Opinion ID: 220659
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Dulin's Performance as Board Attorney

Text: To support his pretext argument, Dulin testified that no Board member had complained to him about his performance. The hospital's former administrator testified that no Board member had raised complaints regarding Dulin's performance, and the reporter testified that the Board members did not complain at the League meeting about Dulin's performance. One Board member testified that he had complained to Dulin at least once about his failure to review the Board's contracts and the Board's desire for Dulin to be proactive about providing the Board with advice. A question of fact exists as to whether or not the Board had expressed concerns about Dulin's performance to Dulin. However, a factual dispute about whether Board members voiced concerns to Dulin is not sufficient to create an issue of material fact regarding whether they were dissatisfied with his performance. Even if the jury were to resolve the disputed question in his favor, it would not be able to conclude that the Board's asserted nondiscriminatory reasons for firing Dulin were false. The relevant testimony and exhibits showed that the five Board members were all, for similar reasons, dissatisfied with Dulin's performance as Board Attorney. Dulin submitted no evidence showing that his legal advice was correct, that the Board was pleased with his advice, or that he was proactive or even attentive at Board meetings. [3] Cf. Reeves, 530 U.S. at 144, 120 S.Ct. 2097 (discussing petitioner's substantial showing that respondent's explanation was false based on evidence that he had properly maintained records and was not responsible for failure to discipline employees).