FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT JAN 29, 2008 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. 07- 12137 N on -A rgum entC al endar

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

________________________ 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

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 29, 2008) B efo re C A RN E S , 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:2

R ho nd a R as pant i appeal s the sum m ary j ud gm enti n favor of her former em pl oyer , F ou r A m i go s T ra vel , Inc. , and R on al d M . S chl om , and agai nsther c o m p la in t o f

r e ta lia tio n u n d e rth e F a irL ab o rS ta n d a r d s A c t o f 1 9 3 8 . 2 9 U .S .C . § 2 1 5 ( a ) ( 3 ) . Th e d i s tr i c tc o u rtc o n c l u d e d th a tRa s p a n t i f a i l e d t o e s t ab l i s h ap r i ma f a c i e c a s e of

r e t a l i a t ory di s c ha r ge a nd w a s unabl e t o r e butthe l e gi t i m a t e r e a s ons o f f e r e d b y th e Fo u rA mi g o s f o rh e rt e rmi n a t i o n . W e a f f i rm. I . B AC KG RO UN D F ou r A m i go s i s aF l ori da corporat i on w i th i t s hea dq uart er s i n F t . L auderdal e, an d R o n ald M . S ch lo m is it s p re sid en t. D u rin g th e p er io d re lev an t t o R as p an ti ’s com pl ai nt , F ou r A m i go s opera t ed ca l l ce nt er s i n F t . L auderdal e and L ar go , F l ori da, tha tr e c e i ve d i nbound t e l e phone c a l l s f r om pr os pe c t i ve c us t om e r s i nqui r i ng about F lo r id av a c a tio n p a c k a g e s a d v e rtis e d in d ir e c t m a il m a rk e tin g m a te r ia ls . R a s p a n ti be ga n w orki ng f

orF ourA m i gos i n the L a r go c e nt e ron S e pt e m be r1, 2001. O n Jul y 26, 20 04 , tw o form erem pl oyee s s ued F ou r A m i go s f or al l eged v io la tio n s o f

th e F L S A ( th e “M a rtin e z la w s u it” ) . O n A p r il 6 , 2 0 0 5 , R a s p a n ti j oi ned the M art i nez l aw sui tas an op t -i n p l ai nt i ff , and F ou r A m i go s r ec ei ved i m m e di a t e not i c e of

R a s pa nt i ’ s pa rt i c i pa t i on. D ur i ng the l i t i ga t i on, ac ow orke rof R as pant i , W i l l ar d K uh n, fi l ed an aff i davi tt o sup po rtF ou r A m i go s. T he part i es s e ttle d th e s u it o n S e p te m b e r2 0 , 2 0 0 5 .3

O n O c to b e r2 4 , 2 0 0 5 , H u rr ic a n e W ilm ac au s e d s e v e r e d a m a g e to th e F t. L au d e r d a le lo c a tio n o f

F o u rA m ig o s . T h a t c e n te rs u f f e r e d ad r a m a tic r e d u c tio n in phone l i ne s , a nd the c om pa ny r e duc e d i t s di r e c tm a i l m a rke t i ng. T he L a r go l ocat i on beca m e the op er abl e c al l ce nt erfor the com pany. T he m arket abi l i ty of the F l ori da vacat i on packages a l so suff er ed du e t o p ub l i c c on ce rn w i th w ea ther co n d i t i o n s. A s a resu l t , F o u r A m i g o s su ffered a red u ct i o n i n cal l er traffi c an d l o st tw o thi rds of i t s r evenue. In re spon se , F ou r A m i go s dec i ded t o t erm i nat e l es s produ ct i ve em pl oyee s or, as t erm ed by F ou r A m i go s, “ i t s dea d w ei gh t . ” T he com pany t ar get ed e m pl oy e e s w ho ha d the thr e e f ol l ow i ng c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s : 1) l ow t o m ode r a t e s a l e s ; 2) hi gh c a nc e l l a t i on r a t e s ; a nd 3) ne ga t i ve a tt i tude s . F ourA m i gos ba s e d the t erm i nat i on s on sal es and cancel l at i on dat a c ol l ec t ed ov era 14-w ee k p er i od . M ore than 9 4 em pl oyee s w er e t erm i nat ed or re si gn ed w i thi n 1 00 days of the hu rr i cane. O n N o v e m b e r2 8 , 2 0 0 5 , S c h lo m p a rtic ip a te d in ate le p h o n e c o n f e r e n c e w ith R a s p a n ti a n d h e rc o e m p lo y e e W h itn e y U p d e g r a f f a n d d is c h a r g e d th e m d u e to th e ir r e s pe c t i ve l ow s a l e s a nd hi gh c a nc e l l a t i on r a t e s . A c c or di ng t o the da t ac ol l e c t e d, R as pant i earned $3 , 48 7. 50 and h ad a 28 p er ce ntcancel l at i on ra t e, w hi l e U pd egra ff earned $5 , 00 6. 25 and h ad an 18 perc entcancel l at i on ra t e. D er ek M ay , the G ener al M an ag er o f th e L arg o cal l cen t er, t est i fi ed th atR asp an t i ’ s n eg at i v e att i tu d e w as a4

