2008 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 6-11-2008 

# Lloyd v . W a shingt on 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 . 07-2907

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the 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 at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

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w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Llo yd v . W ashin gt on" (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1032. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/1032NOT 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

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____________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct 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. 05- cv- 00802) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le T erren ce F . M cV erry

____________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

M ay22, 2008 B e f o re : S M IT H , H A R D IM A N a n d N Y G A A R D , C i r cui tJudges .

( Fi l ed: J une 11, 2008)

____________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

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H A R D IM A N , C i r cui tJudge . K a rl B re tt L lo y d a p p e a ls a n o rd e r o f th e D istric t C o u rt a d o p tin g th e M a g istra te J udge’ s R eportand R ecomm endat i on ( R & R ) thats um m aryj udgm entbe gr ant ed i n favor o f W a s h i n g t o n & J e f

f e r s o n Co l l e g e ( Co l l e g e ) . W e wi l l a f f i r m. I. A s w e w r i t e forthe part i es , w e w i l l r ecountonl ythos e fa ct s es s ent i al t o our deci s i on. L l oy d w as an A s s oci at e Pr ofes s ori n the C ol l ege’ s I nform at i on T echnol ogy L e a d e rs h ip (I T L ) D e p a rt m e n t f ro m J u ly 1 , 2 0 0 2 u n til A p ri l 5 , 2 0 0 4 . In A p ri l 2 0 0 3 , a po l i cyw as i nst i tuted for al l full -t i m e ITL facu l tyrequi ri ng that “theybe o n cam pu s a m i nim um of f

ou r day s per w eek, foratl eastfou r hours per day. . . . ” N evertheles s, L l oy d s pentonl ythr ee da y s perw eek on c ampus and w or ked fr om hom e the r es tof the we e k . I n J a n u a r y2 0 0 4 , L l o y d t o o k l e a v e u n d e rth e F a mi l yM e d i c a l L e a v e Ac t( F M L A) f o rc e r t a i n m e d i c a l p r o b l e m s c a u s e d b y s tr e s s , s u c h a s l e g p a i n . D u r i n g th a tt i m e , L l o yd advi s ed the C ol l ege thatD r . C har l es H annon, C hai rof the I T L D epart m ent , w as “the s o u rc e o f h is p h y s ic a l p ro b le m s .” Fol l ow i ng L l oy d’ s r eturn t o the C ol l ege i n Februaryand hi s r eques t s foraddi t i onal FM L A l eave and ce r t ai n acc om m odat i ons underthe A m er i cans w i th D i s abi l i t i es A ct ( A D A ) , the C ol l ege a gr eed t o t r ans ferL l oy d t o a non- t eac hi ng pos i t i on i n the I nform at i on T echnol ogySer vi ces ( I T S) D epart m entw her e he c oul d w or k thr ee da y s perw eek unde rW e rej ectL l oy d’s cont enti on that hi s r ecei pt of SS A ben efi t s quali fi es as a 1 “ re c o rd o f

im p a irm e n t” u n d e r th e c irc u m sta n c e s o f th is c a se . T h e d e f

in iti o n o f d isa b ili ty u n d e rth e S o c i a l S e c u r i typ r o g r a m d i f f e r s f r o m th e d e f

i n i t i o n o f d i s a b i l i tyu n d e rth e ADA, su c h th a t re c e ip t o f

S o c ial S e c u rityb e n e f

its d o e s n o t n e c e ss a rilye sta b lish th a t a p e rso n is “ a q u a lif ie d in d iv id u a l w ith a d is a b ility” w ith in th e m e a n in g o f th e A D A . C l eve land v. P ol i cy M anagem ent

