Opinion ID: 791581
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: analysis

Text: 99 As noted, the ultimate issue in this case is whether the City's adverse employment actions against Davis were racially motivated or in retaliation for Davis' protected whistle-blowing activities. Accordingly, the District Court was correct to find that the relevant inquiry is into the employer's motivations and beliefs, not the accuracy of the mental health opinions. In other words, the issue is not whether Davis was actually paranoid and unfit for duty, but whether the decision-makers legitimately believed that he was. Cf. Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 146-47, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000) (the ultimate question in a Title VII case is whether the employer intentionally discriminated based on race); Billet v. CIGNA Corp., 940 F.2d 812, 825 (3d Cir.1991) ([The plaintiff's] view of his performance is not at issue; what matters is the perception of the decision maker.), overruled in part on other grounds, St. Mary's Honor Ctr. v. Hicks, 509 U.S. 502, 113 S.Ct. 2742, 125 L.Ed.2d 407 (1993). 100 The reliability of the mental health professionals' methods is only relevant to this case insofar as the City's psychologists allegedly relied on the Valdora and McKee memos in lieu of applying proven scientific methods. The District Court did not actually prevent Davis from submitting evidence and questioning the City's psychologists on this issue. The District Court admitted Dr. Krakoff's report (declaring Davis to be fit for duty) into evidence and permitted Dr. Whitehouse to testify on the issue of whether the Valdora and McKee memos were determinative factors in the decisions of Dr. Logue and Dr. Willard-Mack. Specifically, the jury heard testimony from Dr. Whitehouse that There was a lot of speculation in Dr. Logue's report and that the only data that Dr. Logue was relying on was the fact that his, Officer Davis', supervisors had made complaints against him. (Da606-607.) As such, Davis was not denied his ability to present evidence on these relevant issues. 101 The court merely limited Davis' ability to present evidence that the psychologists' conclusions were otherwise rendered unreliable by faulty scientific methods. For example, Davis faults the District Court for depriving him of the opportunity to show that Dr. Willard-Mack inappropriately administered a Rorschach test. We find no abuse of discretion in limiting the evidence in this way. Had Davis shown that the Rorschach test was improperly administered, this would have no impact on the ultimate question of whether Dr. Willard-Mack's conclusions were improperly tainted by the retaliatory and discriminatory memos from Valdora and McKee. 102