na ll y du rin g wo rk . A few days la te r Grif fin to ldJac ks on th athe ha d b een fir edfro m hi s p os it io n. Ja ck so n b ro ug htanem

pl oym en t d is cri m in at io n l aws ui t ag ai ns t B& L al le gi ng ret al ia ti on un de r Tit le VII. He all eg edth athe was fi redby B&L bec au se of hi s co m pl ai nt s t o Gri ffi n abo uthi s co -wo rk ers ’ us e o f rac ia l s lu rs . B&L m ov ed fo r su m m ary jud gm en t, s ub m it ti ng affi da vi ts an d ast at em en t o f m at eri al fact s i n supp ort an d a rg ui ng th atJac ks on ha d n otpre se nt eda pr im a fac ie ret al ia ti on cas e un de r Tit le VII. B&L p oi nt edou t an d J ack so n c on ced edinhi s re sp on se to B&L’s st at em en t of m at eri al fact s tha t, al th ou gh Griff in ha d t ol d J ack so n h e h adbe enfir ed , Griff in di d n otha ve th e au th or it y to fir e h im

an d t ha t d eci si on was i ns te adm ad e b y Bri an St ov er, B& L’ s o wne r. Add it io na ll y , Jac ks on adm it te d t ha t h e h adno t t ol d S to ve r ab ou t h is co m

pl ai ntan d t ha t h e d idno t kno w whet he r Grif finha d t ol d S to ve r. In swo rnaffi da vi ts att ach edto B&L’s su m m ary jud gm en t m ot io n, b ot h Gri ffi n a nd 2St ov er s ta te d t ha t Gri ffi n h adno t t ol d S to ve r of Jac ks on ’s com

pl ai ntbe fo re Ja ck so n was fir ed , andSto ve r st at edth athe di d n otkn ow ab ou t t he co m pl ai nt be fo re h e fi redJac ks on . The di stric t co urt g ran te d B &L’s su m m ary jud gm en t m ot io n. J ack so n co nt en ds th atwas e rro r be cau se he pre se nt eda pr im a fac ie ret al ia ti oncas e u nd er Tit le VII. II.

“ W e rev ie w de n ov o adi st ric t co urt’s g ran t o f su m m ary jud gm en t, ap pl y in g th e sa m e le ga l s ta nd ard s as th e d is tri ctco urt. We will affi rm if, af te r co ns tru in g th e ev id en ce i n t he li gh t m os t fa vo rab le to th e n on -m ov in g p art y , we fin d tha t n o ge nu in e is su e o f m at eri al factex is ts an d t he m ov in g p art y is en ti tl edto jud gm en t as a m atte r of

law.” Al va rez v . Royal Atl . Deve lo pe rs , Inc ., 61 0 F .3d12 53 , 12 63 –1 26 4 (1 1t h C ir. 2 01 0) (ci ta ti on om it te d) . “ [A] party op po si ng a pr op erl y supp orte d m ot io n fo r su m m ary jud gm en t m ay

no t re stup on m ere a ll eg at io n o r de ni al s o f hi s p le ad in g, b utm us t s etforth sp eci fic fact s s ho win g t ha t the re i s a ge nu in e is su e fo r tr ia l.” An de rs on v. Lib erty Lob by, Inc., 4 77 U.S. 24 2, 2 56 , 10 6 S.Ct . 25 05 , 25 14 (19 86 ). To s uc ces sf

ul ly establ is h apri m a fac ie ret al ia ti on cas e u nd er Tit le VII, th e pl ai nt iff m us t s ho w: (1 ) he en ga ge d i n s ta tu to ril y pro te ct edex pr es si on ; (2 ) he 3su ffer edanadve rs e em pl oym en t ac ti on ; an d (3 ) th ere was a cau sa l co nn ect io n be twee n the pro te ct edex pr es si on an d t he adve rs e act io n. Crawf or d v . Carro ll , 52 9 F.3 d 9 61 , 97 0 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 5) . Jac ks on arg ue s, am on g o th er thi ng s, tha t h e pr es en te d s uf

fic ie ntev id en ce o f a cau sa l co nn ect io n b ecau se hi s co m pl ai nt oc cu rredso clo se in ti m e to hi s t erm in at io n. He as se rts th attem po ral pro xi m it y al on e p ro vi de s en ou gh cir cu m st an ti al ev id en ce t o c reat e a g enui ne is su e o f m at eri al factab ou t t he cau sa l co nn ect io n b etweenhi s co m pl ai ntto Griff

in an d h is te rm in at io n b y

Sto ve r.

