Opinion ID: 162922
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admission of Employees’ Testimony

Text: We review a district court’s evidentiary rulings for abuse of discretion. Hampton v. Dillard Dept. Stores, Inc., 247 F.3d 1091, 1113 (10th Cir. 2001), reversing only if the ruling was “based on a clearly erroneous finding of fact or an erroneous conclusion of law, or if it manifests a clear error in judgment,” Roberts v. Roadway Exp., Inc., 149 F.3d 1098, 1105-06 (10th Cir. 1998). Based on Fed. R. Evid. 4023 and 4034, Defendant challenges the admission of Matsen’s testimony regarding Plaintiff’s abilities. The district court properly deemed her testimony relevant and found that prejudice did not outweigh probative value. Matsen’s esteem for Plaintiff and recommendations for his promotion and hiring bolstered his 3 Rule 402 provides: All relevant evidence is admissible, except as otherwise provided by the Constitution of the United States, by Act of Congress, by these rules, or by other rules prescribed by the Supreme Court pursuant to statutory authority. Evidence which is not relevant is not admissible. 4 Rule 403 provides: Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. - 12 - prima facie discrimination case and his rebuttal of Defendant’s proffered nondiscriminatory motives. Further, Defendant contends the district court mistakenly admitted the testimony of the three employees regarding Adams’ recitation of Watkins’ directive to hire more African-American managers in the Group Life Division. Defendant mistakenly characterizes the testimony as irrelevant because Plaintiff never applied to the Counseling Department and the discussion at issue occurred after he resigned from Flint Hills. First, while Adams relayed the preference for African-American managers on June 14, 1993, three days after Plaintiff’s resignation, the testimony nevertheless related to events temporally close enough to evince the operation of discriminatory motives. Second, although Plaintiff never applied to Counseling, it was within the Group Life Division, and, along with Residential Living, was one of the departments to which Watkins and Adams referred. Thus the district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the employees’ testimony.