Opinion ID: 70224
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: haynes' claim of direct evidence of discrimination in

Text: HER TITLE VII SEX DISCRIMINATION CASE
13 After Charles G. (Pete) Caye, Jr. (Caye, Jr.) became president of appellee, he decided to create a position with the sole function of overseeing collections. The case involves Haynes' promotion to this new position. Caye, Jr. sought the advice of long time employee Nelson. Nelson recommended Haynes for the position, but Caye, Jr. was hesitant to accept the recommendation, asking Nelson if he thought it would require a man to do the job. Nelson persisted in his recommendation and a meeting was held between Caye, Jr., Nelson and Haynes. At the meeting, Caye, Jr. asked Haynes whether a sweet little old lady could get tough enough with the customers and collect the money. Haynes assured Caye, Jr. that she could handle the job, and the job was offered to her on a trial basis. During Haynes' tenure in the new position, Caye, Jr. stated to her: You know, Pat, I felt that a woman was not competent enough to do this job, but I think maybe you're showing me that you can do it. Haynes sought clarification of his meaning, and Caye, Jr. stated that he meant that women were simply not tough enough. 14 Amongst his other findings, the magistrate judge held that Caye, Jr.'s comments did not constitute direct evidence of discrimination. The magistrate judge also found that plaintiff had failed to satisfy her ultimate burden of proving discriminatory intent and that plaintiff had not been constructively discharged. 5 In addition, the magistrate judge assumed arguendo that Caye, Jr.'s chauvinistic attitudes played some role in the decision, but then, in conclusory fashion, found that the decision to remove Haynes from the new position would have been made regardless of these chauvinistic attitudes. The magistrate judge's report and recommendation was adopted by the district court.
15 We conclude, contrary to the magistrate judge's conclusion, that some of Caye, Jr.'s comments could constitute direct evidence of discrimination. Because we are unable to ascertain whether or not and the extent to which this error affected the magistrate judge's other findings, we conclude that it is appropriate to vacate the judgment of the district court and to remand for further consideration in light of this opinion. 16 We conclude that at least two of Caye, Jr.'s comments could constitute direct evidence of discriminatory intent, his statement to Haynes that women were simply not tough enough to do the job and his earlier suggestion to Nelson that it would require a man to do the job. 6 The direct evidence in the instant case is indistinguishable from some of the evidence which the Supreme Court in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, 490 U.S. 228, 109 S.Ct. 1775, 104 L.Ed.2d 268 (1989), considered as direct evidence. One item of evidence relied upon by the Supreme Court in that case--one partner repeatedly commented that he could not consider any woman seriously as a partnership candidate and believed that women were not even capable of functioning as senior managers, id. at 236, 109 S.Ct. at 1783--cannot be distinguished from the evidence in this case. Indeed, a statement that members of a racial minority in general or women in general are simply not competent enough to do a particular job would seem to be a classic example of direct evidence. 7 With respect to the quoted evidence and other similar evidence, the Supreme Court held that once a plaintiff shows that gender played a motivating part in an employment decision, the defendant may avoid a finding of liability only by proving that it would have made the same decision even if it had not allowed gender to play such a role. Id. at 244-45, 109 S.Ct. at 1787-88. 8 17 In Caban-Wheeler v. Elsea, 904 F.2d 1549 (11th Cir.1990), a white plaintiff had occupied the position of director of a particular program in the Fulton County Health Department. She was terminated and brought a discrimination claim. This court held that a statement by one of the black decisionmakers that the ... program needed a black director, id. at 1555, constituted direct evidence of discrimination. 18 Following Price Waterhouse and Caban-Wheeler, we conclude that the above-identified comments by Caye, Jr. in the instant case could constitute direct evidence of discrimination. See also Thompkins v. Morris Brown College, 752 F.2d 558, 561, 563-64 (11th Cir.1985) (statement by decisionmaker that he saw no need for a woman to have a second job constituted direct evidence of discriminatory intent); Bell v. Birmingham Linen Service, 715 F.2d 1552, 1557 (11th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 467 U.S. 1204, 104 S.Ct. 2385, 81 L.Ed.2d 344 (1984); Wilson v. City of Aliceville, 779 F.2d 631 (11th Cir.1986) (citing Miles v. M.N.C. Corp., 750 F.2d 867, 873-76 (11th Cir.1985) for proposition that racial slurs made by employment decisionmakers can constitute direct evidence of discrimination). 19 In a discrimination case in which a plaintiff adduces direct evidence of discrimination, the trial judge must initially make a credibility finding as to whether or not plaintiff's proffered direct evidence of discrimination is to be believed. Caban-Wheeler, 904 F.2d at 1555 (quoting Thompkins, 752 F.2d at 564). The trial court must also make a finding of fact as to whether or not the decisionmaker relied upon sex-based considerations in coming to its decision. Price Waterhouse, 490 U.S. at 242, 109 S.Ct. at 1786. In other words, the fact finder must determine whether gender played a motivating part in an employment decision. Id. at 244, 109 S.Ct. at 1787. See also id. at 276, 109 S.Ct. at 1804 (O'Connor, J., concurring) (Once plaintiff has demonstrated by direct evidence that discriminatory animus played a significant or substantial role in the employment decision, the burden shifts to the employer to show that the decision would have been the same absent discrimination.). If the trial court both credits the direct evidence and finds that the evidence played a substantial role in the employment decision at issue, then the defendant can avoid liability only by proving that it would have made the same decision even if it had not allowed such discrimination to play a role. Id. at 243-46, 109 S.Ct. at 1787-88. 20 It is clear in this case that the court below did make a credibility finding that the above-identified direct evidence of discrimination was credible. However, it is also clear that the court below erroneously failed to treat the aforesaid comments of Caye, Jr. as direct evidence of discrimination. Because we cannot ascertain the extent to which this error affected the court's other crucial findings, we vacate the judgment of the district court with respect to Haynes' gender discrimination claim and remand for further consideration in light of this opinion. For example, the court on remand must take into consideration the direct evidence of discrimination along with all the other evidence, and then make findings of fact as to whether such direct evidence played a substantial role in Caye, Jr.'s decision to remove Haynes from the new position. 9 If the court finds in the affirmative, i.e., that gender discrimination played a substantial role, then appellee may avoid liability only by proving its affirmative defense; in other words, after plaintiff has proved intentional discrimination, appellee may avoid a finding of liability only by proving that it would have made the same decision even if it had not allowed gender to play such a role. Price Waterhouse, 490 U.S. at 244-45, 109 S.Ct. at 1787-88. The court should make full findings of fact in that regard.