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 byN i nth C i r c ui tR ul e 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yf i nds thi s c a s e s ui t abl e f

orde c i s i on w i thout ** oralar gu m ent . 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 B R E NT DE AN a n dMI C HA E L WI L S ON , P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s, v. A V I S BU D G ET CA R REN TA L, LLC, db a A vi s B ud getG roup , Inc, D ef

endant- A pp el l ee . N o. 11- 35583 D . C . N o . 2 : 1 0 -cv -0 0 2 7 7 -M JP 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 W e s t e rn D i s tr i c tof W a s hi ngt on M a r s haJ . P e c hm an, C hi e f D i s tr i c tJudge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d A ugus t8, 2012 ** S e a tt l e , W a s hi ngt on B efo re: N O O N A N , G R A B E R , an dR A W L IN S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. In thi s di vers i ty a ct i on , P l ai nt i ff s B re ntD ean and M i chae l W i l son see k r e vi e w of

the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de c i s i on t o gr ants um m aryj udgm e nti n f a vorof D e f e nda ntA vi s B udge tC a rR e nt a l , L L C , on the i rs t a t e l aw r e t a l i a t i on c l a i m s a nd 

# FI LED AU G 10 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSD e a n a l s o a l l e ge d r a c i a l di s c r i m i na t i on a tthe di s tr i c tc ourt , buthe doe s not 1 ap p e a l th e d i s tr i c tc o u rt ’ s s u mmaryj u d g me n ti n f a v o ro f A v i s o n th a tc l a i m. 2 o n W ils o n ’s s ta te law r a c ia l d is c r im in a tio n c la im . W e ap p lyW a s h in g to n law . 1 S ee G ol db er g v . P ac . Indem . C o. , 62 7 F . 3d 75 2, 75 5 (9th C i r. 20 10 ) ( "[ F ] eder al c o u rts a r e to ap p lys ta te s ub s tan tiv e law a n df e d e r a l p r o c e du r a l law to d iv e r s ity cases. "). "W e rev i ew d e n o v o th e d i stri ctco u rt ’ s g ran to f su m m ary j u d g m en t . " R ohrv. S a l tR i ve rP r oj e c tA gr i c . I m pr ove m e nt& P ow e rD i s t . , 555 F . 3d 850, 857 ( 9 th Ci r . 2 0 0 9 ) . U s i n g th a ts t a n d a r d , w e a f f i rm. 1 . P l ai n t i ffs’ ret al i at i o n cl ai m s ari se u n d er th e W ash i n g t o n L aw A g ai n st D is c r im in a tio n ( " W L A D " ) , W a s h . R e v . C o d e § § 4 9 .6 0 .0 1 0 to 4 9 .6 0 .5 0 5 . R e l e va ntt o thi s c a s e , i ti s a n unf a i rpr a c t i c e f

ora n e m pl oy e rt o di s c har ge or othe rw i s e di s c r i m i na t e a ga i ns tape r s on " be c aus e he ors he ha s oppos e d a ny p ract i ces fo rb i d d en b y th i s ch ap t er. " Id . § 4 9 . 6 0 . 2 1 0 (1 ). W ash i n g t o n ap p l i es a three -s t ep bu rden-s hi ft i ng anal ys i s t o ret al i at i on cl ai m s. F rancom v. C ost co W hol e s a l e C orp. , 991 P . 2d 1182, 1191 ( W a s h. C t . A pp. 2000) ; s e e a l s o A l l i s on v. H ous . A uth. , 799 P . 2d 1195, 1196 ( W a s h. C t . A pp. 1990) , a f f’ d, 821 P . 2d 34 ( W a s h. 1991) ; W i l m otv. K a i s e rA l um i num & C he m . C orp. , 821 P . 2d 18, 28–29 ( W a s h. 1991) ; M i l l i ga n v. T hom ps on, 42 P . 3d 418, 424 ( W a s h. C t . A pp. 2002)I nde e d, P l a i nt i f f s do note ve n ha ve the be ne f i tof the m os ttypi c a l type of 2 c i r c um s t a nt i a l e vi de nc e : adi f f e r e nc e i n r a c e be tw e e n the m s e l ve s a nd the r e l e vant de c i s i on- m a ke r s . B oth P l a i nt i f f s a r e w hi t e , a s a r e the r e l e vantm ana ge r s a nd P l ai n t i ffs’ rep l acem en t s. 3 ( s t a t i ng tha tW i l m ot ’ s bur de n- s hi f t i ng ana l y s i s appl i e s t o s e c t i on 49. 60. 210 c la im s ) . E ve n a s s um i ng tha tW i l s on a nd D e an e s t abl i s he d apr i m af a c i e c a s e of r e t a l i a t i on f

