Opinion ID: 2981425
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Termination based on a reduction in force

Text: “[T]o establish a prima facie case of discrimination by the defendant, ‘the plaintiff must show (1) that [s]he is a member of a protected group, (2) that [s]he was subject to an adverse employment decision, (3) that [s]he was qualified for the position, and (4) that [s]he was replaced by a person outside of the protected class. . . . [or] by showing that similarly situated non-protected employees were treated more favorably.’” Clayton v. Meijer, Inc., 281 F.3d 605, 610 (6th Cir. 2002)) (last alteration in original) (citation omitted). In a reduction in force (“RIF”) case, like this one, the fourth 6 Case No. 11-1611 Gulley v. County of Oakland element of the prima facie case is modified to require the plaintiff to submit “additional direct, circumstantial, or statistical evidence tending to indicate that the employer singled out the plaintiff for discharge for impermissible reasons.” Rowan v. Lockheed Martin Energy Sys., Inc., 360 F.3d 544, 547 (6th Cir. 2004) (quoting Ercegovich v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 154 F.3d 344, 350 (6th Cir. 1998)). “A [RIF] situation occurs when business considerations cause an employer to eliminate one or more positions within the company.” Barnes v. GenCorp, Inc., 896 F.2d 1457, 1465 (6th Cir. 1990). Modification of the fourth element in a RIF situation is required because “[w]hen an employer is forced to reduce its staff for economic reasons, the most common legitimate reason for the discharge is the RIF itself.” Brocklehurst v. PPG Indus., Inc., 123 F.3d 890, 896 (6th Cir. 1997) (citing Barnes, 896 F.2d at 1465). Gulley contends that the district court “ignor[ed] [her] prima facie evidence of race, color, and gender discrimination.” (Gulley Br. at 14.) Gulley presents a litany of cost reduction suggestions that she claims would have saved her position and been more cost effective to Oakland County. She posits that “Oakland County’s failure to adopt these budget actions, with significant cost savings, belie its claim of a RIF.” Id. at 20 (concluding that “the cost savings for the elimination of [Gulley]’s position was negligible at best”). However, as the district court correctly explained, the business decision of Oakland County to eliminate the FSC position held by Gulley should not be questioned by a court in the absence of evidence of an impermissible motive, even if it was not the most cost effective decision. (Dist. Ct. Op. Granting Mot. Summ. J., Dist. Ct. Docket No. 33, at 4.) We have previously explained: It is not the prerogative of the courts to engage in the post-hoc management of the 7 Case No. 11-1611 Gulley v. County of Oakland employer’s internal affairs by second-guessing how personnel could have been more equitably allotted, or cost-savings better realized. See, e.g., Graves v. Fleetguard, Inc., 198 F.3d 245 (Table), 1999 WL 993963, at  (6th Cir. Oct. 21, 1999) (quoting Ackerman v. Diamond Shamrock Corp., 670 F.2d 66, 70 (6th Cir. 1982) (“The ADEA was not intended as a vehicle for judicial review of business decisions.” (internal quotation marks omitted))). [The plaintiff-employee] must provide evidence not that [the defendant-employer] could have made a business decision that others might think more fair, but that [the defendant-employer] made the decision to terminate him because of his membership in a protected class. Norbuta v. Loctite Corp., 1 F. App’x 305, 314-15 (6th Cir. 2001) (reduction in force case); see also Hedrick v. W. Reserve Care Sys., 355 F.3d 444, 462 (6th Cir. 2004) (“As we have oft times repeated, ‘it is inappropriate for the judiciary to substitute its judgment for that of management.’”) (quoting Smith v. Leggett Wire Co., 220 F.3d 752, 763 (6th Cir. 2000)). Gulley offered no evidence tending to indicate that Oakland County singled her out for discharge for impermissible reasons. Conversely, the evidence suggests that Oakland County was motivated by fiscal concerns. Oakland County is the only Medical Examiner’s Office in Michigan to employ FSCs. (Aff. of Robert Gerds,4 Dist. Ct. Docket No. 18-2, ¶ 8.) The number of FSCs fluctuated over time, but was never higher than three and, when grant funding ended in 2001, Oakland County created a general fund position to keep Gulley on as an FSC, which it was able to fund for the next eight years. Id. ¶ 9(a). Ultimately, when budget cuts forced Oakland County to engage in the current RIF that resulted in the elimination of two full time positions and the 4 Gerds is the Administrator of the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office and was Gulley’s direct supervisor. (Aff. of Robert Gerds, Dist. Ct. Docket No. 18-2, ¶¶ 1–2.) 8 Case No. 11-1611 Gulley v. County of Oakland elimination of the benefits that had been provided to five other employees, it offered Gulley a position in a different department. Id. ¶¶ 11–12.