Opinion ID: 72628
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Retention of Booth and the Miami Territory

Text: Carter presented evidence at trial to demonstrate that the RIF was age neutral, belying any intent to discriminate. Among other things, Carter's expert showed that the average age of the sales force actually increased slightly after the RIF. Carter argues that its elimination of Tidwell's territory was not a pretext for age discrimination, as is clear because the territory was eliminated and has not been replaced. Tidwell improperly questions Carter's methodology and process in the RIF. Tidwell also focuses on the difference in age between himself and Booth and questions the wisdom of the choice to retain Booth. However, while Booth absorbed some of Tidwell's accounts, he was not 2 Furshman was also eliminated as part of Carter's RIF. hired to replace Tidwell. Tidwell also points out that he was never offered a transfer to Miami. This contention is superfluous, since no other workers were offered transfers and Tidwell himself never suggested the idea. See Zaben v. Air Products & Chem., Inc., 129 F.3d 1453, 1459 (11th Cir.1997) (employee's contention that he should have been allowed to transfer did not present sufficient evidence of pretext to create a jury question when no other workers were permitted to transfer either). All of these contentions by Tidwell are disagreements about the wisdom of Carter's decision to retain Booth and the Miami territory, rather than disbelief in the RIF and its application to Tidwell. [A] plaintiff may not establish that an employer's proffered reason is pretextual merely by questioning the wisdom of the employer's reason, at least not where, as here, the reason is one that might motivate a reasonable employer. Combs, 106 F.3d at 1543.