orpurpos e s of

s um m aryj udgm e nt , the r e c or d e vi de nc e w oul d not pe rm i tar e a s onabl e tr i e rof f a c tt o f i nd tha tA vi s ’ pr of

f e r e d non- r e t a l i a t oryr e a s ons fo r t erm i n at i n g th ei r em p l o ym en tw ere p ret ex tu al o r th atret al i at i o n w as a s ubs t a nt i a l f

a c t ori n A vi s ’ di s c ha r ge of D e an and W i l s on. A vi s di s c har ge d W i l s on for i napp ropri at el y abu si ve and d i sc ri m i nat ory behavi or, and i tdi sc harged D ean for f ai l i ng t o d ea l prop er l y w i th com pl ai nt s abo utW i l son’ s behavi or. A m on g o ther fa ct ors, the re cord cont ai ns do cum ent at i on thatbo th W i l son and D ean w er e d is c ip lin e df

o rs im ilarp r o b le m s w e ll b e f o r e th e ye n g a g e din th e irp u ta tiv e ly p r o te c te da c tiv itie s . M o r e o v e r , P la in tif

f s ’ e v id e n c e o f

p r e te x t is v e rylim ite d a n dp u r e ly 2 c ir c u m s tan tia l, c o n s is tin g a lm o s t e n tir e lyo f th e b r ie f tim e b e tw e e n th e irp u ta tiv e ly prot ec t ed ac t i on s and thei r t erm i nat i on s. W hi l e s uch ci rc um st ant i alevi dence can be s uf f i c i e ntt o e s t abl i s h af

a c tua l i s s ue a s t o an e m pl oy e r ’ s m ot i ve , F r anc om , 9914

P .2 da t 1 1 9 1 , s u c h e v id e n c e m u s t b e s p e c if ic a n ds ub s tan tia l to d e m o n s tr a te p r e te x t. M illig a n , 4 2 P .3 da t 4 2 4 ( " [ W ]h e n th e e m p lo y e e ’s e v id e n c e o f p r e te x t is w e a ko rth e e m p lo y e r ’s n o n - r e ta lia to rye v id e n c e is s tr o n g , s u m m aryju d g m e n t is appr opr i a t e . " ( c i t i ng H i l l v. B C T I I nc om e F und- I , 23 P . 3d 440, 449 ( W a s h. 2 0 0 1 ) ) ) . 2. W i l son’ s r ac e di sc ri m i nat i on cl ai m al so ar i se s und erthe W L A D . T hat c la im is e s s e n tia llyad is p a r a te tr e a tm e n t c la im , a lle g in g th a t, w h e n W ils o n ( w h o is w h ite ) c o m p la in e do f

r a c ia l d is c r im in a tio n in h is w o rkp la c e , A v is tr e a te dh is com pl ai nt s di ff

