Moody v. Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Moody v. Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Opinion of the Court
OPINION AND ORDER
Before the Court are Defendants’ Motion for [Partial] Summary Judgment,
BACKGROUND
A. Undisputed Factual Background
In July 2007, Plaintiff began employment with Defendant Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) at the Dick Conner Correctional Center (the Facility).
After filing her charge, Plaintiff continued employment with ODOC, and continued to suffer discrimination and harassment. Shortly after Plaintiff filed her 2008 Charge, Plaintiff alleges superior officers Captain Price and Sergeant Bowers told multiple co-workers to stay away from Plaintiff because she would file sexual harassment charges against them.
In or around January 2009, more offensive graffiti regarding Plaintiffs breasts was scrawled on the walls of the tower work area and in the tower logbook.
On or about December 10, 2009, Plaintiff received a pre-suspension notice, informing her that she was facing a three-day suspension for violation of facility policies and that she had an opportunity to respond to these allegations within seven days of receipt of the Notice.
On December 21, 2009, Plaintiff filed another incident report in which she alleged continuing discrimination, specifically that Cadet Swarts informed Officer Dustin Coen that Swarts was told to stay away from Plaintiff unless he wanted to get in trouble for sexual harassment.
B. Relevant Procedural Background
Plaintiffs 2008 EEOC Charge was filed on October 16, 2008.
In this Charge, Plaintiff cites acts of discrimination beginning July 1, 2007 and
DISCUSSION
A. Summary Judgment Standard
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c) provides the standard courts must use when determining whether summary judgment is proper. According to the rule, summary judgment should be rendered if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits demonstrate that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
B. 2008 EEOC Charge/ Motion in Limine
The first proposition of Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment asks the Court to exclude all claims contained in Plaintiffs 2008 EEOC Charge. Defendants contend those claims are time-barred because Plaintiff failed to file suit on those charges within the 90-day time period set out in the May 2009 right to sue notice.
Defendants are generally correct. “[Discrete discriminatory acts are not actionable when time barred, even when they are related to acts alleged in timely-filed charges.”
Although time-barred evidence is not sufficient to establish a timely claim, nothing in Title VII bars an employee from using such prior, time-barred acts as background evidence in support of an otherwise timely claim.
As a preliminary matter, Defendants do not contest that Plaintiffs 2010 EEOC Charge and Amended Complaint include allegations of reported harassment that occurred within the 300-day filing window.
It is clear that, standing alone, the acts of employees Long, DeAndre, and Sutton alleged in the 2008 EEOC Charge could be considered discrete, individually actionable acts of discrimination. However, the allegations in Plaintiffs 2010 EEOC Charge and Amended Complaint and supporting affidavits of other employees, taken as true and in their entirety, indicate that the actions of Long, DeAndre, and Sutton were also part of a greater culture of sexual harassment that went virtually unchecked by the facility’s chain of command. This unchecked sexual harassment spans Plaintiffs tenure from the time of her 2008 Charge through her termination and, although varied in substance, allegedly occurred with near constant frequency.
The extent to which Plaintiff reported the ongoing, harassing conduct to her superiors is disputed, but there are undisputed reports for which little or no disciplinary action was taken.
In spite of this connection, intervening acts, such as remedial action by an
For example, Jake Long faced no formal discipline for his inappropriate comments to Plaintiff and was merely made to informally apologize to her.
After the Court’s thorough review of the record presented, the “disciplinary action” cited by Defendants’ can in no way be said to have intervened, or corrected the hostile conditions under which Plaintiff allegedly suffered. In light of the record evidence regarding overall disciplinary practices, even so drastic a step as the termination of David DeAndre cannot be said to have intervened, as it apparently did nothing to deter the rampant, similar conduct of other officers. Ultimately, DeAndre’s termination merely demonstrates that supervisors only took action when harassing conduct was both repeated and particularly egregious. Read in its entirety,- the record evidences that supervisors generally took only minimal action that failed to even marginally correct the overall hostile working environment. Consequently, the Court finds that there is no intervening action on the part of Defen-
The record evidence demonstrates that the claims in Plaintiffs 2008 EEOC Charge were part of the same, actionable, hostile work environment practice as alleged in her 2010 Charge and Amended Complaint. As such, those allegations should be considered by the jury. Furthermore, introduction of evidence related to those claims is relevant to these proceedings, and Defendants will suffer no unfair prejudice from the introduction of evidence related to those claims. Consequently, both Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment and Motion in Limine as to this issue are DENIED.
C. § 1983 Claim
In Defendants’ second proposition, Defendant Province seeks summary judgment on Plaintiffs § 1983 claims against him in his individual capacity.
1. Failure to Remedy Hostile Work Environment
Section 1983 imposes liability upon a defendant-supervisor who creates, promulgates, implements, or in some other way possesses responsibility for the continued operation of a custom or policy that causes the deprivation of a person’s federally protected rights.
(l)the defendant promulgated, created, implemented or possessed responsibility for the continued operation of a custom or policy that (2) caused the complained of constitutional harm, and (3) acted with the state of mind required to establish the alleged constitutional deprivation.68
Plaintiff does not point to a specific policy. Rather, Plaintiff essentially argues that, in failing to properly investigate
In support of this position, Plaintiff offers both the incident reports and testimonial evidence of specific instances where Defendant Province was made directly aware of continuing harassment and failed to act upon it.
Although Plaintiff has established disputed questions of fact with regard to whether Defendant Province was responsible for any custom of inaction that may have resulted in violations of her Constitutional rights, Plaintiff must also show that Defendant Province had a culpable state of mind. When, as here, a plaintiff alleges a substantive due process violation, deliberate indifference generally constitutes the required state of mind.
