Court Opinion

ID: 9487157
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 12:09:47.692021+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:52:07.696123
License: Public Domain

HEANEY, Senior Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I agree that Margaret Gill established a prima facie ease and that the school district responded with a facially legitimate, nondiscriminatory explanation for her discharge. The critical question that remains is what motivated the superintendent to remove Gill from the list of acceptable substitute teachers. Did he remove her in good faith reliance on Askew’s report or because of her race? I agree with the majority that “[w]e are not concerned with the correctness or wisdom of the reason given for the superintendent’s decision,” but only whether the reported incident was the real reason for Gill’s termination or a pretext for racial discrimination. I do not agree, however, with the majority’s assertion that whether the superintendent should have investigated the incident is irrelevant to our inquiry. His failure to investigate reflects not only on the soundness of his decision to remove Gill from the list of qualified substitute teachers but also on his motivation in making that decision. If there is evidence in the record from which a factfinder could conclude that the superintendent discharged Gill because of her race, we must remand this matter to the district court for further proceedings.
*380After a careful review of the record I am convinced that a trier of fact could conclude that the superintendent removed Gill’s name from the list of substitute teachers because of her race. If this case went to trial, the factfinder could, of course, agree with the school district’s position because clearly there is evidence to support that position. On the other hand, the record also contains evidence that, if construed in the light most favorable to Gill and giving Gill the benefit of all permissible inferences, would permit the factfinder to conclude that the superintendent acted with a discriminatory purpose.
The Festus School District enrolls a significant number of black students. During the school years 1990-91, 1991-92, and 1992-93 there were no black teachers at Festus Middle School. Deposition of John Richeson (Aug. 20, 1992), App. at 246. At the time of her removal, Gill was the only black substitute teacher. Id. at 244. Robert Taylor came to the Festus School District as superintendent in 1988 and has continued in that post to the present time. Gill had taught in the senior high school for twenty-six years until her retirement after the 1988-89 school year, and she worked as a substitute teacher in the middle school during the next two school years until she was removed from the list. The middle school principal, John Richeson, considered her his top substitute teacher because regular classroom teachers would often specifically request that Gill teach their classes when they were absent. Deposition of Margaret Gill (Sept. 30, 1992), App. at 225. Richeson, whose sons had been taught by Gill, thought she was a good teacher. Richeson Depo., App. at 234.
Gill’s removal was initiated by events that occurred after she had substituted for Angela Farrell at the middle school. The day Farrell returned to her classroom, several students reported that Gill had twice called a student, Marsan Davis, a “nigger.” Deposition of Angela Farrell (Sept. 30, 1992), App. at 251. Farrell informed the middle school counselor, Susan Askew, and Principal Riche-son. Id. at 252. Askew spoke to Davis about the incident, and at least two other boys specifically told Askew they had heard Gill call Davis a “nigger.” Deposition of Susan Askew (Aug. 20,1992), App. at 133-35. Later that day Askew was in the Central Office and mentioned the incident to Terry Coleman, the head of instruction and Askew’s direct supervisor as a counselor, who suggested she report the matter to Superintendent Taylor. Id. at 138. According to the school district, a short time later Askew and Coleman informed Taylor of the incident but did not tell him the identity of the substitute teacher until after Taylor had decided that the teacher should be removed from the list of substitute teachers. Id. at 139; Deposition of Terry Coleman (Sept. 30, 1992), App. at 145; Deposition of Robert Taylor (Sept. 30, 1992), App. at 147. Taylor did not talk to Gill or consult with Principal Richeson before making his decision.
Richeson stated that it was his responsibility to handle complaints about substitute teachers and that he “definitely” intended to give Gill a chance to respond to the accusation against her.1 Richeson Depo., App. at 236-37, 239. He never had this opportunity, however, because less than a week after the reported incident Richeson was informed that Gill had been removed from the list of substitute teachers. Id. at 237.
Gill stated that Superintendent Taylor knew her and therefore knew she was African-American. He once approached her in the middle school library when she was substitute teaching and, calling her by name, asked her how she was doing. Affidavit of Margaret Gill (Feb. 19, 1993), App. at 175. They also attended the same church, where Gill has spoken before the congregation several times. Id.
Although the evidence is not strong, I believe it is sufficient to raise an inference of pretext so as to preclude summary judgment. Although Askew, Coleman, and Taylor all stated that Taylor made his decision before knowing the identity of the substitute teacher who had been accused, this evidence is not dispositive. Such testimony is self-serving *381for the school district and, though a trier of fact would be free to credit it, the fact that the three school district employees gave a uniform version of the meeting does not end our inquiry into pretext. Superintendent Taylor acted precipitously and on a slim investigatory foundation, did not ask whether anyone had talked to the teacher about the accusation, and failed to consult Principal Richeson, who ordinarily handled such complaints, before terminating this highly regarded substitute teacher with longtime service to the school district. Viewing the evidence as a whole, a trier of fact could conclude that Taylor knew that the accused teacher was Gill and that she was African-American, and that he removed her from the substitute teacher list because of her race. See Rademaker v. Nebraska, 906 F.2d 1809, 1312 (8th Cir.1990) (lack of in-depth investigation before termination may support inference that employer’s motives were not legitimate). I would reverse the summary judgment and remand this case to the district court for further proceedings.

. There was only one other incident in which someone had been removed from the list of qualified substitute teachers. Richeson's son had been removed from the list after admitting to Richeson that he threw an eraser at a student. Richeson Depo., App. at 240-41.