Opinion ID: 3046987
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Fairy Williams

Text: Williams argues that TPH violated Title VII when it awarded the Food Services Supervisor position to Jane McNeill instead of to her. To make out a prima facie case of employment discrimination under Title VII, a plaintiff must show that: 1) she is a member of a protected class; 2) she is qualified for the position she seeks; 3) she was subject to an adverse employment action; and 4) other similarly situated persons not in the protected group received better treatment. Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 142 (2000). A plaintiff who makes out a prima facie case is entitled to a presumption of unlawful discrimination, which an employer may rebut by producing evidence of legitimate nondiscriminatory reasons for its actions. Fuentes v. Perskie, 32 F.3d 759 (3d Cir. 1994). The parties do not dispute that Williams is a member of a protected class, that she suffered an adverse employment action, or that McNeill, who is not a member of the 4 protected class, got the job. TPH argues that Williams was not eligible for the position because her performance on the competitive examination put her eighth on the eligibles list: the Administrative Code dictates that only the top three applicants are considered for the position. N.J. Admin. Code §§ 4-3.2, 5-2.1(a). Williams contends that she was a permanent employee, not a provisional one, and therefore she should not have had to take the competitive exam. She says that during her interview she was told she would become permanent, and points to the pension deduction in her paycheck and the fact that she received a performance evaluation, which she claims only permanent employees receive. She also notes that provisional appointments are only supposed to last for 12 months; having served 12 months, she claims to have become permanent. TPH denies that it ever told Williams she would be permanent, and points to its offer letter to Williams, which said that she would be a provisional employee.3 The problem for Williams is that whether or not she was told that she would become permanent at a certain point, and whether or not she served as a provisional employee for more than 12 months, the New Jersey Administrative Code does not contemplate a provisional employee becoming permanent through an employer’s inaction. The Code dictates exactly how employees are awarded permanent civil service jobs: 3 The letter is dated October 16, 2001, but Williams claims not to have received it until 2003. On a form dated November 7, 2001, however, Williams acknowledged having received a number of employment documents, including a “full-timers offer letter.” (App. 105-06, 158.) 5 through competitive examinations and rank on the resulting eligibles list, or transfer or reassignment from another organizational unit. Although the Code states that provisional appointments should not last longer than 12 months, there is no provision that entitles a provisional employee to automatic appointment as permanent once the 12 months have passed. The New Jersey courts agree. See O’Malley v. Dep’t of Energy, 109 N.J. 309, 316-17 (1987) (“We believe it would thwart the legislative intent to allow a provisional employee to retain his or her position merely because the Commission could not offer a timely test.”). Accordingly, we agree with the District Court that Williams has not made out a prima facie case under Title VII because, given her eighth-place finish on the exam, she did not establish that she was qualified for the position.