2009 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 3-30-2009 

# Mich a el W al sh v . B ank of Ame r 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 . 08-2230

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M ar ch 26, 2009 B e f o re : R E N D E L L , A M B R O a n d J O R D A N , C i r cui tJudges .

( Fi l ed: M ar ch 30, 2009)

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_______________ J O R D A N , C i r cui tJudge . Pl ai nt i ff M i chae l W al s h fi l ed s ui tagai ns tD efe ndantB ank of A m er i ca ( “B O A ”) a lleg in g th a t B O A f

ire d h im b e c a u se h e is d isa b led , in v io latio n o f th e A m e ric a n s w ith D i s abi l i t i es A ct( A D A ) , U . S. C . § 12101 et s eq. , and the Penns y l vani a H um an R el at i ons2

A ct( PH R A ) , 42 Pa. C on. St at . § 951 et . s eq . F o ll o w ing d isco v ery , the D istri ct C o u rt gr ant ed B O A ’ s m ot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent , hol di ng thatW al s h had notes t abl i s hed e ith e r t h a t h e w a s d is a b le d u n d e r t h e A D A o r t h a t h is e m p lo y e r r e g a rd e d h im a s d is a b le d . B eca us e ther e ar e genui ne i s s ues of fa ctconce rni ng w hetherW al s h w as r egar ded as di s abl ed byB O A , w e w i l l vaca t e and r emand I . Backg r ound W a lsh w a s h ire d in D e c e m b e r 1 9 9 9 a s a C u sto m e r S e rv ice R e p re se n tativ e in BO A’ s S c r a n t o n , P e n n s y l v a n i a c a l l c e n t e r . S e v e r a l y e a r s b e f o r e b e i n g h i r e d b yBO A, W al s h had bee n di agnos ed w i th PostT r aumat i c Str es s D i s or der( “PT SD ”) s t emm i ng fr om h is s e rv ice in th e V ietn a m W a r. O n M a y1 8 , 2 0 0 5 , tw o B O A su p e rv iso rs, P a tricia S h u ltz a n d D o ro th yW a lk e r, in f o rm e d W a lsh th a t h e w a s b e in g ter m in a ted f o r f a ilu re to a d e q u a te ly co m p ly w ith th e c o m p a n y ’s p o lic ie s a n d p ro c e d u re s . O n M ar ch 8, 2006, W al s h fi l ed s ui tagai ns tB O A , al l egi ng thatthe companyt ook adver s e empl oym entact i on agai ns thi m beca us e of hi s di s abi l i ty , i n vi ol at i on of both t he A D A and the P H R A . B O A fi l ed a m oti on for sum m aryj ud gm ent that w as fi rs t co n side red b ya M ag istrate Ju d g e. T h e M ag istrate Ju d g e re co m m en d ed that su m m ary j udgm entbe gr ant ed forB O A beca us e W al s h had notes t abl i s hed thathe w as di s abl ed u n d e r t h e A D A o r t h a t B O A c o n s id e re d h im to b e d is a b le d . W al s h fi l ed obj ect i ons t o the M agi s tr at e J udge’ s r ecomm endat i on and B O A fi l ed a r epl yt o the obj ect i ons . T he D i s tr i ctC our tadopt ed the M agi s tr at e J udge’ s r eportandB eca us e W al s h br oughta cl ai m underthe A D A , the D i s tr i ctC our thad 1 j ur i s di ct i on overthi s cas e pur s uantt o 28 U . S. C . § 1331. W e have j ur i s di ct i on t o r evi ew th e D is tr ic t C o u rt ’s o rd e r g ra n tin g s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t u n d e r 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . 3 r ecomm endat i on, concl udi ng that“pl ai nt i ff c annotm eetthe thr es hol d t es tforr el i ef unde r the A D A - thathe s uffe r s fr om a di s abi l i tythats ubs t ant i al l yl i m i t s a maj orl i fe a ct i vi tyor w as re g ard ed b yh is em p loy er a s su ff ering fro m su ch a c o n d it ion , ” a n d g ran ted s u m m ary ju d g m e n t to B O A . (A p p . a t 3 8 .) W al s h fi l ed a t i m el ynot i ce of appea l and ar gues thatbeca us e ther e ar e genui ne is s u e s o f m a te ri a l f

