# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 8 -3 2 64

_ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Kri s t i n Naca

ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Pl a in t i

f f - Ap p el l an t

v

.

M acal es t er Co l l eg e

l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l Def

en da n t - Ap

p el l ee

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e Di s t ri ct o f M i n n es o ta

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Su bm i t t ed : Oct o ber 1 7, 2 0 19 Fi l ed : J an u ary

1 6 , 2 02 0 [Pu b l i s hed ]

_ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ Befo re SM ITH, Ch i ef J u d g e, GRUENDER an d BENTON, Ci rcu i t J u d g es

.

_ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _

PER CURIAM

.

Kri s ti n Naca, an as s i s t an t p ro fes s o r o f p o et ry at M acal es t er Co l l eg e, was d i ag n o s ed in 2 0 1 1 wi t h a l o n g -t erm il l n es s cau s i n g ch ro n i c p ai n an d fat ig u e, b u t n ot i m p ai ri ng her i n t el l ect

. Sh e req u es t ed acco m m od at i o n s , i n cl u d i n g ti m e o ff an d

as s i s tan ce wi th h er wo rk
, wh i ch M acal es t er p art l y g ran t ed aft er m an y b ack -an d -fo rt h

co m m u n icat io ns an d m e e t i n g s. Naca rem ai n ed co m p et i t i v e fo r t en u re u n t i l M ay2 0 1 5 , wh en a fo rm er st u den t wh o h ad al s o s erv ed as her wo rk -s tu d y as s i s t an t , “ J an e

Do e,” m ad e a wri t t en co m p l ai n t t hat Naca h a d s e x w it h h er. Macal es t er fo u n d
, as Naca ack n o wl ed g ed
, t h at wh i l e Do e w a s s t i l l a s t u den t

— ab o u t a week an d a h al f b efo re g rad u at i o n

—

Naca had i n v i t ed Do e to h er h o m e an d d i s cu s s ed t h ei r p o t en t i al

m u tu al s ex u al at t ract i o n

. Naca ad m i t ted s h e as k ed Do e, “ Do y o u wan t m e t o m ak e

a p as s at y o u ? ” Th ree d ay s aft er Do e g r a d u a t e d
, s h e an d Naca b eg an a s ex u al rel at i o n s h i p

. Th e pro v os t reco m m en ded t erm i nat i n g Naca fo r v i o l at i n g M acal es t er’ s
p o l i ci es o n s t u d en t -t each er rel at i o ns h ip s . Th e facu l t y p ers on n el co m m i t t ee an d t h e
p res i den t ag reed . Aft er a fo rm al i n v es t ig at i o n , a h eari n g , an d at l eas t fi v e l ay ers o f

rev i ew, M acal es t er t erm i n at ed Naca.

Naca s u ed Macal es t er, al l eg i n g 3 5 cl ai m s

. T he d i s t ri ct co u rt 1 d i s m i s s ed ab o ut
t wo -t h i rd s o f t h em fo r fai l u re to s t at e a cl ai m

. Of th es e, Naca ap p eal s t h e cl ai m s fo r d i s cri m i n at o ry di s ch arg e b as ed o n d i s ab i l it y u n d er t h ree st at ut es

— § 5 04 o f t h e Reh ab i l it at i o n Act o f 1 9 7 3, 2 9 U.S.C. § 7 9 4 ; t he Am eri can s wi t h D i s ab i l i t i es Act
, 4 2 U.S.C. § 1 2 1 0 1 et s eq .; an d t h e M i n nes o t a Hu m an Ri g h t s Act (“ M HRA”), M i n n

. St at

. § 3 63 A.0 1 et s eq

. Aft er d e n o v o rev i ew, t h is co u rt co n cl u d es t hat t h e d i s tri ct co u rt
p ro p erl y d i s m i s sed t h es e cl ai m s as l ack i n g s u ffi ci en t f a c t s t o b e p l au si b l e. S

ee 8 th Ci r. R. 4 7 B.