Sys t em s C or

p. , 5 2 6 U .S . 7 9 5 , 8 0 2 -8 0 5 (1 9 9 9 ); see al so 4 2 U. S . C. § 12112( a) . A ccor di ngl y , w e r equi r e “[ a] pl ai nt i ff a t t empt i ng t o pr ove the exi s t ence of a ‘re c o rd ’ o f

d isa b ili ty[ to ] d e m o n stra te th a t th e re c o rd e d im p a irm e n t is a ‘d isa b ili ty ’ w ith in the meani ng of the A D A . ” T ic e v . C e n tr e A r e a T

r a n s p . A u th ., 2 4 7 F . 3 d 5 0 6 , 5 1 3 (3d C ir . 2001) . H er e, L l oy d has notatt empt ed t o s how how hi s r ece i ptof di s abi l i tybenef i t s fr om the SSA i s equi val entt o a “r ecor d of i m pai r m ent ” w i thi n the A D A fr amew or k. 3 the I T S D i r ect or , D ani el Faul k. T he C ol l ege c om m uni cat ed thi s offe rt o L l oy d i n a l ett er w hi ch expl i ci t l yr eques t ed thatL l oy d r eportt o Faul k on A pr i l 5, 2004, at9: 00 a. m . i f he a c c e p t e d th e o f

f e r . A f t e rL l o yd f

a i l e d t o r e p o r tt o w o r k i n th e I T S D e p a r t m e n tth a td a y, the C ol l ege c ons i der ed hi m t o have r es i gned. II. L l oy d fi r s tar gues thathi s “r ecor d of i m pai r m ent , ” as evi dence d byhi s hi s t oryof tre a tm e n t f

o r a g o ra p h o b ia a n d p a n ic a ttac k s a n d re c e ip t o f S o c ial S e c u rityD isa b ili ty paym ent s , pr ecl udes s um m aryj udgm enton hi s A D A cl ai m s . T hi s as s ert i on i s an i nacc ur at e s t at ementof l aw t o t he ext enti ts ugges t s thata r ecor d of i m pai r m ent s uffi ces 1 a b s e n t s u b s ta n tia l lim ita tio n o n a m a jo r l if e a c tiv ity. S e e Ke lly v . D rex e l U n iv . , 94 F. 3d 102, 108 ( 3d C i r . 1996) ( obs ervi ng thatthi s C our tcannotr egar d a medi cal i m pai r m entas a “di s abi l i ty ” underthe A D A i f i tdoes not“s ubs t ant i al l yl i m i t[a] r el evantm aj orl i fe a c tiv ity ” ); see al

so G or don v. E . L. H

am m & Ass ocs . , I

nc. , 1 0 0 F . 3 d 9 0 7 , 9 1 1 (11 th C ir . 1 9 9 6 ) (st ati n g that a p h y sical i m p airm en t i s n o t eno u g h fo r pu rpo ses o f th e A D A );4

D ut cherv. I

ngal l s Shi pbui ldi ng , 53 F. 3d 723, 726 ( 5th C i r . 1995) ( expl ai ni ng that“[a ] phy s i cal i m pai r m ent , s t andi ng al one, i s notnece s s ar i l ya di s abi l i tyas cont empl at ed byt he A D A ”). P e rh a p s a n ticip a tin g th is f law in h is f

irst a rg u m e n t, L lo y d c laim s th a t h e is s ubs t ant i al l yl i m i t ed i n hi s abi l i tyt o thi nk and i nt er actw i th other s . A s ubs t ant i al l i m i t at i on occur s underthe A D A onl yi f the per s on i s “[s ] i gni fi cant l yr es tr i ct ed as t o t he condi t i on, m anner , and dur at i on underw hi ch an i ndi vi dual can pe r form a maj orl i fe act i vi tyas compar ed t o t he condi t i on, m anner , ordur at i on underw hi ch an a ver age pe r s on i n th e g e n e r a l p o p u l a t i o n c a n p e r f o r m th e s a me ma

j o rl i f e a c t i v i ty . ” 2 9 C. F . R. § 1 6 3 0 . 2 (j )(1). T h e re c o rd d e m o n stra tes th a t L lo y d is n o t su b sta n tiallylim ited in th a t h e w a s a b le t o w or k and/ ort eac h on campus thr ee da y s perw eek, as w el l as s erve as a counc i l m an for T r aff or d B or ough, engage i n fami l yand s oci al out i ngs , and s pend hour s on w eeke nds w o rk in g o n IT S p roje c ts a n d c o u rs e d e v e lo p m e n t. See A ndreol iv. G ates , 482 F. 3d 641, 651- 52 ( 3d C i r . 2007) ( fi ndi ng thatthe pl ai nt i ff w as notl i m i t ed i n the maj orl i fe a ct i vi t i es of “thi nki ng” and “ i nt er act i ng w i th other s , ” w her e al l of the pl ai nt i ff’ s act i vi t i es r equi r ed

