Opinion ID: 777989
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: ACRA Claim

Text: 27 NAP contends that the district court erred in denying its motion for judgment as a matter of law on Duty's ACRA claim because: (1) the EEOC administrative charge predicating Duty's claim was untimely filed, rendering his ACRA claim time-barred, (2) Duty failed to establish a prima facie ACRA discrimination case by failing to present evidence demonstrating (a) the nature, severity, duration, and impact of his physical disability, (b) that his physical impairment substantially limits his ability to perform either a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs across various classes, and (c) that he is qualified to perform the essential functions of his job, or a desired job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
28 Under the ACRA, a claim must be filed either (1) within one year after the alleged employment discrimination or (2) within ninety days after receipt of a right-to-sue letter issued by the EEOC. See Ark.Code Ann. § 16-123-107(c)(3). 29 Although the parties disagree about the last date of alleged discrimination, the latest date considered was February, 1998, which falls outside the limitations period. It is undisputed that Duty filed his claim on June 15, 1999, which is more than one year after the latest possible date of discrimination. Therefore, Duty failed to satisfy the first option for filing a timely claim under the ACRA. 30 We next consider whether Duty satisfied the second option for filing a timely ACRA claim. NAP concedes that Duty filed suit within ninety days of receiving a right-to-sue letter from the EEOC. However, NAP contests the timeliness of the underlying EEOC filing, contending that because Duty's charge of discrimination was not timely filed with the EEOC, the EEOC's right-to-sue letter is invalid as the basis of the limitations period. 31 In order for an EEOC right-to-sue letter to begin running the statute of limitations, the underlying EEOC charge of discrimination likewise must have been timely filed. See Douglas v. California Dep't of Youth Authority, 271 F.3d 812, 823 n. 12 (9th Cir.2001) (noting that limitations period of underlying EEOC charge governs statute of limitations for ADA charges in federal court) (citing Zipes v. Trans World Airlines, Inc., 455 U.S. 385, 393, 102 S.Ct. 1127, 71 L.Ed.2d 234 (1982)); see also Dring v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 58 F.3d 1323, 1327 (8th Cir.1995) ( Dring ) (holding that failure to file a timely underlying EEOC charge bars pursuit of ADEA action in federal court); Anderson v. Unisys Corp., 47 F.3d 302, 306 (8th Cir.1995) (stating that the EEOC administrative deadline operates in the nature of a statute of limitations for ADEA claims). According to EEOC regulations, a claimant must file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC within 180 days of the date of discrimination. 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1). The date of discrimination is considered to be the date on which the last discriminatory act forming the basis of the complaint occurred. See id. 32 NAP characterizes the last day of the alleged discrimination as September 18, 1997, the date that Duty received White's September 15, 1997 letter. NAP asserts that the latest possible date a jury reasonably could assess as Duty's notice of termination was December 11, 1997, the date of Duty's telephone call to White, in which she told him that his employment was terminated as far as she was concerned. See Jones v. Baskin, Flaherty, Elliot & Mannino, P.C., 738 F.Supp. 937 (W.D.Pa. 1989) (holding that limitations period began when an unofficial committee informed the plaintiff of his termination), aff'd, 897 F.2d 522 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 811, 111 S.Ct. 47, 112 L.Ed.2d 23 (1990). NAP argues, therefore, that Duty's EEOC claim was time-barred because it was not filed within 180 days of December 11, 1997. 33 However, the jury determined that NAP terminated Duty on January 8, 1998. We find nothing unreasonable in the jury's conclusion. The jury was instructed properly by the district court that [a] person is considered to have been terminated by his employer `on the date on which he receives notice which would inform a reasonable person in his position that he had been terminated.' Dring, 58 F.3d at 1327 (holding that the limitations period on a federal discrimination claim governed by an underlying EEOC charge begins on the date on which the adverse employment action is communicated to the plaintiff). As a result, the jury assessed Duty's official date of termination, which serves as the beginning of the limitations period for the underlying EEOC charge, as January 8, 1998, the date he received an official letter from someone with actual termination authority at NAP. See Delaware State College v. Ricks, 449 U.S. 250, 261, 101 S.Ct. 498, 66 L.Ed.2d 431 (1980) (holding that the accrual date begins when the notice communicates an official decision of the employer); see also Smith v. UPS, Inc., 65 F.3d 266 (2d Cir.1995) (holding that, under the ADA, for the notice to be effective, it must be made apparent to the employee that the notice states the `official decision' of the employer); Burfield v. Brown, Moore & Flint, Inc., 51 F.3d 583, 589 (5th Cir.1995) (holding that limitations period begins when claimant receives unequivocal notice of the facts underlying the claim or when a reasonable person would know of those facts). 