Opinion ID: 2791622
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Employer’s Proffered Reason

Text: Given that the summary-judgment evidence demonstrates a prima facie case of race-based discrimination, the Department had the burden to produce or point to evidence of a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for its decision to not promote Lieutenant McMullin. See Burrell, 482 F.3d at 411-12. In its summary-judgment brief in the district court and its brief on appeal, the Department perfunctorily states that it “has provided a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for its decision to promote [Master Sergeant] Pack.” Beyond this statement, the Department provides no discussion, explanation, or elaboration of its purported legitimate reason(s) for its promotion decision. This will not do. The Department’s burden was light. It needed only to produce or point to evidence of a non-race-based reason for its employment decision; yet, it wholly failed to do this. As such, we are left with Lieutenant McMullin’s prima facie case, which, as discussed above, is sufficient to withstand summary judgment and take this case to a factfinder. 13