Opinion ID: 56302
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ayanna Harrington and Santrice Laney

Text: Both Harrington and Laney applied to be bartenders at ESPN Zone. They both met the first element of the prima facie case, being members of a protected class. The magistrate assumed that they met the second element, adverse job action, when they were denied jobs tending bar because it was likely more prestigious with better pay. But the magistrate ruled that they could not demonstrate that ESPN Zone treated a similarly-situated employee who was not African American differently, as the employee promoted to bartender, Ruth Heinzman, was more qualified than Harrington and Laney because of her past experience. And so the magistrate determined that neither Harrington nor Laney met their burden to establish a prima facie case of disparate treatment with regard to the bartending position. Appellants argue, correctly, that Harrington and Laney should not have been required to prove that the successful applicant for the promotion, Heinzman, was less or equally qualified. See Walker v. Mortham, 158 F.3d 1177, 1193 (11th Cir. 24 1998). Rather, Heinzman’s alleged superior qualifications should have been understood instead as a rebuttal to the initial presumption of discrimination that appellants would then need to show to be pretextual. Id. If Heinzman was promoted because of her previous bartending experience, this would be a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason. Appellants, however, contend that there is no admissible evidence that Heinzman (a) was a bartender, or (b) was hired because of her experience. The record evidence regarding Heinzman’s promotion and qualifications comes from the testimony of Steve Astles, the assistant general manager of ESPN Zone at the time. Astles testified that he learned that another manager, Heather Shaw, had promoted Heinzman because of her bartending experience. Appellants argue that Astles’ knowledge of Heinzman’s qualifications is inadmissible hearsay. The magistrate ruled below that Astles’ testimony was not offered for the truth of the matter asserted but rather to demonstrate Astles’ state of mind with regard to Heinzman’s promotion. See Wright v. Southland Corp., 187 F.3d 1287, 1304 n.21 (11th Cir. 1999). Appellants argue that Astles’ state of mind is irrelevant because he did not make the decision to promote Heinzman. This argument is unavailing because it is undisputed that Astles had the authority to approve or reject this promotion. ESPN Zone correctly argues that Astles allowed Heinzman’s promotion to stand, which is 25 functionally equivalent to the decision to promote in the first place. Therefore, Astles’ belief that Heinzman had previous bartending experience is a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for Heinzman’s promotion. Appellants also argue that Heinzman’s experience is a pretextual justification because the real reason Astles allowed Heinzman to remain a bartender was because it would not be “fair to Ms. Heinzman to move her back to a server position because of Ms. Shaw’s mistake [in letting Heinzman apply to be bartender before her ninety-day probationary period had elapsed].” Yet this ostensible pretext is itself a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for Heinzman’s promotion that appellants fail to prove pretextual. Summary judgment was appropriate regarding Harrington and Laney’s promotion claims. Harrington also asserts that she was treated differently with regard to discipline than white employees, specifically Mullhare, because they were both accused of using racial slurs but only she was suspended. The magistrate granted summary judgment to ESPN Zone because he found that Harrington had failed to prove an adverse job action because she was compensated fully and not otherwise punished for the suspension–“[i]t was not ‘objectively serious and tangible enough’ to alter Harrington’s ‘compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of 26 employment,” citing Gupta v. Florida Bd. of Regents, 212 F.3d 571, 588 (11th Cir. 2000). Appellants do not contest this ruling.