34 Moreover, it was rational for the jury to find that (1) Duty believed that White's phone call was not an official termination because she did not have the authority to terminate him, especially without consulting the panel of supervisors who were responsible for hiring and firing, and (2) the letter he received on January 8, 1998, was the only official communication of NAP's decision to fire him. See Cooper v. St. Cloud State University, 226 F.3d 964 (8th Cir.2000) (determining that the limitations period began when the plaintiff exhibited actual awareness of the employer's termination decision). As a result, we conclude that the district court did not err in determining that sufficient evidence existed for a jury reasonably to determine that Duty's EEOC charge of discrimination was timely filed and therefore his ACRA claim was not time-barred.
35 At the outset, we note that we analyze a disability claim presented under the ACRA using the same principles employed in analyzing claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. See Ark.Code Ann. § 16-123-105(c); Greer v. Emerson Electric Co., 185 F.3d 917, 920-21 (8th Cir.1999) (applying federal ADA analysis to disability discrimination claim brought under ACRA); Land v. Baptist Medical Center, 164 F.3d 423, 425-26 (8th Cir.1999) (holding that it is necessary to consider analogous federal ADA decisions when interpreting disability claims under the ACRA because [t]he definition of disability in both the ACRA and the ADA are in all relevant respects the same); Flentje v. First Nat'l Bank of Wynne, 340 Ark. 563, 11 S.W.3d 531 (2000) (stating that because so few ACRA cases have been decided by Arkansas courts, federal law interpreting equivalent discrimination claims are used to aid in analysis). An ADA claimant must make a prima facie showing that he (1) has a disability within the meaning of the ADA, (2) is able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, and (3) suffered an adverse employment action as a result of the disability. Kellogg v. Union Pacific R.R., 233 F.3d 1083, 1086 (8th Cir.2000) ( Kellogg ). 36
37 In order to establish a disability within the meaning of the ADA, a claimant must establish (1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, 3 (2) a record of such impairment, and (3) that he is regarded as having such an impairment. See id. at 1086; Cravens v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City, 214 F.3d 1011, 1016 (8th Cir.2000) ( Cravens ). 38 NAP argues that Duty failed to prove that he was substantially limited in his major life activity of working because he did not submit sufficient evidence regarding (1) the nature, severity, duration and impact of his disability, and (2) his inability to perform either a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs across various classes. See 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(j)(2)(i)-(iii), (3)(ii) (EEOC regulations requiring evaluation of (1) the nature, severity, duration and impact of a disability and (2) consideration of the claimant's ability to perform either a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs across various classes to determine whether a major life activity is substantially limited). For the reasons stated below, we disagree. 39
40 NAP maintains that Duty's heavy lifting restriction alone was insufficient probative evidence regarding the nature, severity, and duration of Duty's physical impairment and how it substantially limited his ability to work, especially because Duty continues to perform heavy work by comfortably lifting up to fifty pounds, and by working between forty and sixty hours a week on his farm baling hay and driving a dump truck. See Mellon v. Federal Express Corp., 239 F.3d 954, 957 (8th Cir.2001) (stating that, as a matter of law, a disability claim premised on a lifting restriction alone must be rejected). 41 Duty presented evidence at trial to illustrate the nature, severity, duration and impact of his impairment, including (1) symptoms of chilling occurring several times a week and lasting approximately forty-five minutes, (2) chronic neck pain present approximately ninety percent of the time, (3) weakness, (4) numbness in his groin and hands, (5) upper arm pain, and (6) headaches. A jury reasonably could conclude that these symptoms indicated a permanent disability beyond a lifting restriction. As a result, we conclude that the district court did not err in determining that sufficient evidence existed regarding the nature, severity, duration and impact of Duty's disability to sustain his ACRA claim. 