Opinion ID: 2759857
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Legitimate Reason for Termination

Text: Because the EEOC has made a prima facie case of discriminatory termination, the burden shifts to LHC to articulate a legitimate reason for its actions. LHC argues that it “terminated Sones for poor performance and her inability to perform the essential functions of her position.” Terminating an employee whose performance is unsatisfactory according to management’s business judgment is legitimate and nondiscriminatory as a matter of law. See Walton v. Bisco Indus., Inc., 119 F.3d 368, 372–73 (5th Cir 1997) (per curiam); Smith v. Rockwell Int’l Corp., 77 F.3d 473, 473 (5th Cir. 1995) (per curiam) (unpublished) (“Rockwell offered a legitimate reason for placing Smith on medical layoff: Smith’s physicians had imposed permanent medical restrictions on his activities that precluded him from performing the material duties of his position.”). Therefore, the district court properly concluded that LHC offered a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for terminating Sones.