Opinion ID: 1289106
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Bryson's Retaliation Claim

Text: The district court granted summary judgment to Regis on Bryson's disability-retaliation claim because it concluded that where Bryson was not disabled, she could not show that Regis retaliated against her on the basis of her disability. The district court erred. A plaintiff may prevail on a disability-retaliation claim even if the underlying claim of disability fails. Soileau v. Guilford of Me., 105 F.3d 12, 16 (1st Cir. 1997); accord Cassimy v. Bd. of Educ., 461 F.3d 932, 938 (7th Cir.2006); Williams v. Philadelphia Hous. Auth. Police Dep't, 380 F.3d 751, 759 (3d Cir.2004) (Unlike a claim for discrimination under the ADA, an ADA retaliation claim based upon an employee having requested an accommodation does not require that a plaintiff show that he or she is `disabled' within the meaning of the ADA.); Heisler v. Metro. Council, 339 F.3d 622, 630 (8th Cir.2003). Bryson's disability-retaliation claim is evaluated under the same tripartite McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework as her FMLA-retaliation claim. First, Bryson must establish a prima facie case. Keeping in mind that the prima facie showing a plaintiff must make will vary depending upon the unique facts of each case, Macy, 484 F.3d at 365, we apply the formulation we have previously used, requiring an ADA-retaliation plaintiff to show that (1) she engaged in a protected activity; (2) she suffered an adverse employment action; and (3) there is a causal link between the protected activity and the adverse employment action. Penny, 128 F.3d at 417. Bryson argues that she engaged in statutorily protected conduct by requesting an accommodation, namely, to perform seated work, including cutting hair from a seated position. Regis does not dispute that Bryson satisfies the first two elements of the prima facie showing, and contends only that Bryson has failed to show a causal connection. We disagree. Bryson was terminated just two days after leaving a voice message with Sawyer asking if she could perform seated work, and one day after conveying the same request to Wilson. Moreover, Bryson testified that Wilson responded by saying that she did not think either corporate or Sawyer would permit Bryson to do seated work. Bryson has therefore presented sufficient evidence to raise the inference that she was unlawfully retaliated against on the basis of her request for an accommodation. Macy, 484 F.3d at 365 (The key question [at the prima facie stage] is always whether, under the particular facts and context of the case at hand, the plaintiff has presented sufficient evidence that he or she suffered an adverse employment action under circumstances which give rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination.). As we have already discussed, Regis has presented evidence from which a factfinder could conclude that it terminated Bryson for a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason, i.e., that Bryson was unable to return to work at the expiration of her leave period. Nonetheless, we reverse the district court's grant of summary judgment for Regis on Bryson's disability-retaliation claim because, just as we concluded with respect to Bryson's FMLA-retaliation claim, the record reveals questions of fact regarding whether Regis's explanation for its termination decision is pretextual. Where Bryson requested to perform seated work, where Wilson expressed skepticism that such a proposal would be favorably received, and where Bryson was terminated without ever having received a definitive response to her request from anyonenot Sawyer, not Wilson, and not anyone at Regiswe cannot conclude that Regis is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law. Rather, further factual development in the district court is necessary to ascertain what role, if any, Sawyer and Wilson played in Bryson's termination, and whether possible opposition to Bryson's request for an accommodation was a motivating factor in her termination.