Court Opinion

ID: 2964609
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:28:14.224938+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:42:58.490898
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
                                 ____________________

          No. 96-1418

                         DIGNA SERRANO-CRUZ, HECTOR IRIZARRY,
                   AND THE CONJUGAL SOCIETY COMPRISED BETWEEN THEM,

                               Plaintiffs - Appellants,

                                          v.

                            DFI PUERTO RICO, INC., ET AL.,

                               Defendants - Appellees.

                                 ____________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                           FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

                  [Hon. Juan M. P rez-Gim nez, U.S. District Judge]
                                               ___________________

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                               Torruella, Chief Judge,
                                          ___________

                           Campbell, Senior Circuit Judge,
                                     ____________________

                           and DiClerico,* District Judge.
                                           ______________

                                _____________________

               Javier A. Morales-Ramos for appellants.
               _______________________
               Vicente J.  Antonetti, with  whom Ilsa Y.  Figueroa-Ar s and
               _____________________             ______________________
          Goldman Antonetti & C rdova were on brief for appellees.
          ___________________________

                                 ____________________

                                    March 19, 1997
                                 ____________________

                              
          ____________________

          *  Of the District of New Hampshire, sitting by designation.

                    TORRUELLA,  Chief  Judge.     Plaintiff-appellant Digna
                    TORRUELLA,  Chief  Judge. 
                                ____________

          Serrano-Cruz  ("Serrano") formally  resigned  from  her job  with

          defendant-appellee DFI  Puerto Rico,  Inc. ("DFI") on  August 22,

          1994.   Four months later,  she and her  husband filed suit under

          the  Age Discrimination in  Employment Act  of 1967  ("ADEA"), as

          amended,  29 U.S.C.A.     621-634  (1985 & Supp.  1996), claiming

          damages   resulting   from   allegedly  discriminatory,   adverse

          employment actions resulting in  her constructive dismissal.  She

          and  her husband now appeal the district court's grant of summary

          judgment  for her employer, DFI.  We affirm, finding that Serrano

          failed to establish a prima facie case under the ADEA.

                                      BACKGROUND
                                      BACKGROUND

                    In the summary judgment  context we relate all material

          facts in genuine dispute in the light most favorable to the party

          resisting summary  judgment, here Serrano.   S nchez v. Alvarado,
                                                       _______    ________

          101 F.3d 223, 225 n.1 (1st Cir. 1996).  Serrano  worked for DFI's

          predecessor firm, Aeroboutiques, from 1984 until it was purchased

          by  DFI in September 1992.   Aeroboutiques, and  later DFI, owned

          and  operated several  stores  selling gifts  and other  consumer

          merchandise  at Luis  Mu oz  Mar n International  Airport in  San

          Juan.  At the time of  the change in ownership, Serrano served as

          the "assistant  general manager"  of Aeroboutiques, and,  in that

          position, assisted the general  manager, supervised the operation

          of  the  airport stores,  oversaw  their  physical upkeep  (e.g.,

          lighting, cleanliness) and their security systems,  and performed

                                         -2-

          some  accounting  functions.1   When  DFI took  over  the stores,

          Serrano   was   offered,   and    accepted,   the   position   of

          "comptroller."2  As comptroller  Serrano continued to perform her

          previous   managerial  duties,  with  regular  duties  including:

          maintaining  the   security  system  for   the  airport   stores,

          supervising store employees and arranging employee vacation time,

          having responsibility for the  keys to the stores,  and attending

          security  and employee  management  meetings.   In addition,  she

          assumed accounting  responsibilities such as  preparing quarterly

          reports and keeping the payroll accounts.

                    The events  giving rise to  her suit began  in February

          1994,  when the general manager (Manny  Lozano) and the president

          (Luis  Bared) of  DFI,  Serrano's superiors,  began reducing  her

          responsibilities.  She lost  managerial control over the security

          system  for the  stores,  as  well  as  control  over  the  keys.

          Serrano's role in personnel selection was also decreased, and she

          was excluded from meetings she had previously attended.  

