Opinion ID: 710272
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Step 1: Plaintiff's Burden to Establish the Prima Facie Case

Text: 15 To make a prima facie showing of wrongful discharge under the ADEA, a plaintiff must demonstrate: (1) that he was within the protected age group, (2) that he was qualified for the position, (3) that he was discharged, and (4) that the discharge occurred under circumstances giving rise to an inference of age discrimination. Cronin v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 46 F.3d 196, 204 (2d Cir.1995) (internal quotation marks omitted). [T]he showing the plaintiff must make as to the elements of the prima facie case in order to defeat a motion for summary judgment is de minimis. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). 16 In the present case, Sutera opposed Schering's motion for summary judgment by submitting to the district court sworn statements sufficient to make the requisite prima facie showing. The ADEA protects persons forty to seventy years of age. 29 U.S.C. Sec. 631(a). At the time Sutera was fired, he was sixty-six years old. Sutera was qualified for his position. He had thirty-one years of experience as a sales representative with Schering and had received numerous awards for excellent performance, including the Distinguished District Representative of the Year Award just eighteen months prior to his discharge. Sutera claims, moreover, that (1) Jesus Leal, his supervisor in 1990 and 1991, made harassing and demeaning references to his age; (2) despite Sutera's receipt of the Distinguished District Representative of the Year Award, Leal informed him that his sales performance was unacceptable and established a remedial Performance Enhancement Program for him; (3) Sutera had declined three offers of early retirement; and (4) Sutera's position was filled with a younger employee at a substantially lower salary. Sutera's sworn statements were sufficient to permit a rational trier of fact to infer that age was a factor in his discharge. Sutera has thus made the de minimis showing required to establish a prima facie case of age discrimination. 17