Opinion ID: 375358
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: review of the jury award of equitable relief

Text: 16 Whiting's complaint requested both compensatory and punitive damages in addition to his request for equitable relief. 3 Damages were cognizable at law so the trial court properly placed the case on its jury docket. 4 However, we are informed by Whiting in his cross-appeal that the lower court did not instruct the jury that it could award compensatory and punitive damages. Rather, only the request for equitable relief was submitted to the jury and it was submitted without objection by either side. 5 17 This submission triggered Fed.R.Civ.P. 39(c). By failing to object, the parties agreed that the jury's verdict on the claims for equitable relief was to have the same effect as if a right to a jury trial existed. Stockton v. Altman, 432 F.2d 946, 949-50 (5th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 401 U.S. 994, 91 S.Ct. 1232, 28 L.Ed.2d 532 (1971); Kelly v. Shamrock Oil & Gas Corp., 171 F.2d 909, 911 (5th Cir. 1948), cert. denied, 337 U.S. 917, 69 S.Ct. 1159, 93 L.Ed. 1727 (1949). From this fact two propositions follow. First, the trial judge was not required to make findings of fact per Fed.R.Civ.P. 52(a) to support the judgment as is the case when a jury is utilized in an advisory capacity. Security Mutual Casualty Co. v. Affiliated FM Insurance Co., 471 F.2d 238, 245 (8th Cir. 1972); Kelley, 171 F.2d at 911. Second, the only issue for us on review of denial of motions for a directed verdict and a judgment n. o. v. is the sufficiency of the evidence under the litmus of Boeing Co. v. Shipman, 411 F.2d 365, 374-75 (5th Cir. 1969). Fed.R.Civ.P. 39(c); Security Mutual Cas. Co., 471 F.2d at 245. 18 Since its formulation, we have not wavered from the test for reviewing the propriety of denials of motions for directed verdicts and judgments n. o. v. announced in Shipman. E. g., Bauman v. Centex Corp., 611 F.2d 1115, 1119 n.3 (5th Cir. 1980). We look to all the evidence, in the light most favorable to the nonmovant and with all inferences drawn in favor of that party. Provided that evidence of such quality and weight is educed that reasonable and fair-minded men in the exercise of impartial judgment could reach differing conclusions, the motions must be denied. Shipman, 411 F.2d at 374. The fact finding power which belongs to the jury includes the drawing and rejecting of inferences from the facts. E. g., Johnson v. William C. Ellis & Sons Iron Works, 604 F.2d 950, 958 (5th Cir. 1979).
19 Whiting succeeded in producing sufficient evidence at trial to establish a prima facie case under all three bases for relief. With an eye towards the Green paradigm, Whiting established each element. First, he was in a racial minority at JSU and race is an impermissible employment consideration. Second, no one has contended that Whiting was not fully qualified for his position. In fact, Dr. Brooks, a black person and former Dean of Counseling Services at JSU, testified that he wrote a letter of recommendation for Whiting, in his quest to become a licensed psychologist, based upon Whiting's performance at JSU. Third, termination is obvious. 6 20 With respect to the final Green factor, there is evidence that JSU not only retained black individuals with comparable or lesser qualifications but actually promoted them to positions superior to that held by Whiting. Dr. Allen, a black person, was promoted from Coordinator of Counseling Services to Associate Dean for Counseling Services. From that position she was promoted to Dean of Counseling Services, a position superior to Whiting's. Both promotions came within five months after she received her Ed.D. according to Allen's own testimony. However, the evidence is uncontroverted that Allen did not hold an Ed.D. when Whiting joined the JSU staff; she had yet to complete her dissertation. Whiting also testified that before coming to JSU, he had been promised that he would become Director of the Department of Psychometry when the then present director retired. Instead, the position was given to Dr. Crockett, a black individual, shortly after Crockett received his Ph.D. Like Allen, Crockett did not hold a doctoral degree when Whiting joined JSU; he had not yet written his dissertation. 21 Peoples, Crockett and Allen all testified that the latter two were more qualified for their promotions than Whiting. Their view was that extra experience working at JSU more than compensated for the superior degree. But Whiting offered offered disputed testimony that both Crockett and Allen spent significant amounts of time working on their dissertations rather than performing assigned tasks during his tenure at JSU. Moreover, Whiting's qualifications displayed a background in counseling with both academic and practical experience. Whiting further testified that he had ample experience testing both children and university students. In addition, Whiting, Dr. Dunn, and Dr. Crider all testified that one with a Ph.D. is to be considered more generally qualified than one who possesses a masters degree. 22 Based on the totality of the evidence, we conclude that Whiting established a prima facie case under section 706 of Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981 (1976). Moreover, this evidence, in combination with that recited below, would permit the inference that race was an unconstitutionally motivating factor in the discharge. Consequently, section 1983 relief for an equal protection violation is appropriate unless JSU established that Whiting would have been fired even absent racial motives.