                    Through a letter  to Serrano dated June  21, 1994, Luis

          Bared  indicated that  Serrano was on  a 90-day  probation period

          effective that day.  The  letter cited DFI's dissatisfaction with

          Serrano's "negligent"  handling of certain rent  payments for the

                              
          ____________________

          1  Prior to being assistant general manager, Serrano had occupied
          the position of "comptroller" at Aeroboutiques, in which she  was
          responsible for all of the accounting functions of the company as
          well  as for  general  supervision.   When  she became  assistant
          general manager, her accounting responsibilities were reduced. 

          2  The  record contains inconsistent references to  this position
          as either "comptroller" or "controller." 

                                         -3-

          airport stores.   Bared indicated that during  the 90-day period,

          he  and  Manny Lozano  would  be  evaluating her  performance  as

          comptroller.  Serrano denies that she made mistakes in the course

          of discharging her accounting duties as comptroller. 

                    On July  18, 1994,  before the 90-day  probation period

          had  ended,  Lozano  informed Serrano  that  DFI  had  decided to

          transfer  her  to  a  newly  created  position  entitled  "retail

          manager."    Serrano refused the new position, stating that being

          fired would  be preferable to the  new position.  In  a letter to

          Serrano  dated July 21,  1994, Lozano  stated that  Serrano would

          receive the same salary  and benefits in the new position  as she

          had received as comptroller, and that she would be given two days

          of  paid  leave  to reconsider  her  decision  to  turn down  the

          position.  Lozano's July 21 letter further states that, as retail

          manager,  Serrano "would  supervise  and be  responsible for  the

          retail operation  of our San Juan  International Airport stores."

          After taking a month of leave, Serrano formally resigned from DFI

          on August  22, 1994, and now  claims she was forced  to resign by

          DFI's unacceptable job transfer.

                    Serrano  was 53 at the  time her suit  was initiated in

          December  1994.  There is  no direct evidence  that DFI's actions

          were taken because  of Serrano's  age.  Appellant  alleges a  few

          facts  that might suggest  discriminatory animus on  the basis of

          her age.   These are:  that she was  replaced by a  woman aged 25

          with roughly  the same  qualifications and with  less experience;

          that  she was treated  differently from younger  employees by DFI

                                         -4-

          management by  not receiving free lipstick samples  and not being

          thrown a birthday party.

                    The  district  court  granted  DFI's  summary  judgment

          motion, ruling  that  Serrano failed  to  establish  constructive

          dismissal as part of  her prima facie case of  age discrimination

          because she  did not show that  there was a problem  with the new

          position that would compel a reasonable person to resign.  Before

          us on appeal  is Serrano's ADEA claim against DFI,  her state law

          claims having been dismissed without prejudice.

                                  STANDARD OF REVIEW
                                  STANDARD OF REVIEW

                    We  review  the  district  court's  grant   of  summary

          judgment  de novo.  Mulero-Rodr guez  v. Ponte, 98  F.3d 670, 672
                    __ ____   ________________     _____

          (1st Cir. 1996).  Summary judgment is properly granted where "the

          pleadings,   depositions,   answers   to   interrogatories,   and

          admissions on file, together  with affidavits, if any, show  that

          there is  no genuine issue as  to any material fact  and that the

          moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law."  Fed.

          R. Civ. P. 56(c). 

                    Under Rule 56, once the moving party has pointed to the

          absence of adequate evidence  supporting its opponent's case, the

          onus is on the party resisting the motion for summary judgment to

          respond  by presenting facts that  show that there  is a "genuine

          issue  for trial."   LeBlanc v. Great  American Ins. Co.,  6 F.3d
                               _______    ________________________

          836, 841-42 (1st Cir.  1993) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty  Lobby,
                                                ________    _______________

          Inc.,   477  U.S.  242,  256  (1986)).    To  oppose  the  motion
          ____

          successfully,  the  nonmoving  party  "may  not  rest  upon  mere

                                         -5-

          allegations or denials of  his pleading."  Anderson, 477  U.S. at
                                                     ________

          256. "The nonmoving party must  establish a trial-worthy issue by

          presenting  'enough  competent  evidence  to   enable  a  finding

          favorable  to  the nonmoving  party.'"   LeBlanc,  6 F.3d  at 842
                                                   _______

          (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249).
                   ________

                                      DISCUSSION
                                      DISCUSSION

                    The  ADEA   makes  it  unlawful  for   an  employer  to

          "discharge any  individual or otherwise discriminate  against any

          individual with  respect to his compensation,  terms, conditions,

          or privileges  of employment, because of  such individual's age."

