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. 1 NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E N IN T H C IR C U IT VA LE DA NEAL, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. K R A F T F O O D S G L O B A L , I N C ., D ef

endant- A pp el l ee . N o. 09- 35412 D . C. N o . 3 : 0 8 - c v - 0 0 0 9 2 - BR ME MO R A N D U M *

A ppe a l f r om the D i s tr i c tC ourtof O r e gon A nnaJ . B r ow n, D i s tr i c tJudge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d M a y 4, 2010

P ort l a nd, O r e gon B efo re: K L E IN F E L D , B E A , an d IK U T A , C i rcu i tJu d g es. V al eda N ea l (“N ea l ”) appeal s f rom an order grant i ng her e m pl oyerK ra ft F oo ds G l ob al ’ s ( “ K ra ft ”) m ot i on for s um m ary j ud gm enton the grou nd N ea l fa i l ed t o p art i ci pat e i n the i nt er ac t i ve process w i th K ra ftt o asc ert ai n w hether s he w as d is ab le d a n d , if

s o , w h a t r e a s o n ab le a c c o m m o d a tio n K r a f t s h o u ld p r o v id e h e r . 

# FI LED MA Y18 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

N e a l ha s aba c k i nj ury tha tl i m i t s he rabi l i ty t o s i t , s t a nd, w a l k, orl i f tove r25 p o u n d s . A f

te rN e a l’s b a c kin

ju ry in 1 9 9 4 a n d a t N e a l’s d o c to r ’s r e q u e s t, K r a f t d id nots c he dul e N e a l f

orove rt i m e w ork ( no m or e tha n 8 hour s pe rda y ) . I n 2004, K r a f ts oughta n upda t e on N e a l ’ s phy s i c a l c ondi t i on a nd a n e xpl a na t i on of the m ed i cal reaso n s N eal co u l d n o tw o rkm o re th an 8 h o u rs p er d ay. O n th e sam e d ay, K r a f t in f o rm e dN e a l th a t s h e s h o u ld n o t r e tu rn to w o rku n til s h e h a d af u ll re l ea se t o w ork al l ho urs nee ded. W hen K ra ftdi d n otre ce i ve the det ai l ed expl anat i on i tre qu es t ed, K ra ftsc hedu l ed N ea l for an Ind ependentM edi ca l E x am in atio n (“IM E ”) , fro m w h ich th e in d ep en d en t d o cto r r ea ff irm ed N ea l’ s r e s tr ic tio n f

r o m lif tin g o v e r2 5 p o u n d s , b u t r e p o rte d th a t w ith r e g a r d to o v e rtim e , it w o u ld in c r e a s e h e rp a in b u t n o t w o r s e n h e rin ju ry . W h e n K r a f

t to ld N e a l s h e c o u ld ei ther r eturn t o w ork w i tho utan ov ert i m e r es tri ct i on , arrang e f or a s ec on d IM E at h e ro w n e x p e n s e , o rf

ile f o rs h o rt- te rm d is ab ility , N e a l e n d e d d is c u s s io n s w ith K r a f t a n d d id n o t r e tu rn to w o rk . N ea l fi l ed the i nst antac t i on agai nstK ra fti n w hi ch she a l l eged K ra ftvi ol at ed O re go n R evi se d S t atut es (“ O R S ”) C hapt er65 9A because i tfa i l ed t o p rovi de herN e a l f ile d h e ra c tio n in O r e g o n s ta te c o u rt. K r a f t r e m o v e d th e a c tio n to 1 f e de r a l c ourtunde r28 U . S . C . § 1441 on the gr ound the f e de r a l c ourtw oul d ha ve h a d o r ig in a l d iv e r s ityju r is d ic tio n o v e rN e a l’s c la im s h a d s h e e le c te d to f ile th e m in f e d e r a l c o u rt. 3 the “ re as on abl e a cc om m od at i on ” of a“ no ov ert i m e” w ork res tri ct i on . K ra ft 1 m ov ed for s um m ary j ud gm enton the grou nd s N ea l w as no tdi sabl ed and h ad fa i l ed t o e nga ge i n the i nt e r a c t i ve pr oc e s s . T he di s tr i c tc ourtgr a nt e d s um m a ry j udgm e nt o n th e g r o u n d N e a l f

