Opinion ID: 2996808
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Steps 2 & 3: Protected Speech as a Substantial or

Text: Motivating Factor in the Discharge Having determined that Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s speech was protected, we now must consider whether his protected speech was the motivation for his termination. Our case law establishes a road map to guide this fact-specific inquiry. First, Mr. Gazarkiewicz bears the burden of showing that his speech was “a substantial or motivating factor in his termination.” Vukadinovich, 278 F.3d at 699. If he meets that burden, the defendants then must establish “by a preponderance of the evidence that [Mr. Gazarkiewicz] would have been terminated regardless of his protected speech.” Id. Finally, if the defendants carry that burden, Mr. Gazarkiewicz “bears the burden of persuasion to show that the defendants’ proffered reasons were pretextual and that discrimination was the real reason that the defendants fired him.” Id. The record in this case makes clear that Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s speech was “a substantial or motivating factor in his termination.” Id. The minutes from the November 28, 2001 council meeting in which Mr. Gazarkiewicz was fired, standing alone, make this abundantly clear: Harry Morrison then read a letter from John Gazarkiewicz dated 11/21/2001, regarding an apology. The incident involved was discussed and it was the concensus [sic] of all Town Council members that there were major violations of the handbook concerning insubordination and that some sort of action should be taken. Disciplinary options were discussed. Following discussion, the motion to terminate the employment of John Gazarkiewicz for insubordination was made by Frank Underwood, seconded by Evelyn Ballinger. During further discussion, Mr. Gazarkiewicz stated that the Town would be “hearing from his attorney” if he is terminated. The motion carried 4-1, with Kevin WilliamNo. 03-2775 23 son opposed. We give these meeting minutes substantial weight; they are contemporaneous, official notations regarding council action. See Brademas v. St. Joseph County Comm’rs, 621 N.E.2d 1133, 1137 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993) (“Boards and commissions speak or act officially only through the minutes and records made at duly organized meetings.”). Furthermore, they are more reliable than post hoc justifications given by the council members in deposition testimony once they are aware they are being sued. Cf. Highway J Citizens Group v. Mineta, 349 F.3d 938, 958 (7th Cir. 2003) (“The purpose of confining judicial review to the administrative record is to ensure that agencies adequately evaluate their proposed course of action before they act and do not simply attempt to justify rash, uniformed actions through post hoc rationalizations once they are aware they are being sued” (internal quotations and citations omitted)). The burden now shifts to the defendants “to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that [Mr. Gazarkiewicz] would have been terminated regardless of his protected speech.” Vukadinovich, 278 F.3d at 699. The defendants 6 argue, and the district court found, that Mr. Gazarkiewicz 6 The district court held: “Plaintiff’s motion failed to address” this portion of the First Amendment analysis; therefore, “[u]nder N.D.L.R. 56.1(b) this Court accordingly accepts the facts as provided by Defendants on these matters.” R.47 at 15 n.3. At the time of the district court’s disposition, the Northern District of Indiana’s Local Rule 56.1(b) stated: “[T]he court will assume that the facts as claimed and supported by admissible evidence by the moving party are admitted to exist without controversy, except to the extent that such facts are controverted in the ‘Statement of Genuine Issues’ filed.” Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s summary judgment (continued...) 24 No. 03-2775 was fired for insubordination and/or for his poor work performance. As to insubordination, we find ample record evidence to support the proposition that Mr. Gazarkiewicz was fired for “insubordination.” Indeed, the meeting minutes cite “insubordination” as the reason for his discharge. However, the minutes, as well as the deposition 7 testimony, make clear that Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s speech—the 6 (...continued) memorandum does not have a section specifically addressing the last two prongs of the retaliation analysis. However, Mr. Gazarkiewicz specifically stated in his “Statement of Material Facts,” which we construe to be the same as the “Statement of Genuine Issues” contemplated by N.D. Ind. Local R. 56.1(b), that his “employment was terminated for alleged insubordination because he did not follow th[e] directive.” Plaintiff’s Rule 56.1(b) Statement ¶ 3. It continues: “The charge of insubordination was based on his willful assistance to another Town resident in the preparation and dissemination of a Flier critical of the Superintendent and the Council.” Id. ¶ 4. He supported these contentions with multiple citations to the record. Moreover, the district court had before it the minutes from the November 28, 2001 meeting, as well as the other circumstantial evidence, which, taken together, conclusively establishes that Mr. Gazarkiewicz was fired, in substantial part, due to the flyer. Indeed, the district court noted earlier in its opinion that Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s “termination for insubordination was triggered by his involvement with the flyer regardless of whether Plaintiff composed the flyer or was merely Reese’s instrument in drafting the document.” R.47 at 9. 