Opinion ID: 2995038
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Hospital moved for summary

Text: judgment, arguing that Clay could not establish a prima facie case of pregnancy discrimination because Seliga, the Hospital’s decision-maker, was unaware of Clay’s pregnancy when he selected her for termination. The Hospital also argued that Clay could not show that the Hospital’s legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for her termination (Seliga’s belief that Clay failed to demonstrate the potential to grow her practice to profitability) was a pretext for discrimination. In her response to the Hospital’s motion, Clay argued that she established a prima facie case because Seliga knew about her pregnancy before he selected her for termination. Clay became pregnant in late October 1997, and was pregnant for a full nine months until she delivered her baby on July 16, 1998. According to Clay, she started to become visibly pregnant in February 1998. She testified that it is her belief that Seliga knew of her pregnancy because she and Seliga had attended a few Hospital conferences and meetings in February, March, and April of 1998. But Clay also testified that she did not disclose her pregnancy to the Hospital’s administration until May 6, 1998, when she faxed her request for maternity leave to the Practice Management Office. Clay also responded to the Hospital’s motion for summary judgment by presenting evidence that the Hospital ranked her number 32 out of 70 physicians in the Network according to the financial performance of her practice. Thus, Clay presented evidence that she treated more patients and generated more revenue during her first year of practice than other physicians who were not terminated by the Hospital. The district court granted summary judgment for the Hospital, concluding that Clay failed to create a genuine issue of material fact that the Hospital’s proffered reason for her termination was a pretext for discrimination. The court determined that Clay failed to squarely rebut the reason offered by the Hospital for her termination: the Hospital administration’s belief that Clay lacked the willingness to do what was necessary to make her practice profitable, like participate in the Hospital’s marketing efforts, increase her patient accessibility, and see patients at other locations. Clay appeals.