“ th in k in g , co n c e n tra tin g , an d in ter a c tin g w ith o th e rs.” ). In su m , the o n lylim itatio n — if i tcan pr oper l ybe cl as s i fi ed as s uch — thatL l oy d pr ofes s ed, w as hi s i nabi l i tyt o be on c a m p u s m o re th a n th re e d a y s p e r w e e k . In h e r th o ro u g h a n d lu c id R & R , the M a g istra te J udge pr oper l yconcl uded that , vi ew i ng the evi dence i n the l i ghtm os tfavor abl e t o L l oy d,I n l i ghtof thi s hol di ng, w e nee d notdi s cus s L l oy d’ s cl ai m thatthe C ol l ege f ai l ed 2 to e n g a g e in th e in te ra c tiv e p ro c e s s . S e e G a u l v . L u c e n t T e c h n o lo g ie s , In c ., 134 F. 3d 576, 5 8 1 ( 3 d C i r . 1 9 9 8 ) ( b e c a u s e p l a i n t i f f w a s n o ta q u a l i f

i e d i n d i v i d u a l w i th a d i s a b i l i ty, d e f e n d a n t’s “ a lleg e d f

a ilu re to in v e stig a te in to re a so n a b le a c c o m m o d a tio n is u n im p o rt an t. ”). W e al so con cl ud e t hat Lloy d can no tshow that he w as prej ud i ced in the sense 3 thathe l os tthe cha nce t o be r ei ns t at ed fol l ow i ng an FM L A l eave of abs ence . T he purpos e of the FM L A i s t o as s i s templ oy ees “w ho have s er i ous heal th condi t i ons that p rev en t th em fro m w o rkin g fo r t em po rary p e rio d s.” 2 9 U .S .C . § 2 6 0 1 (a )(4 ) (e m p h a sis added) . A n FM L A pl ai nt i ff musts how that , bythe t i m e he r eturned fr om hi s al l ot t ed 12 w eeks of FM L A l eave , he w oul d have be en “a bl e t o per form the es s ent i al funct i ons of thatpos i t i on. ” See Ri nehi m erv. C em col i f t , I nc. , 292 F. 3d 375, 384 ( 3d C i r . 2002) ( ci t i ng 29 C . F. R . § 825. 214( b) ) . L l oy d admi t s thathe r eques t ed FM L A “l eave t o be f ol l ow ed by 5 n o re a s o n a b le ju ro r c o u ld f in d th a t h e w a s s u b s ta n tia lly lim ite d in a m a jo r l if e a c tiv ity. F u rth e rm o re , w e a g re e w ith th e R & R ’s f in d in g th a t if L lo y d w e re , in f a c t, su b sta n tially l i m i t ed i n hi s abi l i tyt o t hi nk and i nt er actw i th other s , he w oul d notbe a qua l i fi ed per s on w ith a d is a b ility. See 4 2 U .S .C . § 1 2 1 1 2 (a ); s ee al s o C l eve land , 526 U . S. at806. T he fac tthatthe abi l i tyt o t hi nk and i nt er actw i th other s ar e pr er equi s i t es fora col l ege p ro f e ss o r sh o u ld b e se lf