          29 U.S.C.A.    623(a)(1) (1985).   In  a wrongful  discharge case

          under the  ADEA,  the  plaintiff  bears the  ultimate  burden  of

          proving that  "he would  not have  been fired  but for his  age."

          Freeman  v.  Package Mach.  Co., 865  F.2d  1331, 1335  (1st Cir.
          _______      __________________

          1988).   Where, as here, there is no direct evidence showing that

          the  employer's  actions  were  motivated by  age,  the  familiar

          McDonnell Douglas framework governs.  See McDonnell Douglas Corp.
          _________________                     ___ _______________________

          v.  Green, 411 U.S. 792,  802-05 (1973); Greenberg  v. Union Camp
              _____                                _________     __________

          Corp., 48 F.3d 22, 26-27 (1st Cir. 1995).  Under   the  McDonnell
          _____                                                   _________

          Douglas framework, the employee  must initially come forward with
          _______

          sufficient evidence  to  establish  a  prima facie  case  of  age
                                                 _____ _____

          discrimination.  Here,  Serrano needed to establish that: (i) she

          is  over forty  years  of  age;  (ii)  her  job  performance  was

          sufficient to  meet DFI's legitimate job  expectations; (iii) she

          was constructively discharged; and  (iv) DFI sought a replacement

          with  roughly similar  skills or  qualifications.   Greenberg, 48
                                                              _________

                                         -6-

          F.3d at 26.    Once the plaintiff  has met this modest burden,  a

          presumption of discrimination arises that  shifts the onus to the

          employer  to  come forward  with a  legitimate, nondiscriminatory

          reason for  its actions.    Id.   If the  employer  does so,  the
                                      ___

          presumption of age discrimination  vanishes and the burden shifts

          back to the plaintiff  to show that the employer's  justification

          is  pretextual.   The  burden of  persuasion,  as opposed  to the

          burden of production, rests with the plaintiff throughout.

                    The district court found  that although there may exist

          a factual dispute between  the parties as to whether  Serrano met

          DFI's legitimate job expectations  (the second prong of McDonnell
                                                                  _________

          Douglas),  or indeed  as  to whether  DFI's reasons  for reducing
          _______

          Serrano's  duties  or  transferring  her job  were  pretexts  for

          improper age discrimination, Serrano  failed to establish a prima

          facie case  because, on undisputed  facts, she did  not establish

          constructive dismissal (prong three).  On appeal Serrano contends

          that there  is  a triable  issue  as to  constructive  dismissal,

          making  summary  judgment  improper,  and also  contends  that  a

          finding of  "adverse employment actions" may  provide grounds for

          relief  even  if  a  finding of  constructive  dismissal  is  not

          supported by the record.  We assess each argument in turn.

          I.  Constructive Dismissal
          I.  Constructive Dismissal

                    We must consider de  novo whether, as a matter  of law,
                                     __  ____

          Serrano failed  to make  a prima  facie  showing of  constructive

          discharge.    We have  long  applied an  "objective  standard" in

          determining whether an employer's actions have forced an employee

                                         -7-

          to resign.  See, e.g., Calhoun v. Acme Cleveland Corp., 798  F.2d
                      ___  ____  _______    ____________________

          559, 561 (1st Cir. 1986).  For the transfer proposed by DFI to be

          deemed  a constructive  discharge,  "'the trier  of fact  must be

          satisfied  that the  new working  conditions would  have  been so

          difficult  or   unpleasant  that  a  reasonable   person  in  the

          employee's shoes  would have  felt compelled  to  resign.'"   Id.
                                                                        ___

          (quoting Alicea Rosado v. Garc a Santiago, 562 F.2d 114, 119 (1st
                   _____________    _______________

          Cir. 1977)).   An  employee may not,  therefore, be  unreasonably

          sensitive to a change in job responsibilities.  

