Opinion ID: 586343
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Analysis of Evidence Produced by Plaintiff at Trial

Text: 9 In order to recover under the ADEA, the plaintiff must first prove a prima facie case of age discrimination. To do so, the plaintiff must present evidence to show that: (1) he was discharged; (2) he was qualified for the position; (3) he was within the protected class at the time of discharge; and either (4)(a) he was replaced by someone outside the protected class, or (b) he was replaced by someone younger, or (c) he was otherwise discharged because of his age. 1 Bienkowski v. American Airlines, Inc., 851 F.2d 1503, 1504-05 (5th Cir.1988). 2 The burden of production does not shift to the defendant until evidence sufficient to prove a prima facie case of discrimination has been presented. Bohrer v. Hanes Corp., 715 F.2d 213, 218 (5th Cir.1983). 10 There is no dispute with respect to the first and third of these elements: Fields was discharged, and he was within the protected class at the time of discharge. There was dispute as to the second element, whether Fields was qualified. There was a quantity of statistical evidence introduced at trial on that issue, evidence which was subject to interpretation by the jury and which constituted some evidence upon which the jury could have found that Fields was qualified. This Court need not examine the evidence introduced on the second element in detail as the fourth and final element is dispositive of this case. 11 The fourth and final element necessary to prove a prima facie case is that Fields was replaced with someone younger or outside the protected class, or he was otherwise discharged because of his age. There is no evidence in the record indicating that Fields' replacement was younger or outside the protected class. During cross-examination, Fields stated that he did not know who replaced him after he was fired. 12 Q: Okay. And after you were terminated, do you know who assumed your duties? 13 A: After I was fired, no, sir, I don't. 14 Q: So you don't know if anyone younger than you assumed the duties at the time you were fired, correct? 15 A: No, sir, I do not. 16 3 Tr. 146-47. 17 In contrast to Fields' testimony was the testimony of Allen, the store manager who fired Fields. Allen stated that he assumed the duties of Fields and that he was 47 years of age at the time, four years older than Fields. Allen also testified that Ruth, the employee who was later promoted to merchandising manager of the shoe department, was not hired to replace Fields. It is therefore immaterial that Ruth was younger than Fields. Ruth's job was separate and apart from any duties previously performed by Fields. 18 A careful review of the record shows that the only evidence Fields presented to substantiate the fourth element of an ADEA claim was the testimony of Allen. He presented no other affirmative evidence. Moreover, he presented no controverting evidence to rebut Allen's statement that Allen himself assumed Fields' duties. Thus, the only evidence in the record showed that an older employee and not a younger one replaced Fields. 19 Fields also asserted that he was denied the opportunity to transfer to vacant positions in other stores. Through counsel, Fields claimed during oral argument and in his brief that the vacant positions he sought to obtain were filled by younger employees because J.C. Penney could pay lower salaries to them based upon their youth. However, Fields himself testified on cross-examination that he was ineligible for such a transfer based on his low performance rating. Furthermore, the record does not substantiate Fields' claim that younger employees were paid lower salaries than he would have been paid. Fields, the plaintiff, has not pointed to any evidence in the record demonstrating what salary he would have received had he been transferred or what salary the employees who ultimately filled those positions received. 20 There is likewise no evidence in the record to suggest that Fields was otherwise discharged because of his age. In an attempt to sustain his burden of production, Fields points to his own testimony. Fields testified that a Mr. Glines, a manager of an unrelated J.C. Penney store, told him that he had heard that Fields was to be fired and that there was a lot of that going around with people of Fields' age. 3 This attenuated testimony, introduced after the plaintiff had already rested his case, does not provide a sufficient basis on which to conclude that Fields was fired because of his age. According to the record of Fields' testimony, Glines' statement was not that the people fired were terminated because of their age, but rather that several people recently discharged happened to be approximately the same age as Fields. There could, for instance, have been any number of reasons for the discharge of the other employees aside from age discrimination. Furthermore, Glines' asserted statements say nothing about the reasons for Fields ' termination. Even if all the other employees had been terminated for age related reasons, that fact is not probative of the reasons underlying Fields' dismissal. 21 In sum, a review of the record reveals that the only evidence adduced as to Fields' replacement was the testimony of Pat Allen. Fields presented no contradictory evidence from which the jury could conclude that anyone besides Allen replaced Fields. Since Allen is older than Fields, there was simply no basis in the evidence for the jury's implied finding that a younger employee or someone outside the protected class replaced Fields. Without evidence of a younger replacement or evidence that otherwise demonstrated that age was the basis for Fields' termination, Fields failed to sustain his burden to present facts sufficient to prove a prima facie case of discrimination. 22 Because Fields failed to prove a prima facie case of age discrimination, J.C. Penney was never obligated to come forward with any evidence to rebut that claim. This Court need not reach the issue of whether the explanation offered by J.C. Penney was a pretext for discrimination as the plaintiff failed to shift the burden of production to the defendant. 4 The district court erred in denying J.C. Penney's JNOV motion.