-e v id e n t. 2 L l oy d nextar gues thatthe C ol l ege i nt er fer ed w i th hi s exer ci s e of FM L A r i ght s by t erm i nat i ng hi m i ns t ead of gr ant i ng hi s r eques tt o t ake a m edi cal l eave of abs ence fort he Spr i ng t erm , and genui ne i s s ues of m at er i al fac tpr ecl ude s um m aryj udgm enton the q u e stio n o f

w h e th e r h e e x h a u ste d h is F M L A lea v e . T h e R & R c o n c lu d e d th a t L lo y d d id n o t h a v e a se rio u s h e a lth c o n d iti o n th a t p re c lu d e d h im f ro m w o rk in g a s a n A ss o c iate Pr o f e s s o r . W e a g r e e wi th th i s c o n c l u s i o n a n d f i n d th a tLl o y d was n o te l i g i b l e f o rFM LA l eave . E ven s o, the r ecor d i s cl earthatL l oy d exhaus t ed anyl eave t o w hi ch he mi ght

3th e im p lem e n tatio n o f th e a c c o m m o d a tio n ” u p o n h is re tu rn a n d th a t h e m a d e n o e f f o rt to s how thathe w oul d have be en capabl e of r eturni ng t o a ful l - t i m e t eac hi ng s chedul e under H annon — both of w hi ch w oul d have be en es s ent i al condi t i ons of the j ob he hel d i n the C o lle g e ’s IT L d e p a rt m e n t. 6 h a v e b e e n e n title d . See 2 9 U .S .C . § 2 6 1 2 (a )(1 )(D ) (s tatin g th a t th e F M L A g ra n ts e lig ib le empl oy ees the r i ghtt o t ake up t o t w el ve w or k w eeks of l eave i n anytw el ve- m onth per i od i f a “ s er i ous heal th condi t i on . . . m akes the empl oy ee una bl e t o per form the func t i ons of th e p o sitio n o f

su c h e m p lo y e e .”). A s n o ted in its b rie f , the C o lleg e w a s n o t re q u ire d to des i gnat e Ll oy d’ s l eave underthe FM L A fori tt o countt ow ar d the 12 w eeks al l ow ed by s ta tu te . R ags dal e v. W

olver i ne W

or ld W i de, I nc. , 535 U . S. 81, 88- 89 ( 2002) . T he C ol l ege’ s D i r ect orof H um an R es our ces s t at ed thatL l oy d t ook 14. 2 w eeks of pai d l eave betw een D ece m ber1, 2003 and A pr i l 4, 2004, w hi ch w as 2. 2 w eeks m or e than he w as e n t i t l e d t o u n d e rl a w. F inally , L loy d co n tend s tha t he p rese n ted e n o u g h ev iden ce to d ef ea t sum m ary j udgm enton hi s di s cr i m i nat i on and r et al i at i on cl ai m s underthe A D A , FM L A , and Penns y l vani a H um an R el at i ons A ct( PH R A ) . T o m ake a p rim a fa c ie s how i ng of d is c ri m in a tio n , L lo y d m u s t s h o w th a t, in tera lia , he s uffe r ed an a dver s e empl oym ent a c tio n . See J

ones v. School

D is tr i ct of P hi ladel phi a, 1 9 8 F . 3 d 4 0 3 ( 3 d C i r . 1 9 9 9 ) . L l o yd compl ai ns thatthe C ol l ege i m pr oper l ydi s char ged hi m i ns t ead of gr ant i ng hi s r eques tfor lea v e f o r th e S p rin g 2 0 0 4 ter m , to b e f o llo w e d b yp e rm iss io n to re tu rn to c a m p u s o n ly thr ee da y s perw eek. T he r ecor d i s cl ear , how ever , thatthe C ol l ege made numer ous7