f a c t ori n the de c i s i on t o t e rm i na t e he r . W i l l a r d K uhn, w ho a l s o ha d ahi gh c a n c e lla tio n r a te a n d n e g a tiv ity p r o b le m s , w a s f ir e d a s w e ll. R a s pa nt i f

i l e d s ui ti n P i ne l l a s C ounty , F l or i daa nd a l l e ge d tha tF ourA m i gos f i r e d he ri n r e t a l i a t i on f

orhe rpa rt i c i pa t i on i n the M a rt i ne z l a w s ui t . F ourA m i gos r e m ove d the a c t i on t o the U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tC ourtf orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F lo r id a . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt g r a n te d s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t in f a v o ro f F o u rA m ig o s . T he di s tr i c tc ourtc onc l ude d tha tR a s pa nt i f a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h ac aus a l c onne c t i on be tw e e n he rdi s c ha r ge a nd he rpr ot e c t e d a c t i vi ty a nd tha tF ourA m i gos pr ovi de d a le g itim a te n o n r e ta lia to ry r e a s o n f o rR a s p a n ti’s d is c h a r g e , w h ic h R a s p a n ti f a ile d to r e b u t a s p r e te x tu a l. I I . STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW W e r e v ie w ag r a n t o f

s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t d e n o v o a n d r e v ie w th e e v id e n c e in th e lig h t m o s t f

a v o r ab le to th e n o n m o v in g p a rty . T h o m a s v . C o o p e rL ig h tin g , I n c ., 50 6 F . 3d 13 61 , 13 63 (11th C i r. 20 07 ). S um m ary j ud gm enti s app ropri at e w hen the r e e xi s t s no ge nui ne i s s ue of m a t e r i a l f

a c ta nd the m ovi ng pa rty i s the r e by ent i t l ed t o j ud gm entas a m att erof l aw . Id. S um m ary j ud gm entshou l d b e aw ar ded

“ a ga i ns tapa rty w ho f

a i l s t o m a ke as how i ng s uf f i c i e ntt o e s t abl i s h the e xi s t e nc e of a n e l e m e nte s s e nt i a l t o tha tpa rty ’ s c a s e , a nd on w hi c h tha tpa rty w i l l be a rthe b u r d e n o f

p r o o f a t tr ia l.” C e lo te x C o rp . v . C a tr e tt, 4 7 7 U .S . 3 1 7 , 3 2 2 , 1 0 6 S . C t.5

25 48 , 25 52 (198 6). I I I . DI S CUS S I ON R a s p a n ti c h a lle n g e s th e c o n c lu s io n s o f th e d is tr ic t c o u rt th a t s h e f a ile d to es t abl i sh ei ther apri m a f ac i e c as e of r et al i at ory di sc harge und erthe F L S A or that the r e a s ons f

orhe rdi s c ha r ge w e r e pr e t e xtua l . W he n, a s he r e , apl a i nt i f f doe s not pres entany di re ctevi dence of re t al i at ory di sc harge, ci rc um st ant i al evi dence m ay b e e v a lu a te d u n d e rth e b u r d e n s h if tin g f r a m e w o rka rtic u la te d in M c D o n n e ll D ou gl as C orp. v. G re en, 41 1 U . S . 79 2, 80 2, 93 S . C t . 18 17 , 18 24 (197 3). U nd er th a t f r a m e w o rk , th e p la in tif

f m u s t f ir s t e s tab lis h ap r im af

a c ie c a s e o f

r e ta lia tio n . W ol f v. C oca- C ol a C o. , 20 0 F . 3d 13 37 , 13 42 –4 3 (11 th C i r. 20 00 ). T he em pl oyer the n m us ta rt i c ul a t e al e gi t i m a t e nonr e t a l i a t ory r e a s on f orthe a dve r s e e m pl oy m e nt act i o n . Id . If th e em p l o yer m eet s th i s b u rd en o f p ro d u ct i o n , th en th e p l ai n t i ff m u st e s t abl i s h tha tthe pr of

f e r e d r e a s on i s pr e t e xtua l . I d. T he r e c or d s upport s the c o n c lu s io n s o f

th e d is tr ic t c o u rt th a t R a s p a n ti d id n o t e ith e re s tab lis h ap r im af a c ie c a s e o re s tab lis h th a t th e r e a s o n s f o rh e rd is c h a r g e w e r e p r e te x tu a l. A . R a s p a n ti D id

