Opinion ID: 411995
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Misapplication of Day v. Mathews in this Case

Text: 22 In the instant case, appellants presented an extremely strong prima facie case of discrimination, but despite that showing they did not persuade the District Court that they had proved discrimination. The trial court's original decision proceeded directly to the Day inquiry without completely analyzing liability for discrimination; on remand the trial court again stopped short of concluding that appellants had proved discrimination, cryptically suggesting that they had gone beyond a prima facie case. Nor did appellees concede discrimination. While the record on the prior appeal appeared to show such a concession, the District Court did not purport to base its application of Day on admitted discrimination. Both on remand and on this appeal, moreover, appellees insisted that liability for discrimination had neither been proved nor conceded. Absent any basis for a finding of discrimination and with liability still a live issue, the District Court thus erred in holding appellees to the Day burden of clear and convincing proof. All that should have been required to rebut appellants' prima facie case was articulation of a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for appellants' nonpromotions. See Burdine, 450 U.S. at 252-53, 101 S.Ct. at 1093.