42 (ii) Limitation on Duty's Ability to Perform Either a Class of Jobs or a Broad Range of Jobs Across Various Classes 43 NAP argues that Duty failed to meet his burden of showing that he was unable to perform either an entire class of jobs or a broad range of jobs in various classes compared to the average person with comparable training, skills, and abilities. Specifically, NAP contends that the vocational consultant's assessment only excluded Duty from a portion of jobs within a class of jobs, not an entire class of jobs or a broad range of jobs across various classes. NAP claims that the vocational consultant neglected to consider other work that Duty performed at NAP, such as electrical and truck-driving work, as well as Duty's farm work and other maintenance mechanic jobs that do not require heavy lifting. Because Duty did not apply for available jobs in his field, NAP contends that the jury had no evidence regarding the number and kind of jobs available to him, making it unreasonable for the jury to conclude that Duty's work restrictions disqualified him from those jobs. 44 At trial, Duty presented evidence to demonstrate that NAP regarded him as significantly restricted in the major life activity of working, including (1) evidence of his lifting restriction which disqualified him from the type of work in which he is trained, (2) evidence of his lack of education, (3) evidence of his relatively advanced age, and (4) the vocational consultant's affidavit, which found him to be disqualified from the available jobs in his working area based on his disability. 45 Moreover, the relevant EEOC regulation, 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(j)(3)(ii), states that 46 [a]n individual who has a back condition that prevents the individual from performing any heavy labor job would be substantially limited in the major life activity of working because the individual's impairment eliminates his or her ability to perform a class of jobs. This would be so even if the individual were able to perform jobs in another class, e.g., the class of semi-skilled jobs. 47 As a result, the jury reasonably could conclude that Duty met his burden of showing that he was significantly restricted in the ability to perform either a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs in various classes as compared to the average person having comparable training, skills, and abilities. Webb v. Garelick Mfg. Co., 94 F.3d 484 (8th Cir.1996). Consequently, we hold that the district court did not err in determining that sufficient evidence existed regarding Duty's inability to perform a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs. 48
49 NAP asserts that Duty failed to present sufficient evidence that he could perform the essential functions of his job, with or without reasonable accommodation. Rather, NAP maintains that (1) because heavy lifting and climbing are necessary parts of Duty's job, the evidence established that Duty could not perform his job within his medical restrictions, (2) no reasonable accommodation could have been made to enable Duty to perform his job, because alternative lifting devices were unsafe and inaccessible to certain parts of the plant, and (3) the plant did not have any available positions Duty could have performed with his restrictions. 50 At trial, Duty submitted evidence to demonstrate that he was able to perform the essential functions of the maintenance mechanic job, including (1) his own testimony that he was capable of lifting 100 to 150 pounds occasionally, fifty to seventy-five pounds regularly and fifty pounds comfortably; (2) his testimony that heavier lifting was not an essential function of the job, because he had done such lifting only four or five times in his eighteen years on the job; (3) evidence that a variety of lifting devices were available to do any necessary heavier lifting; (4) evidence regarding NAP's available positions of rebuilder, sizing operator, ball mill operator, STS operator, and material handler, all of which he could have performed with his restrictions; (5) evidence of other employees hired to perform jobs he was capable of doing; (6) evidence that the no-rehire policy was not the reason he was not given another position; and (7) evidence that other employees had returned to work when they were less than 100% capable of performing their essential job functions. 51 Moreover, Duty testified that he had requested an accommodation, that White was well aware of his restrictions, and that NAP made no effort to determine if he could do his job with reasonable accommodation or to reassign him to a different job. See Cravens, 214 F.3d at 1018 (holding that employers are obligated to consider reassignment as part of their reasonable accommodation duty under the ADA). Therefore, we hold that the district court did not err in determining that the jury reasonably could conclude that Duty was a qualified individual with a disability who could perform the essential functions of his former position or other positions at NAP.