“ To es tabl is h acau sa l co nn ect io n, a p la in ti ff m us t s ho w th atth e de ci si on -m ak ers were awar e o f th e p ro te ct edco nduc t, an d t ha t the pro te ct ed act iv ity an d t he adve rs e act io ns were n otwho ll y un rel at ed .” Sh an no n v . Bel lS ou th Tele co m m s., In c., 29 2 F .3d71 2, 7 16 (11 th Cir . 20 02 ) (quo ti ng Gup tav. Fl a. Bd . of Reg en ts , 21 2 F .3d57 1, 5 90 (11 th Cir . 20 00 )). “ Dis cri m in at io n i s ab ou t ac tu al kn owl ed ge , andreal in te nt , no t co ns tru ct iv e kno wled ge an d a ss um edin te nt . Whe n e va lu at in g ach arg e o f em pl oym en t d is cri m in at io n, t he n, we m us t fo cu s o n th e actua l kno wled ge an d a ct io ns of t he de ci si on -m ak er.” Walk er v . Pru de nt ia l Pro p. & Cas . Ins . Co., 2 86 F.3d12 70 , 12 74 (11 th Cir . 20 02 ) (ci ta ti on om it te d) . The ge ne ral rul e is th atclo se tem po ral pro xi m it y

be twee n t he em pl oyee’s pro te ct edco nduc t an d t he adve rs e em pl oym en t ac ti on is su ffi ci en t ci rcu m st an ti al ev id en ce t o c reat e a g enui ne is su e o f 4m at eri al factof acau sa l co nn ect io n. Ho wev er, the re i s t hi s

ex cep ti on : t em

po ral pro xi m it y

alo ne is in su ffi ci en t t o c reat e a ge nu in e is su e o f fac t as to cau sa l co nn ect io n wh ere t he re i s un reb ut te d e vi de nc e th atth e d eci si on m ak er d idno t h av e kno wled ge th atth e em

pl oyee en ga ge d i n p ro te ct edco nduc t. Bru ng artv. Be ll So uth Tel eco m m s., In c., 23 1 F .3d79 1, 7 99 (11 th Cir . 20 00 ) (em ph as is ad de d) . Ja ck so n fa il edto est ab li sha cau sa l co nn ect io n b etweenhi s co m pl ai ntan d hi s t erm in at io n. As we ha ve alr eady no te d, J ack so n a dm it te d t ha t St ov er h adso le au th or it y to hi re an d fi re h im , th athe ha d n otto ldSto ve r ab ou t h is co m pl ai nt , and th athe di d n otkn ow wh ethe r Grif fin to ldSto ve r ab ou t h is co m pl ai nt . In s worn affi da vi ts bo th Sto ve r an d Gri ffi n d en ie d t ha t Gri ffi n h adin fo rm edSto ve r of Ja ck so n’s co m

pl ai ntbe fo re J ack so n was term in at ed . AndSto ve r de ni edkn owi ng an yth in g abo utth e co m

pl ai ntbe fo re J ack so n was term in at ed . Becau se th at ev id en ce was no t re bu tt ed , un de r Bru ng artth e d is tri ctco urt d idno t err infin di ng th atth ere was no ge nu in e is su e o f m at eri al factas t o t he cau sa l co nn ect io n be twee n J ack so n’s co m

pl ai ntan d h is term in at io n. An d b ecau se Jac ks on di d n ot es tabl is h acau sa l co nn ect io n, h e fai le d t o p res en t a p rima facie cas e o f ret al ia ti on un de r Tit le VII. AFFIRMED.

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