                    It  is  undisputed  that  Serrano,   when  offered  the

          position of  "retail manager," was  promised the same  salary and

          benefits she  enjoyed as comptroller.   Salary considerations are

          important in  determining whether  a job  transfer can support  a

          claim  of constructive dismissal.   See Greenberg, 48  F.3d at 27
                                              ___ _________

          (noting  no change in salary in course of finding no constructive

          dismissal)  (collecting cases);   Stephens  v. C.I.T.  Group, 955
                                            ________     _____________

          F.2d  1023, 1027 (5th Cir.  1992) (noting reduction  of salary in

          course  of finding constructive  dismissal); Pe a  v. Brattleboro
                                                       ____     ___________

          Retreat,  702 F.2d  322 (2d Cir.  1983) (finding  no constructive
          _______

          discharge where  job responsibilities  were  changed without  any

          reduction in  pay); cf. N  ez-Soto  v. Alvarado,  918 F.2d  1029,
                              ___ __________     ________

          1030-31  (1st Cir.  1990) (in  political demotion  case, demotion

          without   salary   cut   found   insufficient   for  constructive

          dismissal).    Although  important,  the  fact  that  salary  and

          benefits  have not been  decreased has  never been  held to  be a

          conclusive  factor;   courts applying  the objective  standard in

                                         -8-

          ADEA  constructive dismissal  cases consider  a variety  of often

          case-specific  factors.     See  Greenberg,  48   F.3d  at  27-29
                                      ___  _________

          (discussing salary in addition to assessing new work conditions);

          Stetson v. NYNEX Serv.  Co., 995 F.2d 355, 360-62  (2d Cir. 1993)
          _______    ________________

          (noting  no decrease in  salary, but  focusing mainly  on working

          conditions);   see also Flaherty  v. Gas Research  Inst., 31 F.3d
                         ________ ________     ___________________

          451, 457 (7th Cir. 1994) ("[A]n employer does not insulate itself

          from liability  for discrimination simply by  offering a transfer

          at the same salary and benefits.").  Common sense suggests that a

          job transfer  without a  reduction  in salary  and benefits  may,

          under certain  circumstances,  be unacceptable  to  a  reasonable

          person  who  is  overqualified   and  humiliated  by  an  extreme

          demotion, or underqualified and essentially "set up to fail" in a

          new position.  With this in mind, we turn to Serrano's situation.

