Opinion ID: 604145
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Yelverton's Comments

Text: 18 Moore asserts that a number of comments made by his supervisor demonstrates that he had a bias against older workers in general, and Moore in particular. Phrased in the vernacular of our prior opinions, Moore is asserting that even if Lilly's stated reason is facially valid, it is a mere cover or pretext for illegal discrimination--i.e., that a discriminatory reason motivated [Lilly]. 25 Moore submits that his termination was a product of the discriminatory intent evidenced by Yelverton's remarks and was not a product of the drug record falsification reason given by Lilly. Not only do the statements that Moore attributes to Yelverton fail directly to refute Lilly's explanation of Moore's termination as pretextual, they fail to demonstrate discriminatory intent vel non. 19 Moore asserts that when Yelverton learned that he was going to become the supervisor of the division in which Moore worked, Yelverton asked the outgoing supervisor a series of questions concerning the ages of the current employees and whether any of the older employees planned to retire soon. 26 These questions, however, cannot be said to represent, as Moore asserts, a discriminatory intent by Yelverton. Without more, they merely demonstrate a new supervisor's reasonable inquiries about the ages of the members of his work force and their known plans for the future--facts on which to gauge the anticipated longevity of his crew. 27 20 The other set of statements that Moore proffers as proof of discriminatory intent concerning his termination are two more Yelverton remarks that simply do not have any negative implications about Moore or his age. The first was a comment made by Yelverton when he and Moore were on a sales call together. Yelverton stated that if he were in Moore's position he would be out seeing the world. Such musings about eventual retirement simply do not evidence discriminatory intent. Neither do tasteless but innocuous pottie humor comments, such as one made by Yelverton to Moore. 28 21 Moore adds that he was told by other Lilly supervisors not to recommend people over thirty-five years of age for new sales positions. The implication of that advice--that Lilly wanted to make training investments in employees of an age that would predict long range employment--is not indicative of age bias and certainly did not affect Moore, who long before had been hired as a salesman. Moore also stated in a deposition that he was the oldest man in the district office. But again, the fact that the oldest employee in the district was terminated simply does not demonstrate that the facially age-neutral reason Lilly offered for that termination was pretextual. 29