a ile d to e n g a g e in th e in te r a c tiv e p r o c e s s . Se e B arne t t v . U . S. A i r, Inc. , 228 F . 3d 1105, 1114- 15 ( 9th C i r . 2000) ( e n ba nc ) ( c i t i ng B ec k v . U n iv e rs ityo

f W is . B d. o f R eg e n ts , 7 5 F .3 d 1 1 3 0 , 1 1 3 5 ( 7 th C ir . 1 9 9 6 ) ( “A p a rty th a t o b s tru c ts o rd e la y s th e in te r a c tiv e p r o c e s s is n o t a c tin g in g o o d f a ith . A p a rty th a t f a ils to c o m m u n ic a te , b y w a y o f in itia tio n o rr e s p o n s e , m a y a ls o b e a c tin g in b a d f a ith .” ) ) , v ac ate d on othe rgr ounds , U .S. A irw a ys , I n c . v . B a rn e tt , 535 U . S . 391 (200 2). T he di stri ctcourthel d there w as a genui ne i ss ue of fa ctas t o w hether N ea l w as di sabl ed, thati s, w hether N ea l w as subst ant i al l y l i m i t ed i n the m aj or l i fe a c t i vi t i e s of

s i tt i ng, s t a ndi ng, a nd w a l ki ng. W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on pur s ua ntt o 28 U . S . C . § 1291. W e r e vi e w agr a ntof s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t d e n o v o . L o w e v . C ityo f Mo n r o v ia , 7 7 5 F .2 d 9 9 8 , 1 0 0 3 ( 9 th C i r. 19 85 ). “ B ec ause w e are re vi ew i ng a di stri ctcourt ’ s ordergrant i ng sum m ary j udgm e nt , w e m us te xa m i ne the r e c or d t o de t e rm i ne i f the r e i s a ny othe rba s i s f orN ea l do es no tas se rt , no r c ou l d she succ es sf ul l y c l ai m , her l i m i t at i on t o l i ft 2 n o m o r e th a n 2 5 p o u n d s is as u b s ta n tia l lim ita tio n . T h o m p s o n v . H

o lyFa m ily H os p. , 121 F . 3d 537, 541 ( 9th C i r . 1997) ( a f f i rm i ng s um m a ry j udgm e ntf or e m pl oy e ron the ba s i s pl a i nt i f f w a s notdi s abl e d be c aus e “ a25- pound r e s tr i c t i on do es no tam ou ntt o a subst ant i al l i m i t at i on on the abi l i ty t o l i ft[or w ork] . ”)

. N ea l a l s o doe s notc l a i m s he i s s ubs t a nt i a l l y l i m i t e d i n the m a j orl i f e a c t i vi t i e s of w o rk in g o rs e lf

- c a r e . See O R S 65 9A . 10 4(2). 4 af fi rm ance . If

the re sul tbel ow w er e c orre ct , w e w ou l d aff i rm even i f the di stri ct courtre l i ed on an erroneou s groun d. ” Id . a t1007. W e a ff i rm the di stri ctcourt ’ s grantof sum m ary j ud gm enti n K ra ft ’ s f avor, bu tw e hol d thatsum m ary j ud gm entshou l d h ave been grant ed on the basi s that N ea l fa i l ed t o est abl i sh a tri abl e i ss ue of m at er i al fa ctas t o w hether s he w as d i s ab l e d a tth e t i me o f

th e r e l e v a n te mp l o y me n ta c t i o n i n 2 0 0 7 . U n d e rO RS 65 9A . 10 4(1), a di sabl ed pers on i s apers on w i th an actual ph ys i ca l or m ent al i m pa i rm e ntw hi c h s ubs t a nt i a l l y l i m i t s one orm or e m a j orl i f e a c t i vi t i e s , orape r s on w i th a re cord of such an i m pai rm ent , or a per son regar ded as havi ng such an i m pa i rm e nt . N e a l c l a i m e d s he w a s di s abl e d due t o as ubs t a nt i a l l i m i t a t i on i n the m a jo rlif e a c tiv itie s o f