                    In the present case,  the fact that after  her transfer

          Serrano  would remain  the  second highest  salaried employee  in

          DFI's  airport organization  takes on  great importance,  for the

          simple reason  that this  is one  of few  concrete facts  we have

          regarding the position  that she  was offered.   Serrano, by  not

          trying  out,  or  finding  out  more  about,  the  newly  created

          position, cannot possibly muster  proof that, in the course  of a

          trial, could lead a jury to find that the newly created  position

                                         -9-

          would compel a  reasonable person with  her background to  refuse

          the offer and resign.3  

                    The precise contours of the new position, which appears

          to  have been  created  for Serrano,  are  unclear.   In  view of

          Lozano's  characterization of the  new position, in  his July 21,

          1994  letter to Serrano, as one in which Serrano "would supervise

          and  be  responsible for  the retail  operation  of our  San Juan

          International Airport stores," it  is impossible to conclude that

          the position would compel a  reasonable person in Serrano's shoes

          to quit.  Based on Serrano's  own sworn statements, she had  held

          general supervisory  duties  over the  stores  for  Aeroboutiques

          (DFI's   predecessor),   and   continued  to   hold   supervisory

          responsibilities while also assuming  accounting responsibilities

          in  her position as comptroller  for DFI.   Serrano considers the

          move  from comptroller  to "retail  manager" to be  a devastating

          change  in  status, but  cannot point  to specific  problems that

          would  arise,  other than  the fact  that  she is  unqualified to
                              
          ____________________

          3   Appellant's basic  contention regarding  the new  position --
          that it involved sales tasks she was not qualified or experienced
          enough  to carry  out --  rests on  bare allegations  that simply
          cannot be verified, because the  position of "retail manager" did
          not exist before it  was specially created for Serrano.   It also
          follows that  plaintiff's argument that the  district court erred
          by  not determining the exact nature of her duties as comptroller
          are misdirected.  No additional precision regarding the nature of
          her  position as comptroller could help  her, in view of the lack
          of evidence regarding her proposed position.  Moreover, Serrano's
          background included  a broad variety of  managerial tasks besides
          strictly financial ones,  having served  previously as  assistant
          general  manager as  well as  comptroller.   When we  do consider
          Serrano's  description  of her  duties,  we find  that  the fluid
          nature of managerial responsibilities  in DFI's organization only
          makes  speculation about  the position  of "retail  manager" more
          unreliable.

                                         -10-

          "push" merchandise.   She cannot prove,  however, that the  newly

          created position  of "retail manager" would  involve a sufficient

          amount  of daily,  hands-on  sales work  to  compel a  reasonable

          person in  Serrano's position to resign.   Serrano's constructive

          discharge claim,  therefore, rests on  speculations regarding the

          new position,  as well as  on her sworn statements  to the effect

          that  supervising retail sales would  harm her dignity.   Loss of

          prestige  in a  job transfer,  standing  alone, cannot  support a

          finding of constructive  discharge.  See Alicea  Rosado, 562 F.2d
                                               ___ ______________

          at 119-20 ("[A]  limited blow to one's pride or prestige does not

          provide reason  enough to  resign during  whatever period  may be

          required to seek judicial relief.").  

                    Of course we cannot  state with absolute certainty that

          the position offered to Serrano  would not have turned out to  be

          strongly  objectionable  to  a   reasonable  person,  as  Serrano

          suggests.  But,  in the summary judgment context, we  need not do

          so.   The decisive consideration  here is that,  by not accepting

          the newly created and  ambiguous position, Serrano foreclosed the

          possibility  of presenting  concrete  evidence, rather  than mere

          assertions, to a  jury regarding  the nature of  her new  working

          conditions.   See Fed. R. Civ.  P. 56(e);  Anderson,  477 U.S. at
                        ___                          ________

          257 (to oppose  summary judgment motion, plaintiff cannot rely on

          assertions in pleadings and must come forward  with evidence that

          a jury could  consider).   We have long  expected that those  who

          seek to initiate ADEA claims will do so while still employed, and

          the  instant case reminds us  of the wisdom  of this expectation.

                                         -11-

          See, e.g., Cazzola  v. Codman & Shurtleff, Inc.,  751 F.2d 53, 55
          ___  ____  _______     ________________________

          (1st Cir. 1984)  ("Even the victim of  unlawful discrimination is

          expected  to  seek  legal  redress while  still  employed  unless

          actually fired,  or constructively  discharged due to  a 'drastic

          reduction in the quality of working conditions.'" (quoting Alicea
                                                                     ______

          Rosado,  562 F.2d  at  119-20)).   Here,  with no  evidence of  a
          ______

          drastic  reduction  in  work  conditions  sufficient  to  support

          Serrano's resignation, summary judgment is appropriate.

