Court Opinion

ID: 9752121
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 17:37:44.5911+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:08.067179
License: Public Domain

CAPPY, Justice,
concurring:
I join in the result offered by the majority, but write separately to insure that there is no confusion with regard to the four-prong test of McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 93 S.Ct. 1817, 36 L.Ed.2d 668 (1973), as cited by Mr. Justice Flaherty herein and as adopted by the majority of this Court in Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission v. Johnstown Redevelopment Authority, 527 Pa. 71, 588 A.2d 497 (1991). See also, e.g., General Elec. Corp. v. Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Human Relations Comm’n, 469 Pa. 292, 365 A.2d 649 (1976); Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation Corp. v. Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Human Relations Comm’n, 516 Pa. 124, 532 A.2d 315 (1987).
Under the McDonnell Douglas test, a complainant establishes a prima facie case of discrimination by showing:
(i) that he belongs to a racial minority; (ii) that he applied and was qualified for a job for which the employer was seeking applicants; (iii) that, despite his qualifications, he was rejected; and (iv) that, after his rejection, the posi-
*448tion remained open and the employer continued to seek applicants from persons of complainant’s qualifications.
411 U.S. at 802, 93 S.Ct. at 1824.1 With regard to the fourth prong, we stated in Johnstown:
Although the Authority argues that the complainant must establish that she was “the best able and most competent,” no majority of this Court has ever placed such an onerous burden on a plaintiff seeking to establish a prima facie case. See, e.g., General Electric, supra, Winn v. Trans World Airlines, Inc., [506 Pa. 138, 484 A.2d 392 (1984) ], Com., Dept. of Transp. v. Pennsylvania Human Relations Com’n, 510 Pa. 401, 508 A.2d 1187 (1986), and Allegheny Housing, supra.
527 Pa. at 79 n. 3, 588 A.2d at 501 n. 3.
If the majority herein intends to establish a fifth prong for the test — specifically, that the complainant must establish that she is the “best able and most competent” applicant-then I must disagree and would dissent from that part of the opinion. On the other hand, if it is the intent of the majority merely to utilize the fourth prong of the test as set forth in McDonnell Douglas and Johnstown, then I am in agreement.

. As the majority opinion correctly notes, this test is adaptable to accommodate differences in the nature of discrimination alleged and in the action alleged to be improper. Allegheny Housing, 516 Pa. at 129, 532 A.2d at 318.