Opinion ID: 63262
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Did the District Court Err by Considering Partridge's Summary Judgment Evidence?

Text: McIntosh objects that the district court erred by considering five pieces of summary judgment evidence: Dr. Anderton's report on his investigation of the allegations of professional misconduct against McIntosh, an internal e-mail reporting the poor condition of RSS residents' teeth, Partridge's letter to the state dental board reporting McIntosh's alleged professional misconduct, the state dental board's response to Partridge's letter, and Dr. Scalzitti's audit of the professional aspects of RSS's dental clinic. McIntosh argues that the e-mail, the letters to and from the state dental board, and Dr. Scalzitti's audit are not competent summary judgment evidence and were not properly authenticated. He also asserts that Dr. Anderton's report does not comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2)(B). At the summary judgment phase, affidavits must set out facts that would be admissible in evidence at trial. FED R. CIV. P. 56(e)(1). McIntosh asserts that four of five pieces of evidence contained inadmissible hearsay. This objection is without merit. The internal e-mail and Dr. Scalzitti's audit go to show why Partridge believed that McIntosh was inadequately performing his duties at RSS, which is relevant to the USERRA claim because it is evidence of Partridge's motivation for suspending McIntosh. Since each of the documents is admissible for a relevant purpose other than the truth of the statements contained within them, they are not inadmissible hearsay. FED. R. EVID. 801(c), 802. Partridge's statement contained in his letter to the dental board forms the basis for McIntosh's defamation claim; the reply from the state dental board confirms that it received the allegedly defamatory statements; and there is no indication that admission of either was harmful to McIntosh. McIntosh's objection that Dr. Anderton's report was not submitted in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2)(B), which governs expert reports, is similarly misplaced. Dr. Anderton's report investigated complaints about McIntosh's performance as head dentist of RSS, and it concluded that he had not been properly performing his duties. Barrera partially based his decision to terminate McIntosh on the evaluation contained in this report. Therefore, it is admissible as evidence that Barrera terminated McIntosh due to his poor performance, not his military service. For this purpose, it is not necessary for the report to meet the requirements of Rule 26(a)(2)(B). [6] Consequently, the district court did not abuse its discretion by considering these pieces of evidence. Furthermore, even if the consideration of the evidence was an error, McIntosh has not demonstrated how that error would have harmed him, so any error would not provide grounds for reversal. Richardson v. Oldham, 12 F.3d 1373, 1379 (5th Cir.1994).