                    Moreover,  other  factual   circumstances  tending   to

          strengthen  a case  for constructive  dismissal were  not present

          here.  There was no evidence, for  example, of suggestions by the

          management  of DFI that Serrano  take an early  retirement.4  Cf.
                                                                        ___

          Calhoun,  798  F.2d  at   564  (jury's  finding  of  constructive
          _______

          discharge bolstered by evidence  of repeated inquiries  regarding

          early  retirement).   There was  also very little  in the  way of

          evidence showing animosity toward Serrano on account of her age.5

          Cf.  Greenberg,  48  F.3d  at  28  (finding  of  no  constructive
          ___  _________

                              
          ____________________

          4  Serrano's  contention that DFI's grant of a  48-hour period to
          reconsider the offered job  transfer -- one that she  had already
          turned down -- was a "humiliating action" designed to lead her to
          resign is  very difficult to  accept.  The  July 21, 1994  letter
          from   Lozano    to   Serrano   which   describes   the   48-hour
          reconsideration period also states, "I want to make it absolutely
          clear  to you that no one in  the Company (DFI Puerto Rico, Inc.)
          intends or desires to fire you as an employee of DFI."

          5  On appeal, Serrano places great emphasis on the assertion that
          she  was replaced, in her  capacity as comptroller,  by a younger
          woman.  Assuming this is correct,  she does not contend that this
          occurred prior to  her resignation.   Therefore, while this  fact
          may be  related to  issues  of pretext,  it is  unrelated to  our
          finding  that Serrano  fails to  satisfy the  third (constructive
          discharge) part of the McDonnell Douglas prima facie case.
                                 _________________

                                         -12-

          discharge  "buttressed  by the fact  that [the employee]  couples

          his  allegation  of  constructive  discharge  with  virtually  no

          evidence that [the employer's]  motives stemmed from an animosity

          towards  age.").   All  of these  considerations  lead us  to the

          conclusion that  the district  court properly found  that Serrano

          failed to establish a prima facie case. 

          II.  Adverse Employment Actions
          II.  Adverse Employment Actions

                    Serrano  contends  that  the district  court  erred  by

          failing to  consider whether  she had  established a  prima facie

          case of  "adverse employment actions," as  distinguished from the

          issue  of constructive  dismissal.   Based on  the recitation  of

          damages  in Serrano's  amended  complaint, however,  her suit  is

          plainly  one seeking a remedy for improper dismissal, and not one

          seeking a remedy for adverse employment actions.  Her allegations

          regarding  damages  consist of  the  following:  lost income  and

          benefits  from the  date she  was forced  to resign,  and various

          other  damages she and her  husband have incurred  arising out of

          the economic hardship brought about by her dismissal.  All     of

          Serrano's alleged economic  harms would not  have come about  had

          Serrano accepted the position, which  offered the same salary and

          benefits.  See  Shealy v. Winston, 929  F.2d 1009, 1012  n.2 (4th
                     ___  ______    _______

          Cir. 1991)  (finding no constructive discharge  and holding there

          is no further ground  for relief on theory of  adverse employment

          action, because "appellant would then face the barrier of proving

          any damages when he clearly would have been employed . . . at the

          same salary and benefits.").  For example, the removal of various

                                         -13-

          responsibilities  from  Serrano  in   the  months  preceding  the

          proposed  transfer,  if  they  are seen  as  separable  from  her

          resignation, cannot, even if proven to be discriminatory, support

          this  suit for lost income  and benefits.   Given the way Serrano

          has framed this lawsuit,  relief cannot stem from a  finding that

          the  actions  of DFI,  short of  leading  to her  dismissal, were

          discriminatory adverse employment actions.6

                                      CONCLUSION
                                      CONCLUSION

                    For the  reasons stated  in this opinion,  the district

          court's grant of summary judgment is affirmed.
                                               ________

                              
          ____________________

          6  In fact,  for substantially the reasons discussed  with regard
          to  constructive dismissal,  Serrano fails  to establish  a prima
          facie case under  the ADEA  of adverse employment  action on  the
          basis  of the  proposed job transfer.   See Flaherty,  31 F.3d at
                                                  ___ ________
          457;  Crady v. Liberty Nat'l Bank & Trust Co., 993 F.2d 132, 135-
                _____    ______________________________
          36 (7th Cir.  1993) (finding failure to make prima  facie case of
          adverse employment action where employee, claiming adverse change
          in job responsibilities, did not accept transfer position at same
          salary  and therefore  could not  substantiate claims  about that
          position).

                                         -14-