N o t Es ta b lis h a C a u s a l R e la tio n B e tw e e n T h e P r o te c te d

A c tiv ity and D is c har

ge . Iti s “ u n l aw fu l fo r an y p erso n . . . t o d i sch arg e . . . [an ] em p l o yee b ecau se s uc h e m pl oy e e ha s f

i l e d a ny c om pl a i ntori ns t i tut e d orc aus e d t o be i ns t i tut e d a ny pr oc e e di ng unde rorr e l a t e d t o thi s c hapt e r . ” 29 U . S . C . § 215( a ) ( 3) . A c l a i m a nt6

es t abl i shes a pri m a f

ac i e c as e und erS ec t i on 21 5(a) (3) by e st abl i shi ng three e le m e n ts : “( 1 ) s h e e n g a g e d in a c tiv ity p r o te c te d u n d e rth e a c t; ( 2 ) s h e s u b s e q u e n tly suff er ed adverse ac t i on by the em pl oyer ; and (3) a causal conn ec t i on exi st ed betw ee n the em pl oyee ’ s a ct i vi ty and the advers e a ct i on . ” W ol f, 20 0 F . 3d at 13 42 –4 3 (qu ot i ng R i chm on d v . O N E O K , Inc. , 12 0 F . 3d 20 5, 20 8– 09 (10th C i r. 1 9 9 7 )) (i n t ern al q u o t at i o n m ark s o m i tt ed ). T h e p art i es d o n o td i sp u t e th atth e fi rst tw o e l e m e nt s a r e s a t i s f

i e d. W e a ddr e s s onl y the f i na l e l e m e ntof

c aus a t i on. T o e s t abl i s h ac aus a l r e l a t i on, R a s pa nt i ha d t o pr ove tha t“ s he w oul d not h a v e b e e n f

ir e d b u t f o rh e ra s s e rtio n o f

F L S A r ig h ts .” W o lf

, 2 0 0 F .3 d a t 1 3 4 3 . A p l ai n t i ff can sat i sfy th i s b u rd en i f sh e can p ro v e a “ cl o se t em p o ral p ro x i m i ty” betw ee n the t i m e herem pl oyerl earned abou ther prot ec t ed ac t i vi ty and her di s c ha r ge . T hom a s , 506 F . 3d a t1364. T hi s s t a nda r d r e qui r e s tha tthe a c t i ons be “v e ry c lo s e .” C la rkC o u n ty S c h . D is t. v . B r e e d e n , 5 3 2 U .S . 2 6 8 , 2 7 3 , 1 2 1 S . C t. 1508, 1511 ( 2001) ( quot i ng O ’ N e a l v. F e r gus on C ons tr . C o. , 237 F . 3d 1248, 1253 (1 0 th C i r. 2 0 0 1 )). A d el ay o f “ th ree t o fo u r m o n th [s] ” d o es n o tsu ffi ce. T h o m as, 506 F . 3d a t1364. R a s p a n ti f

a ile d to p r o v e ac au s a l r e la tio n b a s e d o n c lo s e te m p o r a l p r o x im ity . F ourA m i gos r e c e i ve d not i c e of R a s pa nt i ’ s pa rt i c i pa t i on i n the M a rt i ne z l a w s ui ton A pri l 6, 20 05 , bu tR as pant i w as no tt erm i nat ed un t i l N ov em ber 28, 20 05 , w hi ch7

w as se ven m on ths and three w ee ks l at er . R as pant i ’ s di sc harge i s t oo re m ot e t o h er p ro t ect ed act i v i ty t o est ab l i sh cau sat i o n b ased o n t em p o ral p ro x i m i ty. R a s pa nt i a s ks thi s C ourtt o c ons i de rthe br i e f a m ountof

t i m e be tw e e n the s e tt l e m e nta ga i ns tF ourA m i gos i n S e pt e m be ra nd he rdi s c ha r ge i n N ove m be r , but w e be gi n ourc a l c ul a t i on on the da t e the e m pl oy e rga i ns “ know l e dge of the prot ec t ed express i on [. ] ” H i gd on v. Ja ckson, 39 3 F . 3d 12 11 , 12 20 (11th C i r. 20 04 ); s e e , e . g. , B r e e de n, 532 U . S . a t273, 121 S . C t . a t1511. F ourA m i gos l e a rne d about R as pant i ’ s prot ec t ed ac t i vi ty i n A pri l . T he di stri ctcourtcorr ec t l y r el i ed on that d at e t o cal cu l at e th e t em p o ral p ro x i m i ty. R a s pa nt i of

