Opinion ID: 494609
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of evidence of age discrimination

Text: 13 Witco's first argument on appeal is that plaintiffs failed to prove age discrimination. 2 Because a jury determined the issue, our scope of review is limited to examining whether there is sufficient evidence to support the verdict, drawing all reasonable inferences in favor of the verdict winner. Massarsky v. General Motors Corp., 706 F.2d 111, 117 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 937, 104 S.Ct. 348, 78 L.Ed.2d 314 (1983). 14 In order to prevail on their age discrimination claim, plaintiffs had to prove that age was a determinative factor in the defendant's decision to terminate their employment. Duffy v. Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corp., 738 F.2d 1393, 1395 (3d Cir.1984). We have set forth the manner in which the burden of proof devolves in other cases, see Berndt v. Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Sales, Inc., 789 F.2d 253, 256 (3d Cir.1986); Chipollini v. Spencer Gifts, Inc., 814 F.2d 893 (3d Cir.) (in banc), cert. dismissed, --- U.S. ----, 108 S.Ct. 26, 97 L.Ed.2d 815 (1987), and it need not be repeated here. It is noteworthy however that under Maxfield v. Sinclair Int'l., 766 F.2d 788 (3d Cir.1985), it is now sufficient to prove more favorable treatment to a sufficiently younger person, rather than to a person outside the protected class. Id. at 793. 15 We find, after a careful review of the record, that there was sufficient evidence from which the jury could reasonably have concluded that age was a determinative factor in Witco's decision to terminate the plaintiffs. As noted by the district court, plaintiffs' expert produced convincing statistical evidence that the chance that the plaintiffs were terminated for non-age-related reasons was almost nonexistent. Statistical evidence is an appropriate method for establishing disparate impact as indirect evidence of age discrimination. Leftwich v. Harris-Stowe State College, 702 F.2d 686, 690 (8th Cir.1983); cf. Massarsky, 706 F.2d at 121 (absent statistical proof, pure conjecture to assume employer's policy had disparate impact on protected class). Plaintiffs also offered evidence that Witco hired a twenty-five year old chemist to fill a vacancy for which they were qualified, and of an age-related comment made by Blum's supervisor. All this evidence is sufficient to support the jury's determination that impermissible age discrimination was a factor in Witco's decision. 16 Plaintiffs also introduced evidence to discredit Witco's proffered nondiscriminatory reason for the terminations. Witco asserted that the chemists retained by Witco were chosen on the basis of time served on the Argus project. On cross-examination of Witco's witnesses, however, plaintiffs demonstrated that the charts purporting to establish the relationship between hours spent on the project and the decision to retain certain chemists were fraught with inconsistencies. Thus, plaintiffs not only introduced sufficient evidence to support the conclusion that age was a determinative factor in Witco's decision, they also successfully discredited Witco's legitimate reason for the terminations, showing it to be a mere pretext. See Chipollini v. Spencer Gifts, Inc., 814 F.2d 893, 895 (3d Cir.) (in banc), cert. dismissed, --- U.S. ----, 108 S.Ct. 26, 97 L.Ed.2d 815, (1987). We will therefore uphold the jury's verdict on the issue of liability under the ADEA. 3