Opinion ID: 2994975
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Michael Rummery was employed at Illinois Bell from 1970 to 1992, working in his last position as a Level I manager supervising telephone line and equipment installers. Rummery’s direct supervisor, a Level 2 manager, was Cecil Purnell. The Level 3 manager in plaintiff’s chain-of- command was Fred Fouse. Mr. Fouse reported to Mike Tatom, General Manager of Customer Services. In fall 1992, Illinois Bell implemented a reduction-in-force, called the Workforce Resizing Program (WRP), in which it eventually terminated 491 employees, including Rummery. Illinois Bell’s WRP explicitly sought to eliminate between 450 and 500 managers in order to streamline its business and ultimately become more competitive in the marketplace. At the time of his termination, Rummery was 41 years old. Illinois Bell conducted the WRP in two phases. During Phase 1 of the WRP, Illinois Bell identified those managers who were at-risk, the bottom 25% of its managerial staff. On September 9, 1992, Fouse and the Level 2 managers below him, including Purnell, met to evaluate the Level 1 managers. Sixteen managers were identified as at-risk, including Rummery. Once a manager had been identified as at-risk he was given three choices: (1) accept a voluntary termination package, (2) apply for a transfer to a craft posi tion, or (3) risk possible termination. Rummery did not opt for one of the first two choices. In Phase 2 of the WRP, each department was instructed to rank its at-risk managers based on specific criteria, including 1992 performance, potential, quality and quantity of experience, specialized training or technical knowledge and formal education. Each department would be given the discretion to weigh these criteria as it saw fit. In late September, Tatom, his Level 3 managers (including Fouse) and a facilitator met to determine the weight given to each criterion and determined that each would be weighed as follows: 50% 1992 performance, 30% experience, skills and knowledge and 20% potential. In preparation for the ranking session, each Level 2 manager completed a Supervisory Update form for each of his Level 1 managers and Purnell completed Rummery’s form. On September 28, 1992, Fouse met with Purnell and his other Level 2 managers to rank the at-risk managers for Phase 2 of the WRP. A facilitator explained the relevant criteria to the Level 2 managers and how they should be weighed. Each manager discussed their Supervisory Updates and asked questions of each other. Each Level 2 manager then separately ranked the fourteen Level 1 managers. A facilitator gathered these individual ranking sheets and then compiled a final ranking of the at-risk managers based on an aggregation and division of the individual rankings. Rummery’s at-risk group included fourteen persons. The person ranked first was considered most vulnerable to termination. Rummery was ranked third. At the time of the ranking, those participating in the ranking process did not know how many persons would eventually be terminated. Illinois Bell subsequently directed that nine persons on the list be terminated or reassigned to craft positions. Four of the nine obtained craft positions, two others accepted voluntary termination packages which were offered to all managers selected for layoff, and three, including Rummery, were terminated. Rummery then filed an internal appeal of his discharge. In that appeal, Rummery complained that his 1990 performance evaluation had unfairly prejudiced him in the ranking process. The investigator reviewed this evaluation and interviewed Rummery’s former supervisor. After an investigation, the Appeals Committee voted to deny his appeal. Rummery then requested a craft position, but Illinois Bell denied that request./1 Rummery then sued Illinois Bell alleging that he was terminated in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), 29 U.S.C. sec. 621 et seq., and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. sec. 12101, et seq. Illinois Bell moved for summary judgment, which the district court granted. Rummery appeals that portion of the district court’s decision regarding his ADEA claim./2