a c t, th e D is tr ic t C o u rt e rr e d in g ra n tin g s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t. I I . D i s cus s i on 1 W e re v iew th e D istric t C o u rt’s g ra n t o f su m m a ryju d g m e n t de novo . D I REC TV I nc. v. Sei j as , 5 0 8 F . 3 d 1 2 3 , 1 2 5 ( 3 d Ci r . 2 0 0 7 ) ( c i t a t i o n c o mm i t t e d ) . Ac c o r d i n g l y , we appl ythe fa m i l i ars t andar d thatdi s tr i ctcourt s ar e bound t o appl yi n det erm i ni ng w hether s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t is a p p ro p ri a te . C ongr egat i on KolA m iv. A bi ngt on Tw p. , 309 F. 3d 120, 130 ( 3d C i r . 2002) . Sum m aryj udgm enti s onl ypr operi f, vi ew i ng the r ecor d i n the li g h t m o st fav o rab le t o the n o n -m o v ing p artyan d d raw ing all inf ere n ce s in tha t party ’s f a v o r, th e re is n o g e n u in e iss u e o f m a ter ial f

a c t an d th e m o v in g p a rtyis e n tit led to ju d g m e n t a s a m a tte r o f la w . U.S . ex r e l. Ko s e n s ke v . C a r lis le H M A , In c ., 554 F. 3d 88 , 94 ( 3d C i r . 2009) ( ci t i ng A b ra m so n v . W ill ia m P a terso n C o ll. , 2 6 0 F . 3 d 2 6 5 , 2 7 6 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ); F ed . R . C iv.P. 56 (c)).W e have r ecogni zed thatan “a nal y s i s of an A D A cl ai m appl i es equal l yt o a 2 PH R A cl ai m . ” T

a y lo r v . P h o e n ixv ill e Sc h . D ist. , 1 8 4 F .3 d 2 9 6 , 3 0 6 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 9 ). A ccor di ngl y , w e w i l l anal y ze W al s h’ s A D A and PH R A cl ai m s t ogetherunderthe f r a me wo r k o f

th e ADA. “ A ‘q u a lifie d in d iv id u a l’ is d e f in e d a s o n e ‘w h o , w ith o r w ith o u t re a so n a b le 3 acc om m odat i on, can pe r form the es s ent i al funct i ons of the empl oym entpos i t i on thats uch i ndi vi dual hol ds ordes i r es . ’ ” Turne rv. Hers hey Chocol at e U SA , 440 F. 3d 604, 611 ( 3d C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) (qu o ti n g 4 2 U . S . C . § 1 2 1 1 1 (8)). 4 I n or dert o m ake outa p rim a fa c ie cas e of di s abi l i tydi s cr i m i nat i on underthe A D A , W al s h m us tes t abl i s h thathe ( 1) has a di s abi l i ty , ( 2) i s a qual i fi ed i ndi vi dual , and

2 3 ( 3 ) h a s s u f

f e r e d a n a d v e r s e e m p l o ym e n ta c t i o n b e c a u s e o f th a td i s a b i l i ty. Turne rv. Hers hey Chocol at e U

SA , 440 F. 3d 604, 611 ( 3d C i r . 2006) ( ci t at i ons om i t t ed) . I n r el at i on t o th e f i r s te l e m e n t , th e A D A h a s p r o v i d e d a th r e e - p a r td e f i n i t i o n o f th e t e r m d i s a b i l i ty: “The t erm ‘ di s abi l i ty ’ m eans , w i th r es pectt o an i ndi vi dual - - ( A ) a phy s i cal orm ent al im p a irm e n t th a t su b sta n tiallylim its o n e o r m o re m a jo r life a c tiv iti e s o f

