Opinion ID: 2328929
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The jury instruction on retaliation

Text: A plaintiff establishes a prima facie case of retaliation under D.C.Code § 1-2525(a) by showing (1) that he or she was engaged in a statutorily protected activity, (2) that his or her employer took an adverse action, and (3) that there was a causal relationship between the protected activity and the adverse action. See McKenna v. Weinberger, 234 U.S.App.D.C. 297, 304, 729 F.2d 783, 790 (1984) (footnote omitted) (stating applicable law under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act); Goos, supra note 28, 715 F.Supp. at 3 (applying Title VII analysis to the DCHRA). The causal connection... may be established by showing that the employer had knowledge of the employee's protected activity, and that the adverse personnel action took place shortly after that activity. Mitchell v. Baldrige, 245 U.S.App.D.C. 60, 66, 759 F.2d 80, 86 (1985) (footnote omitted). [31] Young is correct in asserting that, once the plaintiff presents a prima facie case of retaliation, the burden shifts to the employer to show a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason for the contested action. Goos, supra note 28, 715 F.Supp. at 3. It is undisputed that Young presented evidence of a legitimate business reason for its decision to foreclose on the New Hampshire property. Since Young made this showing, the burden shifted back to Sutherland to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Young's explanation for its action was merely a pretext for what was really a retaliatory act. The trial court instructed the jury on the evidence necessary to support a claim of retaliation. It then gave the following instruction: Now, as in the discrimination claim, Ms. Sutherland in this case may prove retaliation by direct or circumstantial evidence. Therefore, you may consider the nature of the acts themselves, the timing of the action, that is, how close it was in time to the exercise of protected rights and the claimed retaliation, and you may consider the reasons given for taking the action. You decide whether Arthur Young knew about the discrimination claim before it sought to collect. You decide if the plaintiff has proved that Arthur Young was collecting a legal debt for the purpose or because she exercised a protected right. In dealing with ... causal connection, I would instruct you that ... causation means something was a substantial contributing factor. The law recognizes more than one reason for an action. You, however, determine if protected activity, that is, the discrimination claim, was a substantial contributing factor in Arthur Young's decision to collect the debt. It follows, therefore, that even though Arthur Young had a legal right to collect the note, plaintiff may establish her retaliation claim if she proves by a preponderance of the evidence that retaliation was a substantial factor in the decision. Therefore, you are determining if in this case has Ms. Sutherland proved by a preponderance of the evidence that she was engaged in a protected activity under the Human Rights Act when she claimed discrimination and filed suit. Second, that Arthur Young took action which disadvantaged her. And third, there was a causal connection between the protected activity and the foreclosure action which Ms. Sutherland [ sic ] took. If she has proved those things by a preponderance of the evidence, you would be able to respond on the verdict form with a verdict for Ms. Sutherland. If, however, she has failed to prove any one of these essential parts of her proof, you would enter a verdict for Arthur Young & Company. On appeal Young argues that this instruction was inaccurate because (1) it erroneously permitted the jury to find retaliation even if Young had a legitimate business reason for foreclosing, and (2) it failed to require Sutherland to bear the ultimate burden of proving that its proffered business reason was merely pretextual. [32] We see no basis for either complaint. As we have already discussed, the fact that Young had a legitimate business reason for its decision to foreclose on the New Hampshire property did not necessarily insulate it from liability for retaliation under section 1-2525(a). Thus Young's first objection to the trial court's instruction is plainly without merit because the legal premise upon which it relies is incorrect. Young's second objection, suggesting infirmity in the court's explanation of the respective burdens of proof, is not supported by the language of the instruction. The judge told the jury: You, however, determine if the protected activity, that is, the discrimination claim was a substantial contributing factor in Arthur Young's decision to collect the debt. It follows, therefore, that even though Arthur Young had a legal right to collect the note, plaintiff may establish her retaliation claim if she proves by a preponderance of the evidence that retaliation was a substantial factor in the decision. [Emphasis added.] This language was sufficient to explain that Sutherland bore the ultimate burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Young's efforts to foreclose were improperly motivated, i.e., that, more likely than not, a desire to penalize the assertion of rights protected under the DCHRA was a substantial contributing factor in Arthur Young's decision to engage in the challenged acts. The purpose of the instruction, after all, was simply to provide guidance in evaluating the claim. No magic words were required so long as the instruction fairly and accurately informed the jury of the applicable law and the requirements of proof. See Texas Department of Community Affairs v. Burdine, 450 U.S. 248, 255 n. 8, 101 S.Ct. 1089, 1094 n. 8, 67 L.Ed.2d 207 (1981) (the allocation of burdens and the creation of a presumption by the establishment of a prima facie case is intended progressively to sharpen the inquiry into the elusive factual question of intentional discrimination); Furnco Construction Corp. v. Waters, 438 U.S. 567, 577, 98 S.Ct. 2943, 2949, 57 L.Ed.2d 957 (1978) (method of analyzing discrimination claims by shifting burdens of proof was never intended to be rigid, mechanized, or ritualistic [but was] merely a sensible, orderly way to evaluate the evidence in light of common experience as it bears on the critical question of discrimination); cf. Wisconsin Avenue Nursing Home v. District of Columbia Commission on Human Rights, 527 A.2d 282, 290 (D.C.1987) (Commission's erroneous imposition of burden of persuasion on respondent was harmless because the record established that the proffered non-discriminatory reason was adequately weighed by the fact-finder). We conclude that the instruction was clear enough to serve its purpose and that the trial court was not obliged in addition (or instead) to give the instruction requested by Arthur Young.