Opinion ID: 2977184
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Graham’s Mixed-Motive Claim

Text: Graham also raises a mixed-motive race-discrimination claim under 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(m). The McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework does not apply to mixed-motive claims. White v. Baxter Healthcare Corp., 533 F.3d 381, 401-02 (6th Cir. 2008); Wright, 455 F.3d at 711-13. A mixed-motive discrimination claim survives summary judgment if “there are any genuine issues of material fact concerning [Best Buy’s] motivation for its adverse employment decision.” White, 533 F.3d at 402. This burden “is not onerous and should preclude sending the case to the jury only where the record is devoid of evidence that could reasonably be construed to support [Graham’s] claim.” Id. at 400. While it is a close question, Graham’s mixed-motive claims do not survive this low burden. The fact that he has established a prima facie case under the McDonnell Douglas framework can be considered in favor of his mixed-motive claims. Id. at 401. However, most of Graham’s allegations regarding discrimination go to show that he did not violate the employee-discount policy rather than 8 that race was a motive in his termination. He argues that a similarly situated white employee was punished less harshly than he was. To compare his treatment with that of this white employee, Graham must show that there are no relevant differences between their conduct. Wright, 455 F.3d at 709-10. The other employee’s separation notice makes it clear that Graham’s conduct was not similar. Best Buy alleges that Graham attempted to purchase a new computer at a discount greater than that offered to employees. However, the separation notice for the other employee indicates that Best Buy warned and later fired this other employee because he was accruing Best Buy Reward Zone benefits on purchases he made, a violation of company policy. Best Buy could choose to have a policy that an employee who planned to purchase merchandise at an improperly low price should be punished more harshly than one who attempted to earn additional perks on a purchase he made with his legitimate employee discount. The burden to establish a mixed-motive discrimination claim is not onerous, but ultimately Graham has not “produced evidence from which a jury can logically infer” that Best Buy’s termination was motivated in part by race. White, 533 F.3d at 404. Summary judgment on this claim is proper.