f e r s othe rc i r c um s t a nt i a l e vi de nc e tha ts he a r gue s , i n c om bi na t i on w i th the pr oxi m i ty of

he rdi s c ha r ge , e s t abl i s he s apr i m af a c i e c a s e of

r e t a l i a t i on, b u t h erev id en ce d o es n o t su p p o rt h erar g u m en t. R as p an ti re li es o n S ch lo m ’s c om m e ntt o D e r e k M a y - m a de dur i ng adi s c us s i on aboutR a s pa nt i w hi l e the M ar ti n ez law su itw as p en d in g - th at “th er e is a leg al m atter u n d er li n in g th is, d o n ’t w a ntt o t ouc h i t , ” butS c hl om ’ s c om m e ntdoe s nots upportR a s pa nt i ’ s c om pl a i ntof re t al i at i on . T o the contrary , S chl om ’ s c on t em po raneou s r em ark t o M aythat R a s p a n ti w a s “c ap ab le a s h e ll” a n d in s tru c tio n to d e a l w ith R a s p a n ti’s n e g a tiv ity by “ try [ i ng] t o ge tw ha t e ve ri s i n [ R a s pa nt i ’ s ] he a d outof he rhe a d t o the be s tof y o u rab ility [ ,]” s u g g e s te d th a t S c h lo m w a s in te r e s te d in r e ta in in g R a s p a n ti, d e s p ite8

her part i ci pat i on i n the l aw sui t . R as pant i al so re l i es on M ay ’ s r em ark t o V er on i ca D a l l a m , apr e vi ous of

f i c e m a na ge ra tF ourA m i gos , tha tM a y di d notbe l i e ve the M art i nez pl ai nt i ff

s w er e e nt i t l ed t o rel i ef

, bu tthi s s t at em entdo es no tevi dence that R asp an t i ’ s i n v o l v em en ti n th e l aw su i tl ed t o h er t erm i n at i o n . S ch l o m , n o tM ay, m ad e th e fi n al d eci si o n t o d i sch arg e R asp an t i . S ee G u p t a v . F l a. B d . o f R eg en t s, 2 1 2 F .3 d 5 7 1 , 5 8 9 n .2 0 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 0 ) . T h a t M a y p r o v id e d in f o rm a tio n to S chl om thatw as consi dere d i n the deci si on t o d i sc harge R as pant i do es no tal t er th a t c o n c lu s io n . S e e C lo v e rv . T o ta l S y s . S e rv s ., I n c ., 1 7 6 F .3 d 1 3 4 6 , 1 3 5 6 ( 1 1 th C i r. 19 99 ). B . R aspa nt iD i d N

otR ebutFou r A m i

go s’s L egi t i m at e R easons f or H erD isc ha rge. E ve n i f Ra s pant i ha d e s t abl i s he d ac aus a l c on ne c t i on be tw e e n h e rpr ot ec t ed ac t i vi ty a ndhe rdi s c har ge , s he f a i l e d t o p r ov e tha tthe r e a s on s f orhe rdi sm i ss al w e r e pr e t e xtua l . F ourA m i gos a s s e rt e d tha tope r a t i ona l da m a ge cau se d by H urr i c a ne W i l m aa nd the e ns ui ng f i na nc i a l l o ss e s r e qui r e d the r e m ova l of un prod u ctiv e em pl oyee s, i ncl ud i ng R as pant i . T o est abl i sh pret ext , R as pant i w as r e qui r e d t o pr ove tha t“ the pr of f e r e d r e a s on w a s notthe true r e a s on f orthe em pl oym entdeci si on . . . ei ther . . . by pers uadi ng th e courtthata di sc ri m i nat ory r e a s on m or e l i kel y m o t i va t e d the e m pl oy e rori ndi r e c t l y by s how i ng tha tthe em pl oyer ’ s proff

er ed expl anat i on [w as ] un w orthy of cr edence. ” J ac kson v. A l a.9

S tate T en u re C o m m ’n , 4 0 5 F .3 d 1 2 7 6 , 1 2 8 9 (1 1 th C ir. 2 0 0 5 ) ( q u o ti n g T ex . D ep ’t of C m ty. A ff