er ent l y than tho se of hi s bl ac k co-w orkers . W as hi ng t on court s tre at di s pa r a t e tr e a tm e ntc l a i m s " a c c or di ng t o the thr e e - s t e p, bur de n- s hi f t i ng pr ot oc ol a rt i c ul a t e d bythe U ni t e d S t a t e s S upr e m e C ourti n M c D onne l l D ougl a s C orp. v. G r e e n, 411 U . S . 792, 802–04 ( 1973) . " H e gw i ne v. L ongvi e w F i br e C o. , 172 P . 3d 6 8 8 , 6 9 6 ( W a s h . 2 0 0 7 ) . " [ U ]n d e rth e f r a m e w o rke s tab lis h e db yM c D o n n e ll D o u g l as, th e p l ai n t i ff h as th e i n i t i al b u rd en o f p ro v i n g a p ri m a faci e case." M ar qu i s v. C i ty of S po kane, 92 2 P . 2d 43 , 52 (W as h. 19 96 ). E ss ent i al l y, a pl ai nt i ff m ustdem on strat e m em bers hi p i n a prot ec t ed cl as s and thathe or she w as tre at ed d if f e r e n tlyth a n s im ilar lys itu a te dn o n - m e m b e r s o f th a t c la s s . I d . A s t o A v i s ’ i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f h i s c o mp l a i n t , W i l s o n f a i l s t o e s t ab l i s h ap r i ma f a c ie c a s e o f

d is p a r a te tr e a tm e n t. T h e r e c o r ds h o w s th a t A v is to o kh is c o m p la in ts5

s e r i ous l y , r e s pondi ng qui c kl yt o s t arta n i nve s t i ga t i on. W he n thos e i nve s t i ga t i ons re veal ed si gn i fi cantal l egat i on s of W i l son’ s ow n i napp ropri at e behavi or— al l eged b ys e v e r a l o f

h is c o - w o rk e r s a n dc o n s is te n t w ith h is p r e v io u s m is c o n du c t— A v is a c te dp r o p e r lyin s u s p e n d in g W ils o n p e n d in g f u rth e rin v e s tig a tio n o f

a ll com pl ai nt s by and agai nsthi m . T he re sul t s of tho se tw o i nv es t i gat i on s w er e di ff er ent , bu tthatdo es no tes t abl i sh di spar at e tre atm ent ; rather, i tes t abl i shes that A vi s f ound W i l s on’ s c om pl a i nt s t o be l e s s than c r e di bl e than the c onf l i c t i ng acco u n t s o f h i s co -w o rk ers. In d eed , w h en facedw i th th e tw o set s o f co m p l ai n t s, A v is w a s r e q u ir e dto c h o o s e o n e s id e o v e rth e o th e r . W ils o n c an n o t d e m o n s tr a te di s pa r a t e tr e a tm e nts i m pl ybe c aus e A vi s c ons ol i da t e d the i nve s t i ga t i on and u l t i m at el y fo u n dh i m t o b e th e so u rce o f th e p ro b l em s. A s t o t erm i n at i o n , ev en assu m i n g th atW i l so n est ab l i sh eda p ri m a faci e case of di s pa r a t e tr e a tm e nt , he c a nnotde m ons tr a t e tha tA vi s ’ r e a s ons f ort e rm i na t i ng hi m w e r e pr e t e xtua l , a s not e d above . S e e H e gw i ne , 172 P . 3d a t696 ( e s t abl i s hi ng a bur de n s hi f

t i ng appr oa c h t o di s pa r a t e tr e a tm e ntc l a i m s , e s s e nt i a l l yi de nt i c a l t o the approach ou t l i ned abo ve w i th res pectt o ret al i at i on cl ai m s) . 3 . T o th e e x te n t th a t P la in tif f s a lle g e d is p u te s o v e ro th e rf a c ts r e la tin g to the i rj ob pe r f

orm a nc e orthe t i m i ng of e ve nt s , thos e f

a c t s a r e i m m a t e r i a l a nd do not p recl u d e su m m ary j u d g m en ti n fav o r o f A v i s.6

4. T he di s tr i c tc ourta l s o pr ope r l yde ni e d P l a i nt i f f s ’ m ot i on f

or r e c ons i de r a t i on. AF F I RME D.