re a so n a b le a c c o m m o d a tio n s — in c lu d in g a tem p o ra rytra n sf e r a w a yf ro m H a n n o n in J anuary2004, a s chedul e underFaul k w hi ch w oul d perm i thi m t o att end hi s T ues dayand T hur s daydoct or ’ s appoi nt m ent s i n February2004, and fi nal l y , a thr ee- dayw or kw eek u n d e r F a u lk b e g in n in g in M a rc h 2 0 0 4 — w h ich w e re u n d e rta k e n in g o o d -f a ith to amel i or at e the s tr es s thatL l oy d exper i ence d w hen he w as on campus. I ns t ead of a c c e p tin g th is re a so n a b le a c c o m m o d a tio n , L lo y d in sis ted u p o n b e in g o n c a m p u s o n ly thr ee da y s perw hi ch, w hi ch w oul d have be en a w ai verof an e s s ent i al j ob funct i on that th e C o lle g e w a s n o t r e q u ir e d to a c c e p t. See D onahue v. C ons ol i dat ed Rai lC or p. , 224 F. 3d 226, 232 ( 3d C i r . 2000) . A ccor di ngl y , w e fi nd no err ori n the court ’ s di s m i s s al of L l oy d’s A D A , F M L A , and P H R A dis cri m i nati on cl ai m s. W e a l s o f

i n d n o e r r o ri n th e Di s tr i c tCo u r t ’ s r e j e c t i o n o f

Ll o y d ’ s r e t a l i a t i o n c l a i ms o n th e g ro u n d th a t, as su m in g h e h a d m a d e o u t a p rim a fa c ie c a se o f re talia tio n , h e c o u ld n o t sho w that the C o ll eg e’s a rt iculated n o n -retal iat o ryrea so n s fo r i ts acti o n s w ere pr et extual . Speci fi cal l y , L l oy d fai l ed t o s ubm i ts peci fi c evi dence w hi ch w oul d caus e a fac t fi ndert o ei ther“( 1) di s bel i eve the empl oy er ’ s art i cul at ed l egi t i m at e r eas ons ; or( 2) bel i eve thatan i nvi di ous r et al i at oryr eas on w as m or e l i kel ythan nota mot i vat i ng or det erm i nat i ve ca us e of the empl oy er ’ s act i on. ” Kel l erv. O r i x C r edi tA l l i ance, I

nc. , 130 F. 3d 1101, 1108 ( 3d C i r . 1997) ( en banc ) ( i nt ernal quot at i on m arks om i t t ed) . T he evi dence s how s thaton the eve of Ll oy d’ s di s char ge, the C ol l ege of fer ed Ll oy d an ad m inistrati v e p o sit ion in the IT S D ep artm en t th ree d ay s p er w ee k . L loy d fa il ed to rep o rt8

t o w or k and the C ol l ege de t erm i ned thathe r es i gned. I n cl ai m i ng thatr et al i at i on can be i n f e rr e d f r o m h i s “ i n v o l u n t a r y tr a n s f e r [ ] ” t o th e I T S a d m i n i s tr a t i v e p o s i t i o n , L l o yd over l ooks the fa ctthathe as ked t o be r emoved fr om H annon’ s s upervi s i on. T hi s tr ans fer a c c o m m o d a ted th a t re q u e st, a n d a lso g a v e L lo y d a su f f icie n tlyf lex ib le s c h e d u le to e n a b le hi m t o att end hi s doct or s ’ appoi nt m ent s on T ues day s and Thurs day s : al l w i thoutr educi ng L l oy d’ s s al ary . T hus , no r at i onal tr i erof fa ctcoul d fi nd thatL l oy d’ s tr ans ferw as re ta lia to ry. See Fuent es v. P ers ki e, 32 F. 3d 759, 765 ( 3d. C i r . 1994) ( expl ai ni ng that“the no n-m ov i ng plai nti ff m ustdem on strat e such w eakn esses , i m plausi bil i t i es, in c o n sis ten c ies , inc o h e re n c ies , o r c o n tra d ictio n s in th e e m p lo y e r’s p ro f f e re d leg iti m a te rea so n s fo r i ts acti o n that a re aso n ab le fa ctfind er could r at i onal l yfi nd them unw or thyof cre d en ce . . . . ”) (cit ati o n s an d interna l qu o tat ion s o m itted). F o r a ll o f

th e f o re g o in g re a so n s, w e w ill a f f irm th e ju d g m e n t o f

th e D istric t C o u rt.