Opinion ID: 8704897
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Aftermath of August 5, 2009 Incident

Text: In the meantime, Ms. Konah took a planned vacation and, on August 26, 2009, told Unity that she was too terrified of the Jail to return to work there. Unity SUF ¶¶ 62-63. She asked for a transfer to the chronic care unit of CDF to avoid the open-population cell blocks, but the “nurse manager” could not put her there and told her to “go back to [her] assigned area” or, if she did not want to do so, to “go home” because she “should not come back.” Konah Dep. at 118. Unity agreed to look for a position outside of CDF. Unity SUF ¶ 66. In September 2009, Unity asked Ms. Konah to consider other open positions identified on Unity’s Career Opportunity website, and she agreed. Id. ¶¶ 68-69. However, Ms. Konah was hospitalized in September or October 2009. She admits that Unity contacted her attorney about a job opening but says she could not respond because she was in the hospital. Konah Dep. at 142-44. Unity learned that Ms. Konah was hospitalized on October 9, 2009. 5 It contacted Ms. Konah and asked her to complete a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Application for Leave and a Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition. Unity SUF ¶ 74. See 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq. (FMLA), especially § 2613 (governing certification requirements). Unity provided these forms to Ms. Konah’s caretaker at the hospital, directed to Ms. Konah, but Ms. Konah never returned either the FMLA Application or the Certification. Unity SUF ¶¶ 75-76; see also Unity MSJ, Exs. 36-38. [Dkt. 67-6], Correspondence Among Unity and Laurel Hospital Regarding FMLA Documents. Further, Unity notified Ms. Konah in November 2009 that it was holding a position for her at one of its community clinics, Hunt Place Health Center, for which she only had to complete an application on Unity’s website. Unity SUF ¶ 77; see also Unity MSJ, Ex. 39 [Dkt. 67-6], Correspondence Regarding Open Position, at Bates UNITY770 (including e-mail to Ms. Konah’s counsel dated November 16, 2009, regarding open position at Hunt Place). Unity waited until the end of December 2009, but Ms. Konah never responded, and it filled the position with someone else. SUF ¶¶ 78, 80; see also Correspondence Regarding Open Position at Bates UNITY770 (explaining that Unity was “releasing the hold” as of December 23, 2009, because “over a month ha[d] passed with no application” from Ms. Konah). Ms. Konah filed a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights on December 3, 2009. See Unity MSJ, Ex. 42 [Dkt. 67-6], ÓCHR Complaint. On January 20, 2010, Unity again offered her a position at the Hunt Place Health Center, which she accepted. Unity SUF ¶¶ 81-82. On January 21, 2010, Unity sent Ms. Konah a letter asking her to complete the FMLA documents before her scheduled return to work on January 27, 2010. Unity MSJ, Ex. 38 [Dkt. 67-6], Jan. 21, 2010, Letter from S. Michele Ottley to Lena Konah (noting that Ms. Konah’s absence had been “provisionally designated as Intermittent F[amily] M[edical] L[eave]”). On January 27, 2010, Ms. Konah did not show up for work. Unity SUF ¶ 84. Unity informed her that it considered her failure to complete FMLA documents and failure to show up to work a voluntary resignation. Id. ¶ 85. Ms. Konah admits that Unity offered her a job at another Unity Healthcare facility and that she accepted the job in January 2010 but “there was some little discrepancy” she could not recall that prevented her from reporting for work. Konah Dep. at 144-45. 6 In' her deposition, Ms. Konah answered many important questions, especially about events after August 5, 2009, with the statement that she could not recall or could not explain. 7 Such a response is insufficient to create a legitimate dispute of material fact. See Alyeska Pipeline Serv. Co. v. EPA 856 F.2d 309, 314 (D.C.Cir.1988) (“[A] motion for summary judgment adequately underpinned is not defeated simply by a bare opinion or an unaided claim that a factual controversy persists.”); Bonieskie v. Mukasey, 540 F.Supp.2d 190, 195 (D.D.C.2008) (“[C]onelusory allegations and unsubstantiated speculation do not create genuine issues of material fact,” especially “the plaintiffs own self-serving, conclusory statements.” (internal quotation marks and citations omitted)). The business records submitted by Unity stand unrebutted and are relied upon by the Court.