On ap peal
, Naca arg u es t h at t h e d ep art i n g p ro v os t

— wh o h an d l ed h er d i s ab i l i t y

acco m m o d at i o n s an d t h e in i t i al res p o ns e t o J an e Do e’ s al l eg at i o n s

— u s ed t h e i n co m in g p ro vo st , facu l t y pers o n n e l c o m m i t t ee, an d co l l eg e pres i den t as a “ cat ’ s
p aw” to t erm i n at e Naca fo r her d i s ab i l i t y

. S ee S t au b v. Pr o ct o r Ho s

p

. , 56 2 U.S. 4 1 1,
4 1 9 (2 01 1 ). Naca d i d n o t rai s e t h i s t h eo ry t o t h e d is t ri ct co urt . Th i s co u rt d o es n ot

co n si d er an arg u m en t rai s ed fo r t h e fi rs t ti m e on ap p eal u n l es s i t i s p urel y l eg al an d
req u i res n o ad d i t i o n al fact ual d ev el op m en t , o r i f a m an i fes t i n j u s t i ce wo u l d o t h erwi s e

1 Th e Ho n o rab le Pat ri ck J

. Sch il t z, Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct J u d g e fo r t h e Di s t ri ct

o f M i nn es o t a.

-2

-res u l t. Or r v. W a l -Ma r t S t o r es , In c. , 2 9 7 F.3 d 7 2 0
, 7 2 5 (8 t h Ci r. 2 00 2 ). W h en
p res en t i ng h er d i sab il i ty d i s cri m i n at i o n cl ai m s i n t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt , Naca n ev er al l eg ed t h at t h e fo rm er p ro v os t h ad i n fl u en ced t h e d eci s i o n -m ak ers w h o fi red h er. Tru e, wh en o p p os i ng s u m m ary ju d g m en t o n h er cl ai m fo r d i s cri m i n at o ry d i s ch arg e

o n th e b as i s o f s ex , N aca ci t ed th e S t au b cas e t o il l u s t rat e “ p ro ced u ral irreg u l ari t i es ,” i n cl u d i n g “ i g n o ri n g ex cu l p at o ry ev i d en ce.” Bu t , ev en as t o sex di s cri m i n at i o n , Naca d i d n o t id en t i fy fact s t o s u p p o rt a cat ’ s paw t h eo ry

. M o s t i m p ort an t l y , N aca n ev er

m ad e a cat ’ s p aw arg u m en t in s u p p o rt o f d i sab i l i t y d i s cri m i n at i o n

. Th is co u rt rev iews

o n l y t h e s p eci fi c arg u m en t s rai s ed b efo re th e d i st ri ct c o u r t , “ as o p p o s ed t o t h o s e
arg u m en t s th e d i s t ri ct co u rt mi g h t h av e d ed u ced fro m t h e reco rd as a wh o l e.” Gi l b er t

v. Des M o i n es Ar ea Cmt

y. Co ll

. , 4 9 5 F.3 d 9 0 6
, 9 1 5 (8 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 7 ) (em p h as i s in

o ri g i nal ). S

ee 8 th Ci r. R. 4 7 B.

Th e d is t ri ct co urt d en i ed Naca’ s m o t i o n to am en d h er co m pl ai n t t o ad d cl ai m s

u n d er t h e Fam i l y M ed i cal Leav e Act
, 2 9 U.S.C. § 2 6 01 et

. s eq

. Na ca v. Ma ca l es t er Co l l.
, 2 0 1 7 W L 6 6 2 2 5 0 5 , at * 1 (D. M i n n

. Dec. 2 8
, 2 01 7 ). Fo r th e reas o n s s t at ed by

t h e d is t ri ct co u rt , i t d i d no t ab u s e i t s d i s cret i o n i n ru l i n g t hat th i s m o ti o n was u n t i m el y

an d fu ti l e. S

ee i d

. , at * 1

– 2

. S

ee a l s o 8 t h Ci r. R. 4 7 B.

Th e d i s tri ct co u rt l at er g ran t ed su m m ary ju dg m en t o n t h e cl ai m s fo r d i s cri m i n at o ry di s ch arg e b as ed on (1 ) s ex u n d er Ti t l e IX o f t h e Ed u cat i o n Am e n d m en t s of 19 72
, 2 0 U.S.C. § 1 6 8 1 et s eq

