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 5-29-2009 

# Ron ald I sle r v

. S ch D i s t K eys t one 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 . 08-3853

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_2009

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

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y an authori z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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 " Ron ald I sle r v

. S ch Di s t Keys t one " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1281. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1281NOT 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

___________ N o. 08- 3853

___________ R O N A L D IS L E R , A ppel l ant

v. K E Y ST O N E SC H O O L D I ST R I C T ; J E A N A . G O O L , I ndi vi dual l yand i n heroffi ci al c a p a c i tya s Su p e r i n t e n d e n to f th e Key s t o n e Sc h o o l Di s tr i c t ; J OH N R . SLAG LE, I ndi vi dual l yand i n hi s capa ci tyas Pr es i dentof the K ey s t one School D i s tr i ctB oar d of E ducat i on; T E R R I K A H L E , I ndi vi dual l yand i n heroffi ci al capa ci tyas V i ce- Pr es i dentof th e Key s t o n e Sc h o o l Di s tr i c tBoa r d o f Ed u c a t i o n ; GR EGO RY A. BA RRETT, I ndi vi dual l yand i n hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas a mem berof the K ey s t one School D i s tr i ct B oard of E du cat i on ; JA M E S A . B E A R Y , Indi vidual l yand i n h i s offici al capac i tyas a me mbe ro f

th e Key s t o n e Sc h o o l Di s tr i c tBoa r d o f Ed u c a t i o n ; R. J EFF REY KLI NE, I ndi vi dual l yand i n hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas a mem berof the K ey s t one School D i s tr i ct B oard of E du cat i on ; T H O M A S M C C O Y , Indi vidual l yand i n h i s offici al capac i tyas a me mb e ro f

th e Ke y s t o n e S c h o o l Di s tr i c tBo a r d o f E d u c a t i o n ; M AR I L YN S T E M P E CK , I ndi vi dual l yand i n heroffi ci al capa ci tyas a mem berof the K ey s t one School D i s tr i ct B oar d of Educat i on; K E N N E T H SW A R T FA G E R , I ndi vi dual l yand i n hi s offi ci al c a p a c i tya s a me mb e ro f th e Ke y s t o n e S c h o o l Di s tr i c tBo a r d o f E d u c a t i o n ; VE RN ON L A U F F E R , I n d i v i d u a l l y a n d i n h i s o f f i c i a l c a p a c i ty as B us i nes s M anage rof the K ey s t one School D i s tr i ct

___________ 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 . C i vi l N o. 07- cv- 01335) D i s tr i ctJ udge: T he H onor abl e A r thurJ . Schw ab

___________T he D i s tr i ctC our tal s o di s m i s s ed w i thoutpr ej udi ce the r emai ni ng cl ai m br ought 1. u n d e r t h e P e n n s y lv a n ia W h is tle -B lo w e r A c t. I s le r d id n o t a p p e a l th a t c la im . 2 Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

M ay21, 2009 B efore: F U E N T E S , JO R D A N , and N Y G A A R D , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed: M ay29, 2009)

___________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

___________ N Y G A A R D , C i r cui tJ udge. B eca us e ouropi ni on i s w hol l yw i thoutpr ece dent i al val ue, and bec aus e the part i es and the D i s tr i ctC our tar e fa m i l i arw i th i t s oper at i ve fa ct s , w e off eronl yan abbr evi at ed re c itatio n to e x p lain w h yw e w ill a f f irm th e o rd e r o f

th e D istric t C o u rt. R onal d I s l erappea l s the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s gr antof s um m aryj udgm enti n favorof K ey st on e S cho ol D i stri ctetal . on his cl ai m s that the S cho ol D i stri ctviol at ed the Fir st A m endment , the A m er i cans w i th D i s abi l i t i es A ct , and the R ehabi l i t at i on A ct . I s l er 1 compl ai ned thatthe School D i s tr i ct ’ s r efus al t o r enew hi s bus dr i vercontr actw as r et al i at i on forhi s advoca cyon behal f of a s tudentw i th di s abi l i t i es . W e di s agr ee.3 I. Is l er’ s Fir stA m end m ent, A D A and R ehab i l i t at i on A ctret al i at i on cl ai m s r est s ol el yon hi s as s ert i on thatthe School D i s tr i ctdi d notr enew hi s contr actbeca us e he appr oache d t he School D i s tr i ctt o “advoc at e” f ora s tudentw i th s peci al needs w ho r ode o n h is b u s. T h e re is a g re e m e n t th a t Isle r c o n tac ted so m e S c h o o l D istric t o f f icia ls la te in F ebruary20 07 abo ut the stud ent’ s cond uct on t he b us. Is l er att em pts t o ch aract eri ze t hese comm uni cat i ons as “advoc acy . ” Y et , w e agr ee w i th the D i s tr i ctC our tthat , w hat everl abel Is le r a s c ri b e s to h is w o rd s , o b je c tiv e ly, h e d id n o t e n g a g e in p ro te c te d s p e e c h . I s l erhad an a ffi r m at i ve, contr actual dutyt o r eportt o the School D i s tr i ctany s tudenti nci dent s thatoccurr ed on hi s bus . W her e, as her e, an empl oy ee s peaks i n a w ay thati s w hol l yw i thi n t he s cope of hi s empl oym entand r es pons i bi l i t i es , s uch s peec h i s not p ro tec ted f

