Opinion ID: 201844
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sacred cows

Text: 52 Relying on the deposition testimony of PSR Rafael Oliver, Ramírez asserts that during a private meeting on January 12, 2000, Díaz told Oliver and another PSR, Rommel Barnacet, that he (Mr. Díaz) had orders to `cut off' the heads of older sales representatives that Mr. Díaz, Mr. Rommel Barnacet, and Mr. Oliver called `the sacred cows,' but that they should keep this information secret. This description does not accurately reflect Oliver's testimony, which was that Díaz said that he had instructions to cut off the heads of some sacred cows, not of older sales representatives. It was Oliver who interpreted the comment as a reference to age. 15 Oliver also testified that he was considered a sacred cow because he was disabled, but that Barnacet, who was five years younger than Oliver, was not a sacred cow. Nevertheless, given the summary judgment posture of this case, we conclude that the district court erred in disregarding the sacred cows comment altogether. Oliver testified that he understood sacred cows as a reference to the oldest PSRs in terms of both seniority and age. Drawing all reasonable inferences in favor of Ramírez, we think that a jury relying on Oliver's testimony could interpret Díaz's comment as a reference to age. 53 In a related vein, Ramírez also emphasizes the deposition testimony of Ruiz that during a meeting on February 28, 2000, Díaz stated that he had instructions from management that they had to `cut off the heads' of the oldest representatives. 16 This testimony, like Oliver's testimony, is somewhat ambiguous. It appears that Ruiz described only the instruction to cut off the heads as a quote from Díaz. We cannot tell from the testimony whether Díaz referred specifically to the oldest representatives, or if Díaz made a different reference that Ruiz interpreted as a reference to age, as was the case with Oliver. Again, however, given the posture of this case, we recognize that a jury could interpret the comment as a reference to age.