Opinion ID: 162021
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Plaintiff’s Retaliation Claim Under Title VII

Text: In order to establish a prima facie case of retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-3, plaintiff must prove that: (1) she was engaged in protected opposition to Title VII discrimination; (2) she was subjected to an adverse employment action by DDHS; and (3) a causal connection existed between the protected activity and the adverse employment action. See Sanchez v. Denver Pub. Sch. , 164 F.3d 527, 533 (10th Cir. 1998). Applying the second prong of this test, the district court found that plaintiff’s -4- lateral transfer to the Supplemental Foods Program did not constitute an adverse employment action because it was undisputed that the transfer was not accompanied by a change in pay or benefits and that plaintiff accepted the transfer voluntarily. The district court therefore found that plaintiff had failed to establish a prima facie case of retaliation in violation of Title VII, and it entered summary judgment in favor of DDHS. We agree with the district court’s analysis. As in Sanchez , plaintiff’s lateral transfer to another program within DDHS did not constitute an adverse employment action since it is undisputed that her salary, tenure, and benefits remained the same, and she has failed to establish that the transfer constituted more than a mere inconvenience or an alteration of her job responsibilities. Cf. id. at 532 (affirming summary judgment dismissing teacher’s Title VII discrimination claim where teacher’s lateral transfer to another school was not adverse employment action since teacher continued to receive same pay and benefits and teach at elementary school level). Although plaintiff claims that the transfer constituted an adverse employment action because she had no prior experience or training for her new position, plaintiff has failed to show that the transfer amounted to a significant change in her employment status. See id. Accordingly, plaintiff has failed to establish a prima facie case of retaliation in -5- violation of Title VII, and we affirm the entry of summary judgment in favor of DDHS . 2