23 JSU has offered several justifications for the discharge. Dr. People's letter of suspension charged Whiting with: (1) consistently refusing to carry out assigned duties; (2) being extremely uncooperative in his relationship with colleagues; (3) using his university office to transact a private aviation business; and (4) illegally charging JSU with over $300 in private telephone calls related to his purported business. 24 Testimony was presented at trial in support of all of these allegations. For instance, in regard to the first two complaints, Dr. Peoples testified that Whiting came to work late and left early on several occasions and spent too much time on his personal aviation business when he should have been working with students. Peoples also testified that he received reports that Whiting was testy with secretaries who refused to make or take calls relating to his aviation business. He stated that Whiting also refused to desist from trading aircraft when requested to do so by his superiors. Whiting challenged this testimony and claimed that he carried out all assigned tasks and initiated others on his own. He denied having an uncooperative attitude. 25 In reference to the latter two charges, both Peoples and Crockett stated that Whiting spent excessive periods of time on the telephone transacting business for a private aviation enterprise during business hours. This allegedly tied up the telephone lines for long periods. Moreover, many of the calls were long distance. Peoples and Allen stated that the bill for Whiting's long distance personal calls amounted to over $300. The debt was initially billed to JSU. 26 Whiting admitted trading aircraft while at JSU but stated that it could not be considered a business. He said he traded only eight to ten aircraft in the period 1974 through 1976. However, he remained at JSU only sixteen and one-half months during that interval and his 1975 tax return declared no income from the trading of aircraft. Whiting claimed that he traded only a few aircraft while at JSU, and he stated that other pilots at JSU may have been responsible for some of the calls to Mena, Arkansas, a city known for its active aircraft trading market. 27 Whiting similarly admitted making long distance personal phone calls. However, he stated that several of the calls were related to his attempt to establish an aeronautical science program at JSU. Peoples conceded that Whiting had approached him with the proposal and that it had interested him, but he claimed Whiting had no authority to make the calls without Peoples' express permission. 28 Moreover, both Whiting and Peoples testified that the JSU handbook does not forbid personal phone calls; it only requires that the person using the telephone must pay for the call. Whiting testified that he paid for all the calls that were identified as belonging to him. He also said he offered to pay for the unclaimed calls on the JSU bill. Both Peoples and Allen agreed that Whiting had offered to pay for some calls. However, they felt his share was more than the sum he offered. Allen admitted that some of the calls that remained unaccounted for could have been made or received by others. Moreover, at one point, Peoples stated that the telephone bill was a subsidiary factor in his discharge decision; he claimed the primary factor was that Whiting was not doing his job. 29 Although not mentioned in the suspension letter, JSU also points out that Whiting left the campus during the Christmas break in December of 1975 and failed to return on the appointed date. Peoples claimed that at no time prior to the middle of the second week in January did Whiting contact anyone at JSU regarding any injury that he had sustained or concerning the reason he failed to return, despite the fact that Whiting was due back at an earlier date. 30 Whiting, on the other hand, testified that he injured his back while performing menial tasks immediately prior to the holidays. He admitted that he did not notify his immediate superior, Crockett, of the injury at that time as required by the JSU handbook; he claimed that Crockett had already left the institution. According to Whiting, however, he did notify Crockett's friend, Jefferson, that his back was giving him trouble. Whiting further stated that he later informed Crockett of the injury by telephone. 31 Whiting's account of the events surrounding his failure to return to JSU also differed from Peoples' version. He claimed that he visited his family physician, Dr. Meck, while he was in Florida over the holidays. Meck admonished him to rest his back. When Whiting returned to Jackson, Mississippi, he saw two other physicians, Dr. Spell and Dr. Truett, and they echoed the prescribed rest period. Whiting admitted that he did not notify anyone at JSU that he needed to rest his back until after he was examined by Dr. Spell. This occurred on January 13, 1976. But the jury could have synthesized all the testimony and concluded that JSU was aware of Whiting's injury and the reason he failed to return. 32 We do not suggest that the reasons for discharge expressed in People's letter or Whiting's failure to notify JSU of his injury or his intent not to return on the first business day that followed the holidays is not cause for dismissal. We only hold that based on the foregoing testimony, the jury could have inferred that the proffered reasons were mere pretext for a discriminatory discharge.
33 This was not the only evidence before the jury which might lead reasonable men to conclude that Whiting's race was the real motive behind the discharge. 34 Neither side disputes the fact that Whiting wrote a proposal for a lab using bio-feedback methodology in an attempt to attract another $1,000,000 in federal funds to JSU. While Peoples and Whiting disagreed about how instrumental Whiting's proposal was in obtaining the grant, the jury could have believed Whiting's assertion that his proposal directly resulted in the grant. Whiting testified that it is customary in academic circles to award the directorship of a program, which is precipitated by a proposal, to the person who authors the proposal. Nevertheless, the directorship of the lab went to a black person, Mrs. Clayton. 35 When Allen became Dean of Counseling Services, she had all of the Advanced Institutional Development Program (AIDP) material removed from Whiting's office, according to Whiting. This, he claimed, left him in limbo because he had been hired to direct the student component of AIDP. Allen related a different version; she testified that she did not remove the material but only sought data from Whiting to make monthly reports and site visitor reports. 36 There was also some evidence, albeit disputed, that Whiting was given an inferior office and substandard furniture when the Psychometry Department moved from the Administrative Tower into Green Hall. He testified that his black counterparts enjoyed much better facilities. He also testified that, unlike black members of the department, he was relegated to performing menial, manual labor after the move. It was during the course of performing these tasks that Whiting claims he was injured. Subsequent to his termination, Whiting averred that his attempts to secure a hearing proved fruitless when JSU personnel failed to return his calls. 37 We do not suggest that Whiting's case is compelling. But our reading of the record has convinced us that he met his burden of initially establishing a constitutional and statutory violation. Thereafter, reasonable minds could differ regarding (1) whether JSU rebutted the initial showing; (2) whether JSU established that Whiting would have been discharged even absent racial consciousness, or (3) whether Whiting substantiated his theory that the proffered justifications were pretext. Once we have made this determination, our review of the denial of the motions for a directed verdict and a judgment n. o. v. is at an end.