Opinion ID: 77958
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Prima Facie Vase

Text: More than one formulation of the elements of a prima facie case exist. The Court in McDonnell Douglas recognized this when it articulated four elements for a prima facie case [6] but stated that [t]he facts necessarily will vary in Title VII cases, and the specification . . . of the prima facie proof required . . . is not necessarily applicable in every respect to differing factual situations. 411 U.S. at 802 n. 13, 93 S.Ct. 1817. Appellees correctly argue that one way of establishing a prima facie case of employment discrimination based on a demotion following an employee's misconduct requires the plaintiff to show that (1) he belongs to a protected class; (2) he was qualified for the job; and (3) the misconduct for which the employer demoted him was the same or similar misconduct to that which a similarly situated employee engaged in, but was not similarly disciplined for. Moore v. Alabama Dep't of Corr., 137 Fed.Appx. 235, 238 (11th Cir.2005) (citing Holifield, 115 F.3d at 1562); accord Lathem v. Dep't of Children & Youth Servs., 172 F.3d 786, 792 (11th Cir.1999). Where the racial discrimination is alleged in the application of work rules to discipline an employee, and where there is no claim that the employee did not violate the work rules, as here, then plaintiff must show that he engaged in misconduct similar to that of a person outside the protected class, and . . . the disciplinary measures enforced against him were more severe than those enforced against the other persons who engaged in similar misconduct. Id. (citing Jones v. Gerwens, 874 F.2d 1534, 1540 (11th Cir.1989)). Under this formulation of the prima facie case, Appellees challenge Rioux's ability to meet the third element, pertaining to a showing of a comparator, that is, a similarly-situated employee who committed the same violation of work rules, but who was disciplined less severely than Rioux. We agree with Appellees' challenge and the trial court's conclusion that Rioux has not presented such a similarly-situated employee, as explained below. Thus, if the third element was required, Rioux could not meet his prima facie showing. Another formulation of a prima facie case, however, has been articulated in cases raising claims of discrimination where a plaintiff is demoted, and it is this other formulation that the district court applied and that Appellant asserts he satisfied. The district court applied the prima facie test for discriminatory demotion from Sturniolo v. Sheaffer, Eaton, Inc., which differs from the test articulated by Appellants in that it requires the plaintiff to demonstrate that: (1) he is a member of a protected class; (2) he was qualified for the job; (3) he was demoted; and (4) following the demotion he was replaced by someone outside his protected class. 15 F.3d 1023, 1025 (11th Cir.1994); see also Hinson v. Clinch County, Georgia Bd. of Educ, 231 F.3d 821, 828 (11th Cir.2000) (applying same standard in case involving teacher claiming discriminatory demotion). In Sturniolo and Hinson, the demotions were unrelated to any claimed discipline or discipline more severe than that received by others similarly situated. In Sturniolo and Hinson, unlike in the present case, there was no claim that a similarly situated employee had committed a similar violation of work rules, but had been treated more favorably than the plaintiffs. While Rioux has always maintained in his two complaints that another employee was similarly situated to him but was disciplined less severely than he (Grissom in the First Complaint, and Dunham in the Second), it appears he has raised the comparator issue not as an element of his prima facie showing, but rather, as evidence of pretext, the third step of the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework. See e.g., Silvera v. Orange County School Board, 244 F.3d 1253, 1259 (11th Cir.2001) (where court examined, as part of the complainant's showing of pretext, whether there was any disparate treatment of a similarly situated employee of a different race); McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 804, 93 S.Ct. 1817 (Especially relevant to a showing of pretext would be evidence that white employees involved in acts against petitioner of comparable seriousness . . . were nevertheless retained or rehired.); Sparks v. Pilot Freight Carriers, Inc., 830 F.2d 1554, 1563 n. 20 (11th Cir.1987) (noting that comparator evidence may be used to show pretext). We, too, address the sufficiency of any comparator evidence in our examination of pretext, rather than as an element of Rioux's prima facie case, recognizing that it is not always possible for high-ranking employees to find suitable comparators. See Holifield, 115 F.3d 1555, 1563 ([T]here are only a limited number of potential `similarly situated employees' when higher level supervisory positions for medical doctors are involved.). Indeed, this Court has previously stated that  [i]f a plaintiff fails to show the existence of a similarly situated employee, summary judgment is appropriate where no other evidence of discrimination is present.  Id. at 1562 (emphasis in original). Here, while we agree that Rioux has not presented a comparator, it is undisputed that he has shown he is a member of a protected class; he was qualified for the job; he was demoted; and following the demotion, he was replaced by someone outside his protected class, an Asian American woman. Moreover, in the absence of a similarly-situated employee, and as we further explain below, he has also come forward with other evidence of discrimination. In Rioux's view, the district court improperly discounted the following evidence from which an inference of discrimination could be found: (1) Rubin tried to maintain a racial balance at the AFD, maintaining a race tracking spreadsheet of personnel decisions, including Rioux's, that he regularly presented to his political superiors; (2) Rubin had discussions with Atlanta City Councilman, Ivory Lee Young, Jr. (Councilman Young), in which Rubin reviewed the spreadsheet and expressed his desire to achieve a particular racial balance of 50/50 black/white among the AFD discretionary ranks; (3) Rubin's short list of candidates to replace Rioux contained three black firefighters, and Rubin attempted to recruit a black officer  Williams  to replace Rioux; (4) Rubin felt pressure from the AFD black power structure to harshly discipline Rioux, amidst allegations from the Brothers Combined that Rubin would favor Rioux following earlier and harsh treatment Rubin had given to Grissom, a black chief accused of taking bribes (treatment the Brothers Combined had been critical of); (5) Rioux's aggressive response to the AFD's delayed arrival at the May 2, 2004 fire was prompted by Rubin himself, who had told Rioux the Fire Investigation Unit needed to respond more quickly to fires; (6) an inference could be drawn that Austin was goaded into filing the grievance against Rioux by members of the Brothers Combined; (7) the differences in manner and degree of investigating the Rioux incident as compared to the incident involving proposed comparator Dunham; and (8) evidence showing Dunham was a discretionary officer subject to the same rules and supervisor  Rubin  as Rioux, who committed a similar offense to Rioux's but who was treated differently with respect to the investigation of the incident and disciplinary action taken thereafter. The foregoing categories of evidence, combined with Rioux satisfying the Sturniolo and Hinson prima facie test for discriminatory demotion, lead us to conclude that Rioux satisfied his prima facie showing under McDonnell Douglas.