su c h in d iv id u a l; ( B ) a r ecor d of s uch an i m pai r m ent ; or( C ) bei ng r egar ded as havi ng s uch an i m pai r m ent . ” 4 2 U .S .C . § 1 2 1 0 2 (1 ). B e c a u s e th e A D A lis ts th e th re e s u b c a te g o ri e s in th e d is ju n c tiv e , a pl ai nt i ff mustonl ys how thathe i s di s abl ed underone of the thr ee s ubpart s t o es t abl i s h t he fi r s tel ementof a p rim a fa c ie d is a b ility d is c ri m in a tio n c a s e . S e e Su tto n v . U n itedA ir Li nes , In c ., 5 2 7 U .S . 4 7 1 , 4 8 9 (1 9 9 9 ) (“ O u r c o n c lu sio n th a t p e tit io n e rs h a v e f a iled to sta te a cl ai m thattheyar e ac tual l ydi s abl ed unders ubs ect i on ( A ) of the di s abi l i tydefi ni t i on does notend ouri nqui ry . U nders ubs ect i on ( C ) , i ndi vi dual s w ho ar e ‘ r egar ded as ’ havi ng a d isab il ityare d isab led w ith in the m ea n ing o f th e A D A . ”), s upers eded by s tat ut e onT he M agi s tr at e J udge and D i s tr i ctC our tdi s r egar ded W al s h’ s t es t i m onythathe 4 inf o rm ed Jim B ell ab o u t his P T S D b ec au se th eyfo u n d the testi m o n yin W alsh ’s depos i t i on and af

fi davi tt o be contr adi ct ory . ( A pp. at18- 19 n. 11. ) W e s ee no s uch c o n tra d ictio n . In W a lsh ’s d e p o sitio n h e w a s a sk e d , “N o w o th e r th a n M iss W ill iam so n d id y o u tel l any o n e e lse at F leet or B an k o f A m erica th at y o u h ad P T S D ? ” (A p p . at 34 6 . ) W a lsh re sp o n d e d , “I to ld Jim B e ll th a t I w a s g o in g to g o a w a yto L y o n s f o r tw o w e e k s to g e t a tu n e -u p rig h t af

ter 9 /1 1 2 0 0 1 . I sa id I m ig h t h a v e to g o a w a yf o r tw o w e e k s to g e t a tune- up. H e s ai d thatthat ’ s fi ne. I t ol d hi m abouti t . ” (I d. ) T hi s appea r s t o be a c l ear a s s e rt io n b yW a ls h th a t h e in f o rm e d J im B e ll o f

h is P T S D . A f e w q u e stio n s la ter , h o w e v e r, W a lsh w a s a sk e d , “N o w in y o u r c o n v e rsa tio n w ith J i m B el l , otherthan t el l i ng hi m thaty ou m i ghthave t o go t o L y ons , di d y ou t el l hi m t hat y ou have PTS D ?” (Id . ) W al s h r es ponded, “I don’ tr eca l l t el l i ng hi m that . ” (I d. ) T h is appar entcontr adi ct i on i s cl ear ed up, how ever , bya l at erques t i on i n the depos i t i on, w hen W a lsh w a s a sk e d , “N o w , o th e r th a n M r. B e ll an d M a u re e n W ill iam so n , d id y o u tell any on e el se atF l eetor B ank of A m eri ca t hat y ou had P T S D ? ”. (A pp . at34 7. ) W al sh r e s p o n d e d th a th e h a d a l s o t o l d M s . S c h u l t z a b o u th i s P TS D, b u tth e q u e s t i o n i t s e l f s e e ms t o i ndi cat e thatboth W al s h and the B O A att orneyas ki ng the ques t i on cl ear l yunder s t ood th a t W a ls h h a d to ld J im B e ll a b o u t h is P T S D . (Id . ) W al s h’ s aff i davi t , i n w hi ch he a gai n 5 othergr ounds , A m e n d m e n ts A c t o f 2 0 0 8 , P u b .L . N o . 1 1 0 -3 2 5 , § 3 (4 )(E )(i), 1 2 2 S tat. 3 5 5 3 (2 0 0 8 ). T he D i s tr i ctC our tconcl uded thatW al s h fai l ed t o es t abl i s h the fi r s tel ementof an ADA c a s e b e c a u s e h e wa s u n a b l e t o d e mo n s tr a t e th a th e wa s e i th e rd i s a b l e d o rth a tBO A regar ded him as di sabl ed. W e con cl ud e, ho w ever, that, w hen view ed in the li gh tm ost favor abl e t o W al s h, the r ecor d demonstr at es thata mat er i al i s s ue of f actr emai ns i n that r e g a r d . W a l s h p r o v i d e d e v i d e n c e th a tB O A d i d r e g a r d h i m a s d i s a b l e d . S i g n i f i c a n t l y, B O A ’s pe rson n el reco rds list ed h im as a “D isab led V ietn am V eteran . ” (A p p . at 38 6 . ) In a d d i t i o n , h e t e s t i f