ro m d isc ip lin a rya c tio n s u n d e r th e F irst A m e n d m e n t. T h e re f o re , w e w ill affirm sum m aryj ud gm ent i n fav or of t he S cho ol D i stri ctetal . on Is l er’ s Fir st Ame n d me n tc l a i m. II. W i th r egar d t o I s l er ’ s A D A and R ehabi l i t at i on A ctr et al i at i on cl ai m s , w e do not f in d a n ye v id e n c e o f

p ro tec ted a c tiv ityb yIsle r. A s s tate d a b o v e , Isle r w a s a c tin g w ith in the s cope of

hi s empl oym entr es pons i bi l i t i es as a bus dr i vert o di s cus s the s i tuat i on ar i s i ng fr om the s tudent ’ s conducton the bus . M or eover , an A D A orR ehabi l i t at i on A ct4

retali ati o n claim is prem ised u p o n an u n d erly ing v iolati o n o f a d isab led in d ividu al’s ri g h ts . 4 2 U .S .C . § 1 2 2 0 3 (a ). Isle r a ttem p ts to c re a te a d u st-u p w ith a lleg a tio n s o f th e S c h o o l D istric t’s f

a ilu re to p ro v id e th e stu d e n t w ith a d e q u a te a n d sa f e tra n sp o rta tio n . Y e t, at su m m a ryju d g m e n t a n o n -m o v in g p a rt ym a yn o t r e s t o n m e re a lle g a tio n s . Trap Rock I ndus tr i es , I

nc. v. Local 8 2 5 , In te r n . U

n io n o f O p e r a tin gE n g in e e rs , A F L -C IO , 982 F. 2d 884, 890 ( 3d C i r . 1992) , quot i ng Q u ir o g a v . H

a s b r o , In c ., 9 3 4 F .2 d 4 9 7 , 5 0 0 (3 rd C ir .), cer t . deni ed, 112 S. C t . 376 ( 1991) . H e has compl et el yfai l ed t o pr oduce a nyevi dence , bey ond hi s vague uns uppor t ed t es t i m ony , thatw oul d r ai s e eve n a r eas onabl e i nfer ence aboutthe exi s t ence of d is c ri m in a to ry b e h a v io r b yth e S c h o o l D is tr ic t to w a rd th e s tu d e n t. Fi nal l y , I s l erdi d notdemonstr at e anycaus al connec t i on betw een hi s al l eged

“ a d v o c a c y ” a n d th e S c h o o l D istric t’s d e c isio n , fiv e m o n th s la ter , to n o t re n e w h is c o n tra c t. T h e a m o u n t o f tim e b e tw e e n th e in c id e n t an d th e e m p lo ym e n t ac tio n , a c o m p lete abs ence of anyevi dence of ani m us t ow ar d I s l er , and the uncont es t ed l egi t i m acyof a nondi s cr i m i nat oryr eas on forthe empl oym entact i on l ead us t o concl ude thatI s l erdi d not ra is e a n yre a s o n a b le in f e re n c e th a t th e S c h o o l D is tr ic t r e ta lia te d a g a in s t h im . D ue t o I s l er ’ s ut t erl ack of s uppor t i ng evi dence t o cr eat e anyques t i on aboutthe cr edi bi l i tyof the School D i s tr i ct ’ s evi dence , w e w i l l aff i r m the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s deci s i on t o gr ants um m aryj udgm enti n favorof the School D i s tr i ct , di s m i s s i ng the A D A and R e h a b ilita tio n A c t r e ta lia tio n c la im s .5 III . F o r t h e a b o v e s ta te d re a s o n s , w e w ill a f f ir m th e d e c is io n o f

th e D is tr ic t C o u rt .