ai rs v. B urdi ne, 45 0 U . S . 2 4 8 , 2 5 6, 10 1 S . C t . 10 89 , 10 95 (198 1)) (i nt e rna l qu ot a t i on ma rks omi tt e d) . “ Pr ov i de d tha tthe pr of f e r e d r e a s on i s on e that m i ghtm ot i va t e ar e a s onabl e e m pl oy e r , a n e m pl oy e e m us tm e e t t h at reaso n he a d on and rebuti t. ” C hapm an v. A I T ransp. , 22 9 F . 3d 10 12 , 10 30 (11th C i r. 20 00 ) ( en banc). R as panti fa i l ed t o est abl i sh thatthe re as on s gi ven b y F ou r A m i go s w er e pr e t e xtua l be c aus e s he di d notpr e s e nte vi de nc e tha tthe c om pa ny f abr i c a t e d the h u rr ic a n e d a m a g e a n d o rth a t th e c o m p a n y tr e a te d h e rd if f e r e n tly f r o m s im ila r ly s itu a te d e m p lo y e e s . T h e c o m p a n y d id n o t i n v e n t i t s b u s in e s s tr o u b le s . R a s p a n ti ac kn ow l edged thatH urri cane W i l m a i nfl i ct ed dam age t o the F t . L auderdal e c ent er one m onth be f

or e he rdi sch arg e . S he a dm i tt e d tha t , f orove rs e ve n m onths f ol l ow i ng he rpar t i c i pa t i on i n the M a rt i ne z l i t i ga t i on, s he di d note xpe r i e nc e a ny advers e e m pl oym entac t i on or chang es in the t erm s or c on di t i on s of her em pl oym ent . U nd i sput ed evi dence al so es tabl i shes thatF ou r A m i go s s uffe re d f i na nc i a l l os s e s f

ol l ow i ng the hurr i c a ne a nd tha t , w i thi n the 100 da y s f ol l ow i ng the di s a s t e r , m or e tha n 94 i ndi vi dua l s r e s i gne d orw e re t e rm i na t e d. F ourA m i gos o f f e r e d le g itim a te r e a s o n s f o r R a s p a n ti’s d is m is s a l, in c lu d in g h e r p o o rp r o d u c tiv ity ra t es and n egat i ve att i tud e. R as pant i di d n otdi sput e that e m p l oyee s w i th b ett er10

s a l e s f i gur e s tha n he r s , i nc l udi ng c ow orke rU pde gr a f f , w e r e a l s o t e rm i na t e d. R as pant i l i kew i se di d n o t r ef u te the ar gu m entof the com pany re gardi ng her att i tud e. T hi s r ea son, w hi l e s ubj ec t i ve , s er v es as a l egal l y s uffi ci entre as on for a n a dve r s e e m pl oy m e ntde c i s i on. C hapm a n, 229 F . 3d a t1033 ( not i ng tha t“ [ a ] tt i tude

. . . a nd e nthus i a s m . . . c a n be vi t a l l y i m port a nt ” i n a “ j o b req u i ri n g c ont i nui ng i nt e r a c t i on w i th the publ i c ” ) . A l though R a s pan t i a l l e ge s tha the rne ga t i ve a tt i tude w a s notc i t e d a tthe t i m e of he rdi s m i s s a l a nd i s ane w r e a s on f orhe rdi s c ha r ge , s he w a s a w a r e , upon l earn i n g aboutthe S c hl om - M a y di s c us s i on he l d dur i ng the M ar ti n ez law su it , th at S ch lo m h ad d irec ted M ay se v er al m o n th s b ef o re R as p an ti ’s di s mi s s a l t o a s s i s t Ra s p a n t i t o i mp r o v e h e r a tt i tu d e . Ev e n i f n e g a t i v i ty w a s not cited as a r ea so n fo r d ism issa l, n eg ativ ity w as a c o n trib u ti n g fa cto r to R as p an ti ’s poorpe r f

orm a nc e . T ha ti t w as m en t i o ne d l a t e ra s a n e l abor a t i on on the r e a s ons f or he rdi s m i s s a l doe s no t est ab l i sh pr e t e xt . S e e S t a nda r d v. A . B . E . L . S e rvs . , I nc . , 161 F . 3d 1318, 1332 ( 11th C i r . 1998) . E ve n though K u h n s upport e d F ourA m i gos d u ri n g th e M art i n ez l i t i g at i o n , h e w as al so d i sm i ssed , i n p art , fo r h i s n eg at i v i ty. I V . CONCL US I ON T h e s u m m ary ju d g m e n t in f a v o ro f F o u rA m ig o s a n d S c h lo m is A FFI R M ED .