Opinion ID: 741085
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Oscar Strain and Linda Fleming

Text: 83 Strain contends that as a matter of law, he is entitled to qualified immunity against Linda Fleming's claims. Fleming did not allege acts of sexual harassment. Instead, in her EEO grievance and her pleadings, she alleged that Strain gave her less favorable work assignments because of a personal animus toward women and because Fleming filed an age discrimination complaint against TDCJ. Fleming alleged that Strain selected another officer for the position of grievance officer; assigned Fleming to run three gates simultaneously on several occasions; assigned Fleming library duty; reprimanded Fleming within the hearing of inmates; and on one occasion refused to allow her to have a water bottle at her duty station. 84 To state a claim of sex discrimination under section 1983, a plaintiff must show the following elements: 1) membership in a protected class; 2) that the plaintiff was qualified for the position at issue; 3) that the defendant made an adverse employment decision despite the plaintiff's qualifications; and 4) that the plaintiff was replaced with a person not a member of the protected class. See McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 93 S.Ct. 1817, 36 L.Ed.2d 668 (1973); Cervantez v. Bexar County Civil Service Commission, 99 F.3d 730, 734 (5th Cir.1996)(we have on numerous occasions recognized that section 1983 and Title VII are parallel causes of action); Wallace v. Texas Tech. University, 80 F.3d 1042, 1047 (5th Cir.1996) (applying the same prima facie test to discrimination claims under Title VII and section 1983); Merwine v. Board of Trustees for State Institutions of Higher Learning, 754 F.2d 631, 635, n. 3 (5th Cir.1985) ([w]hen a § 1983 claim is used as a parallel to a Title VII claim under a given set of facts, the elements required to be established for each claim are deemed the same under both statutes). 85 To assert a cause of action for retaliation for the exercise of a federally protected right, a plaintiff must show that she: 86 1) engaged in a protected activity; 87 2) an adverse employment action followed; and 88 3) there was a causal connection between the activity and the adverse action. 89 Mattern v. Eastman Kodak, Co., 104 F.3d 702, 705 (5th Cir.1997); Harrington v. Harris, 108 F.3d 598, 603 (5th Cir.1997) (a plaintiff must show that he suffered an adverse employment action to state a retaliation claim under section 1983); Pierce v. Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 37 F.3d 1146, 1150 n. 1 (5th Cir.1994) ([m]ore than a trivial act of retaliation [is required] to establish constitutional harm in a 1983 case). 90 Strain contends that he is entitled to qualified immunity because Fleming failed to raise a fact issue that Strain's conduct, objectively viewed, violated her clearly established rights. Strain supervised Fleming for approximately three and one-half months. Fleming testified in her deposition that none of the work assignments Strain gave her was more difficult or burdensome than the jobs she would have preferred; she enjoyed the library assignment; none of the jobs were very difficult; she was rotated among a number of jobs and did not know where other employees were assigned; and that the only reason she complained about any of the assignments was her belief that Strain was retaliating against her. 91 Not every negative employment decision or event is an adverse employment action that can give rise to a discrimination or retaliation cause of action under section 1983. Harrington, 108 F.3d at 604; Pierce, 37 F.3d at 1149. Adverse employment actions include discharges, demotions, refusals to hire, refusals to promote, and reprimands. Id.; see also Dollis v. Rubin, 77 F.3d 777, 781-82 (5th Cir.1995). Undesirable work assignments are not adverse employment actions. Harrington, 108 F.3d at 604, citing Dorsett v. Bd. of Trustees for State Colleges & Universities, 940 F.2d 121, 123 (5th Cir.1991). 92 Fleming's allegations and summary judgment proof do not raise a fact issue that Strain's supervision, objectively viewed, clearly violated her federally protected rights. As a matter of law, Strain is entitled to qualified immunity as to Fleming's claims under sections 1983 and 1985(3).