. ; (2 ) race/ an ces t ry u nd er 4 2 U.S.C. § 1 98 1 ; (3 ) s ex , race/ an ces t ry , an d rel i g i o n u nd er Ti t l e VII o f t h e Ci vi l Ri g h t s Act o f
1 9 6 4
, 4 2 U.S.C. § 2 0 00 e et s eq .; an d (4 ) s ex , race/ an ces t ry , rel i gi o n, an d s ex u al

o ri en t at i o n u nd er t h e M H R A
, M i n n

. S tat

. § 3 6 3 A.0 1 et s eq

. Na ca v. Ma ca l es t er Co l l.
, 2 0 1 8 W L 4 51 6 9 5 0, at * 1 1
, 2 1 (D. M i n n

. Sep

. 2 0
, 2 01 8 ). Aft er accu rat el y an d
p reci s el y i d en t i fy i n g t h e u n d i s pu t ed fact s , t he d i s t ri ct co u rt s t at ed :

Th e C o u rt d oes n o t b el i ev e t h at Naca has es t ab l i s h ed a p ri m a faci e cas e o f d i s cri m i n at i o n

. No t h i n g ab ou t th e

-3

-ci rcu m s t an ces o f t h i s cas e gi v es ri s e t o an i nferen ce o f d is cri m i n at io n

. In M ay 2 0 1 5 , wh en Do e m ad e h er
co m p l ai n t , M acal es t er was b eg i n n i ng t h e p ro ces s o f ap p ro v i n g Naca fo r t en u re. U p t o t hat p o i n t , Naca’ s career
was pro gres s i n g s m o o t hl y

. W h at ch an ged aft er M ay 2 0 1 5

was n o t Do e’ s race/ an ces t ry , s ex , s ex u al ori en t at i o n , o r rel i g i o n; wh at ch an g ed i s t h at a f o r m er s t u d en t m ad e a fo rm al co m

pl ai n t o f s ex u al m i sco n d u ct

.

Id

. at * 1 1

. Ev en as s u m i n g Naca m ad e a p ri m a faci e cas e, t h i s co urt co n cl u d es , o n d e

n o v o rev iew, th at M acal es t er art i cu l at es a l eg i ti m at e, n o n -d i s cri m i n at o ry reas o n fo r
t erm i n at i o n

— h er s ex u al rel at i o n s h i p w it h Do e— th at Naca d o es n ot co u n t er wi th

s u ffi ci en t ev i d en ce o f pret ex t

. S ee i d. at * 1 2

– 1 6 (reject i n g Naca’ s co n ten t io n s ab o ut
p o s s i b l e co m

parat o rs , pro ced u ral i rreg u lari t i es , an d sh i ft i n g ex p l an at io n s ); cf

. Ami r

v. S t

. Lo u i s Un i v. , 1 8 4 F.3 d 1 0 1 7 , 1 0 2 6 (8 t h Ci r. 19 9 9 ) (fi n d in g a g en u i n e i s s u e o f

m at eri al fact ab o u t p ret ex t wh ere t h e d eci s io n -m ak er i ss u ed a n ew p o l i cy j u s t b efo re
t ak i n g ad v ers e act i on ). See a l s o 8 t h Ci r. R. 4 7 B.

Th e di st ri ct co u rt al s o g ran t ed s u m m ary ju d g m en t o n Naca’ s cl ai m fo r fai l u re
t o acco m m o d at e h er d i s ab i l i t y u n d er § 5 04 of t he Reh ab i li t at io n Act

. Na ca , 2 0 1 8 W L 4 5 1 6 9 5 0
, at *1 6– 1 9

. Naca ad m i t t ed t h at wi th t h e acco m m o d at i o n s p ro v i d ed
, s h e was
p erfo rm i n g t h e es s en t ial fu n ct i o n s o f an as si s t a n t p r o f e s s or, w h i ch
, o n d e n o v o

rev i ew, defeat s her cl ai m as a m at t er o f law. S ee Bu r ch et t v. Ta r

g et Co r p. , 3 4 0 F.3 d
5 1 0
, 5 18 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 3 ) (affi rm i n g s u m m ary j u d gm en t wh ere p l ai n t i ff d i d n o t s h o w i n ab i l i t y t o p erfo rm h er es s en t i al jo b fu n ct i o n s wi t h t h e acco m m o d at io n s p ro v i d ed ). S ee a ls o 8 t h Ci r. R. 4 7 B.

Hav i n g ju ri s di ct i o n u n d er 2 8 U .S.C. § 1 29 1
, t h i s co u rt affi rm s t h e ju d g m en t o f

t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt

.

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