7 For example, the defendants rely on the testimony of council member Harry Morrison. A critical portion of his testimony reads: Q:—is that what you’re saying? What do you see as the (continued...) No. 03-2775 25 flyer—was a major part of that “insubordination.” The defendants attempt to cast his insubordination as less about the flyer and more about a “bad attitude” or a “grudge” against Mr. Harmon. However, much of the testimony they rely on again equates a “bad attitude” with Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s protected speech. See, e.g., Underwood Dep. at 21 (“[T]his happened roughly about one to two weeks right after that meeting. And I—I made up my mind that, you know, John Gazarkiewicz should be terminated . . . to me it was like defiance, like he didn’t want to cooperate.”). Other parts of the testimony on which the defendants rely equates a “bad attitude” with Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s unobjec- 7 (...continued) insubordination? A: He didn’t follow the chain of command. There was a complaint that he had which should have been aired out at the meeting. Q: And the complaint being the issues that are in the flyer? A: Right . . . . Morrison Dep. at 23-24. We note that the form or manner of Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s speech—posting a flyer at a local grocery store without going through the internal structure—is just as much a part of his protected “speech” as the content of that “speech.” That is why we conduct the inquiry into whether speech addresses a matter of public concern with a consideration of the “content, form, and context of [the speech], as revealed by the whole record.” Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138, 147-48 (1983)(emphasis added). That is also why, when balancing the parties’ respective interests, we take account of the “context” and “time, place and manner” of the speech. Greer v. Amesqua, 212 F.3d 358, 371 (7th Cir. 2000). Therefore, to the extent Mr. Gazarkiewicz was fired for not just the content but also the form and manner of his speech, he still was fired for his constitutionally protected speech. 26 No. 03-2775 tionable posture of standing on his rights at the council meeting in which he was fired and not being sufficiently apologetic for his protected speech. See Morrison Dep. at 24 (noting that he met with Mr. Gazarkiewicz personally and Mr. Gazarkiewicz stated that he didn’t have a problem with the Council but “acted like he still had issues with Mr. Harmon and all”). To the extent the defendants imply that prior instances of bad attitude led to his firing, their evidentiary support of such prior instances is not strong. Regardless, the record as a whole leads to the unmistakable conclusion that the “insubordination” for which Mr. Gazarkiewicz was fired relates primarily to the flyer “incident”; any concerns of a prior “bad attitude” were 8 secondary. See Ballinger Dep. at 25. As to poor job performance, we agree with the district court that the instances of poor job performance in the record “afford[ed] Defendants numerous reasons to terminate Plaintiff apart from his speech.” R.47 at 15 (citing Gazarkiewicz Dep. at 17; Harmon Dep. at 33, 35; Willis Dep. at 13). However, the question is not whether Mr. 8 To support this argument, the defendants advance the contention that “[i]n his deposition, Gazarkiewicz claims that the Town Council had not even read the flyer at the time they decided to terminate his employment. [citing Gazarkiewicz Dep. at 42]. The contents of the flyer were not even at issue.” Appellees’ Br. at 19. Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s testimony actually states that “at the meeting” the council members “[t]alked about the letter, [but] they never read it though, all they read was the apology one.” Gazarkiewicz Dep. at 42. Further, the meeting minutes and other deposition testimony conclusively reveal that the Council was aware of the flyer’s contents, and the manner of its posting, and were acting on the flyer at the meeting in which Mr. Gazarkiewicz was fired. See Harmon Dep. at 27 (“I sent a copy [of the flyer] to the council. The council all received a copy of it.”). No. 03-2775 27 Gazarkiewicz could have been discharged for his job performance, but it is whether he was in fact discharged for his job performance. The issue is one of causation, not of hypothetical justification. See Vukadinovich, 278 F.3d at 699. The overwhelming weight of the evidence supports the determination that Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s termination had very little to do with job performance and everything to do with his speech. The minutes, which, again, we accord great weight, are silent regarding his job performance. The deposition testimony also does not advance the defendants’ position; one council member said she cannot remember being informed of any of Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s prior poor work conduct. See Ballinger Dep. at 25. Finally, we cannot ignore that Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s discharge took place contemporaneously with his speech, not any instances of poor job performance. Because of this evidence, we must conclude that the defendants have not met their burden of proving “by a preponderance of the evidence that [Mr. Gazarkiewicz] would have been terminated regardless of his protected speech.” Vukadinovich, 278 F.3d at 699. Even if they had, the same evidence discussed above would compel us to conclude that Mr. Gazarkiewicz had met his burden of showing that the “defendants’ proffered reasons were pretextual.” Id. Mr. Gazarkiewicz collaborated with his fellow citizen in producing a flyer that constituted constitutionally protected speech. He was then fired for that speech. Because his First Amendment rights were violated, we must reverse the judgment of the district court on Mr. Gazarkiewicz’s First Amendment retaliation claim. 28 No. 03-2775