Opinion ID: 2981542
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: “Same Actor” Inference

Text: As an alternative holding, the district court determined that Gaglioti’s R.C. § 4112 claim (and the ADA claim as well) is barred by the “same actor” inference. The “same actor” inference “allows one to infer a lack of discrimination from the fact that the same individual both hired and - 11 - No. 11-3744 Gaglioti v. Levin Group, Inc. fired the employee.” Buhrmaster v. Overnite Transp. Co., 61 F.3d 461, 463 (6th Cir. 1995). The en banc court clarified the scope of the inference, “reject[ing] the idea that a mandatory inference must be applied in favor of a summary-judgment movant whenever the claimant has been hired and fired by the same individual.” Wexler, 317 F.3d at 573. Instead, the court stated “[w]e therefore specifically hold that where, as in this case, the fact finder decides to draw the same-actor inference, it is insufficient to warrant summary judgment for the defendant if the employee has otherwise raised a genuine issue of material fact.” Id. at 573-74. The district court points to unpublished cases where the same actor inference has been applied where there is no direct evidence of discrimination. Mischer v. Erie Metro Housing Author., 168 F.App’x 709, 717 (6th Cir. 2006); Wofford v. Middletown Tube Works, Inc., 67 F.App’x 312, 318 (6th Cir. 2003). This conflates the questions of when to apply the same actor inference and what weight to give the inference. It is entirely possible that the same-actor inference is applicable to this case, and that a same-actor jury instruction will be appropriate. But, as Wexler makes clear, the same-actor inference cannot be an independent reason to grant summary judgment where there are other disputes of material fact. For the reasons discussed above, there are disputes of material fact regarding Levin’s proffered reasons for firing Gaglioti. As such, while the same-actor inference may be applicable to this case at trial, it is not applicable to this case on summary judgment.