Opinion ID: 170360
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The May 23 Letter and Second Motion for Reconsideration

Text: The May 23 letter was not included in the summary judgment record. Ms. Fye first brought it to the District Court's, attention in her second motion for reconsideration, [2] which was filed nearly two years after the District Court made its initial summary judgment ruling. The District Court denied Ms. Fye's motion, a ruling we review for an abuse of discretion. See Price v. Philpot, 420 F.3d 1158, 1167 & n. 9 (10th Cir.2005). We will not disturb the District Court's decision unless we have a definite and firm conviction that the lower court made a clear error of judgment or exceeded the bounds of permissible choice in the circumstances. Brown v. Presbyterian Healthcare Servs., 101 F.3d 1324, 1331 (10th Cir.1996) (quotation omitted). [3] Ms. Fye concedes that the May 23 letter was in her possession from the commencement of the lawsuit and is not newly discovered evidence. Nevertheless, she neglected to include it in the summary judgment record. On November 11, 2004, the District Court granted the OCC's motion for summary judgment on the retaliation claim. On May 24, 2006, Ms. Fye filed her first motion for reconsideration, in which she argued that the March 6 termination letter was either direct or circumstantial evidence of retaliatory intent sufficient to withstand summary judgment. The District Court reviewed the evidence of retaliation and denied the motion. On August 30, 2006, Ms. Fye filed a second motion for reconsideration, arguing that the May 23 letter, when viewed together with the March 6 letter, raised a genuine issue of material fact as to retaliatory intent. This time, the District Court declined the invitation to review its prior ruling, stating that, under the circumstances, considerations of fairness and judicial economy clearly outweigh Plaintiffs interest in getting a second (or third) bite at the summary judgment apple. We cannot say that the District Court abused its discretion in denying Ms. Fye's second motion for reconsideration. The District Court could properly consider the fact that the motion was filed nearly two years after the court granted summary judgment, that Ms. Fye conceded she knew of the letter the entire time, and that the court had already reopened the inquiry several months earlier on Ms. Fye's first motion for reconsideration. Given these facts, the court's decision was not a clear error of judgment, nor did it exceed[] the bounds of permissible choice in the circumstances. Id. at 1331 (quotation omitted). Furthermore, because the District Court did not consider the May 23 letter, we also decline to consider the letter on appeal. We therefore proceed to review Ms. Fye's retaliation claim on the basis of the March 6 termination letter, as well as Mr. Daxon's deposition testimony.