Opinion ID: 200072
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The February 28, 2000 Three-Day Suspension

Text: 45 On February 28, 2000, Bishop was suspended for three days. Bell Atlantic imposed this discipline after Bishop sliced partway through the fibers in a telephone wire, rendering them useless, and then left for the day without telling anyone that future work needed to be done. Bishop contended at trial that the wire was defective; he stated that he had trimmed out such defective wire in the past without punishment, but had never before clipped a wire. Bell Atlantic contended that Bishop's actions were professionally unprecedented and inappropriate, and that he had violated company policy by failing to report that the wire needed to be replaced. 46 Bishop's suspension was imposed after an investigation by his supervisors and by Bell Atlantic's corporate security department. 4 This investigation included a referral of the matter to corporate security, a view of the scene both the day after the incident and immediately before Bishop's suspension, and interviews of Bishop. The suspension was imposed following Bishop's admission that he made the cut and that he did so to ensure that the wire could not be reused and would have to be replaced. 47 As Bell Atlantic conceded below, the suspension undoubtedly constituted an adverse action against Bishop. We think that Bishop failed to adduce sufficient evidence of another element of his retaliation case, however: the required nexus between the protected conduct (in this case, filing his MHRC charges) and the suspension. See Higgins, 194 F.3d at 262. In light of Bell Atlantic's evidence concerning the nature of Bishop's conduct and the resulting investigation, Bishop simply did not provide sufficient basis for the jury to conclude that the suspension was imposed because of his agency filings. We note that Bishop's suspension did not follow closely on the heels of his MHRC charges: it was imposed thirty months after the first charge, twenty-four months after the second, and twelve months after the third. In the absence of other evidence of retaliatory animus, this substantial amount of time between the administrative filings and the alleged retaliation does not support the required nexus. See Clark County Sch. Dist. v. Breeden, 532 U.S. 268, 272-74, 121 S.Ct. 1508, 149 L.Ed.2d 509 (2001) (if temporal proximity is the only evidence of causality establishing prima facie retaliation, proximity must be very close; twenty months is insufficient); see also Oliver v. Digital Equip. Corp., 846 F.2d 103, 110-11 (1st Cir.1988). In sum, we think the district court erred in allowing the jury to consider this claim. 48 Because we reverse the judgment below, we need not address Bell Atlantic's other appeal (concerning attorneys' fees) or Bishop's cross-appeal (concerning prejudgment interest). 49 The judgment of the district court is REVERSED. Costs on appeal are awarded to defendant-appellant.