i e d i n h i s d e p o s i t i o n th a th e i n f o r me d th r e e o f

h i s s u p e r v i s o r s a tBO A, M aur een W i l l i amson, J i m B el l , and Patr i ci a Shul t z, thathe s uffe r ed fr om PT SD . ( A pp. 4s t at es thathe t ol d J i m B el l abouthi s PT SD , s i m pl ycl ar i fi es and r eenf or ces hi s ear l i er d ep o sit ion test im o n y . (A p p . at 42 7 . ) 6 at345- 46, 349- 51. ) I n part i cul ar , W al s h’ s t es t i m onyr egar di ng Shul t z, i f bel i eved, i s s uch thata j urycoul d fi nd i tl ends s uppor tt o the conc l us i on thatB O A r egar ded W al s h as di s abl ed. I n hi s aff

i davi t , W al s h as s ert s that , once Shul t z s aw the document aryevi dence of hi s PT SD , “herw hol e att i tude cha nged, s he w as j us tl ooki ng fora cha nce t o getr i d of m e .” (A p p . at 4 3 5 .) W a lsh a lso tes tifie d th a t h e a sk e d se v e ra l ti m e s to w o rk o n lysix hour s a daybeca us e of hi s PT SD and fi l l ed outthe nec es s aryform s thr ee t i m es . ( A pp. at 429. ) H e s ay s thathe w as t ol d byhi s s upervi s or s atB O A thathe w oul d be gi ven an ac co m m o d ati o n b u t he w as n ev er m o v ed to a s ix-h o u r w o rk d ay . (A p p . at 42 8 -29 . ) V iew e d in to talitya n d in th e lig h t m o st f a v o ra b le to W a lsh , this e v id e n c e is s u f f ic ie n t f o r a re a s o n a b le f

a c t f in d e r t o a c c e p t th a t B O A re g a rd e d W a ls h a s d is a b le d . W al s h has ther efor e s at i s fi ed the fi r s tel ementof a p rim a fa c ie A D A c la im . I I I . C onc l us i on T he D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s gr antof s um m aryj udgm entw as bas ed upon i t s concl us i on thatW al s h had notpr ovi ded s uffi ci entevi dence t o pr ove ei therthathe w as di s abl ed or thatB O A r egar ded hi m as di s abl ed. ( A pp. at36. ) W e have , ther efor e, r es tr i ct ed our a n a ly sis to th a t issu e a n d d o n o t ad d re ss w h e th e r W a lsh p ro v id e d su f f icie n t ev id e n c e to pr ove the otherel ement s of a p rim a fa c ie age d i scr i m i nati on case or pret ext. B ecause W al s h has pr ovi ded s uffi ci entevi dence t o pr ove thatB O A cons i der ed hi m di s abl ed, t he7

D istric t C o u rt e rre d in g ra n tin g su m m a ryju d g m e n t to B O A o n W a lsh ’s d isa b ili ty di s cr i m i nat i on cl ai m s . A ccor di ngl y , w e w i l l vaca t e and r emand.