Opinion ID: 2995460
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Direct Discrimination

Text: As she did in the district court, Markel contends that several statements attributed to Offerman and LaForge are evidence of direct discrimination. Offerman, LaForge, and the University deny that the statements were ever made. At oral argument the University contended that these statements are more appropriately considered performance related, and even if they are believed, show an aversion toward age not gender. Either way, the statements are not worth repeating because they fail to show direct discrimination. In order to arrive at the conclusion Markel would have us reach, we would need to infer discriminatory animus into the statements, which we cannot do. See Randle, 876 F.2d at 569-70 (holding that direct evidence, if believed by the trier of fact, will prove the particular fact in question without reliance upon inference or presumption) (emphasis added). Moreover, the statements were claimed to have been made between November 1998 and March 1999, and Markel was removed from her position nearly two months later in May 1999. Therefore, these statements were not made contemporaneously to the adverse employment action as required by our case law. See id.; Conley v. Vill. of Bedford Park, 215 F.3d 703, 711 (7th Cir. 2000) (’To rise to the level of direct evidence of discrimination, this Court has stated that isolated comments must be contemporaneous with the [adverse action] or causally related to the [applicable] decision-making process.’) (citations omitted); Robin v. Espo Eng’g Corp., 200 F.3d 1081, 1089 (7th Cir. 2000). The district court properly found Markel failed to demonstrate any potential claim of direct discrimination.