s ittin g , s ta n d in g , a n d w a lk in g . T h e p a rtie s d o n o t d is p u te 2 w hether N ea l has aph ys i ca l i m pai rm entthatl i m i t s heri n the m aj or l i fe ac t i vi t i es o f s ittin g , s ta n d in g , an d w a lk in g . T h e o n lyis s u e is w h e th e rN e a l’s lim ita tio n s in th e s e a c tiv itie s a r e s u b s ta n tia l.O re go n d i sabi l i ty di sc ri m i nat i on cl ai m s are anal yz ed i n the sa m e m anner 3 a s f e d e r a l c la im s u n d e rth e A m e r ic a n s w ith D is ab ilitie s A c t ( “A D A ” ) . Sn ead v. Me tr opol i tan P r op. & Cas . I ns . C o. , 23 7 F . 3d 10 80 , 10 87 (9th C i r. 20 01 ) c e r t. deni ed , 5 3 4 U .S . 8 8 8 ( 2 0 0 1 ) ; see a l so O R S 6 5 9 A .1 3 9 ( 1 ) ( O r e g o n ’s d is ab ility d is c r im in a tio n la w s “s h a ll b e c o n s tru e d to th e e x te n t p o s s ib le in am a n n e rth a t is consi st entw i th any si m i l arprov i si on of the fe dera l [A D A ] , as am ended. ”) . T he A D A A m e ndm e nt s A c tof 2008 ( “ A D A - A A ” ) , w hi c h r e j e c t e d the S upr e m e C ourt ’ s hol di ng i n Su t ton v. U ni ted A i r L i nes , 52 7 U . S . 47 1 (19 99 ) that m itig a tin g m e a s u r e s m u s t b e c o n s id e r e d w h e n e v a lu a tin g w h e th e ra n in d iv id u a l is d is ab le d , d o n o t ap p lyr e tr o a c tiv e lyto c a s e s s u c h a s th is o n e . Se e B e c e rr i l v . P i ma C ou nt y A ss es sor'

s O f f i ce , 58 7 F . 3d 11 62 , 11 64 (9th C i r. 20 09 ).

5 N e a l ’ s onl y e vi de nc e of he rc l a i m e d l i m i t a t i on i n s i tt i ng, s t a ndi ng, a nd w a l ki ng i s a1994 phy s i c a l e va l ua t i on tha ts t a t e s s he s houl d l i m i the rs i tt i ng t o 6 h o u rs o u to f an 8 -h o u r w o rkd ay, st an d i n g t o 2 h o u rs o u to f an 8 -h o u r w o rkd ay, a nd w a l ki ng t o 4 hour s outof a n 8- hourw ork da y . N otone of N e a l ’ s num e r ous m e di c a l e va l ua t i ons f

r om the s ubs e que nt15 y e a r s m e nt i ons a ny r e s tr i c t i on on sitt in g , stan d in g , o r w alk in g , an d N ea l t es ti fied th at, w h il e a t w o rk , sh e “sp en d [s ] a l otof t i m e on [her] fe etw al ki ng and st andi ng . ” E ven i f aj ury c ou l d fi nd that N ea l ’ s 199 4 p hysi ca l eval uat i on w as the bestas se ss m entof N ea l ’ s physi ca l cond i t i on i n 2 00 7, no re as on abl e j ury c ou l d fi nd thatthe l evel of l i m i t at i on st at ed in N e a l’s 1 9 9 4 p h y s ic a l e v a lu a tio n a s to h e rab ilityto s it, s ta n d , a n d w a lkis s u b s ta n tia l. O R S 6 5 9 A .1 3 9 ( 1 ) ; Su t ton v. U ni ted A i r L i nes , 527 U . S . 471, 491 (199 9). 36

B e c au s e w e h o ld th a t K r a f t w a s e n title d to s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t o n th e b a s is N e a l f a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h atr i abl e i s s ue of f a c ta s t o w he the rs he w a s di s abl e d, w e do n o treach th e q u est i o n w h eth er N eal fai l ed t o en g ag e i n th e i n t eract i v e p ro cess. AF F I RME D.