Plaintiff has offered disputed evidence that, taken in a light most favorable to Plaintiff, tends to show (1) that Defendant Province was ultimately responsible for ad
2. Disparate Discipline and Termination Policies
Plaintiff also contends that Defendant Province maintained a policy of disparate treatment where male employees were generally disciplined less harshly than female employees.
Because Defendant Province was ultimately responsible for all discipline and termination matters, a reasonable jury could infer from the evidence proffered by Plaintiff that Defendant Province maintained, and was ultimately responsible, for any policy or custom of disparate treatment with regard to discipline and termination decisions. If proven at trial, this evidence would establish that Defendant Province acted, at a minimum, with deliberate indifference, knowingly creating a substantial risk of constitutional injury (i.e., violation of the right to equal protection) to people like Plaintiff.
S. Qualified Immunity
Defendant Province also invokes qualified immunity. Qualified im
Plaintiffs § 1983 claims rest on allegations and evidence of discriminatory employment practices engaged in by Defendant Province. In discussing whether rights regarding employment discrimination were “clearly established,” the Tenth Circuit has plainly stated: “[t]he protection afforded by § 1983 includes relief from discriminatory employment practices of public employers.”
Plaintiff has offered evidence sufficient to create questions of material fact with regard to whether Defendant Province maintained a custom of ignoring allegations of sexual harassment and policies that propagated disparate treatment of male and female employees. Plaintiff has offered further evidence that supports a finding she suffered injury to her Constitutional rights as a result of these policies. Plaintiff has also proffered evidence that places in dispute whether or not Defendant Province acted with the requisite state of mind to establish § 1983 supervisor liability. Denying both summary judgment and qualified immunity on the basis of such a showing complies with the requirement that § 1983 liability only be imposed upon defendants whose own individual actions cause a constitutional deprivation.
D. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Defendants’ fifth proposition seeks summary judgment on Plaintiffs claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) against Defendant Province in his individual capacity. “To recover damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress, a plaintiff must prove: (1) the defendant acted intentionally or recklessly; (2) the defendant’s conduct was extreme and outrageous; (3) the defendant’s conduct caused the plaintiff emotional distress; and (4) the resulting emotional distress was severe.”
Although the allegations against Defendant Province, if true, are certainly deplorable, this Court cannot find they rise to the level of outrageousness required to support a claim of IIED.
E. Title VII Retaliation Claim
In their Motion for Summary Judgment Defendants argue that they are entitled to summary judgment on Plaintiffs Title VII retaliation claim because Plaintiff offers no evidence that she engaged in protected activity, which is the threshold showing for a claim of retaliation.
Where, as here, there is no direct evidence of retaliation, the Court analyzes a retaliation claim under the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework.
1. Protected Activity
Defendants first attack whether Plaintiff ever engaged in protected activity that could form the basis of a retaliation claim. Defendants argue that Plaintiff failed to report any violations and therefore failed to engage in protected opposition. To support Plaintiffs claim of retaliation, it is crucial that Plaintiffs superiors knew she was engaging in protected activity before taking any adverse action.
Defendants’ argument that Plaintiff did not engage in protected activity for which she was retaliated against hinges on their contention that Plaintiff made only one toritten complaint of sexual harassment after her 2008 EEOC Charge.
Furthermore, there remain disputed questions of fact as to the frequency and
2. Causation
Raised for the first time in their Reply, Defendants also contend that even if Plaintiff can show any protected opposition, she cannot show any causal connection between Plaintiffs protected opposition and any adverse employment actions.
A prima facie case of retaliation requires a demonstration of some causal connection between any adverse employment action complained of and the employee’s protected activity.
Defendants are correct in their assertion that Plaintiff cannot demonstrate any causal connection between Plaintiffs December 29, 2009 notice of suspension and Plaintiffs December 21, 2009 incident report. The events underlying Plaintiffs suspension occurred in November of 2009, and Plaintiff received a pre-suspension notice regarding her imminent suspension based on these incidents on December 10, 2009. This evidence shows that Plaintiffs suspension was implemented eleven days before Plaintiff filed the incident report she alleges was the impetus for her suspension. Although the underlying causes for Plaintiffs suspension, when compared to the other suspension notices in the record, may suggest disparate treatment, the fact that the suspension was decided before Plaintiffs report defeats any presumption that the December 21st incident report was the reason for her suspension.
However, Defendants’ assertion that Plaintiff wholly fails to offer evidence of a causal connection is incorrect. There remain adverse employment actions for which causal connection remains a material issue. Disputed questions of material fact remain as to the nature and extent of Plaintiffs informal reports to Chief Hood that, if proven, could provide incidents of protected activity for which there is a causal connection to Plaintiffs suspension. Further, Plaintiffs termination, clearly an adverse employment action, occurred in
3. Burden Shifting
As the Plaintiff can demonstrate a prima facie ease for retaliation under the McDonnell Douglas framework, the burden now shifts to Defendants to provide a legitimate, non-discriminatory justification for Plaintiffs termination.
Because Defendants have offered a legitimate, non-discriminatory justification for both Plaintiffs suspension and her termination, Plaintiff must provide evidence that demonstrates a material question of fact as to whether Defendants’ proffered reason is a pretext for discrimination.
Plaintiff has offered disputed evidence of the disparate treatment of employees with regard to discipline and termination decisions.
Based on this evidence, the Court finds that a reasonable jury could find that Defendants’ non-discriminatory reason for disciplining and terminating Plaintiff was pretextual and not worthy of belief. Because there remain disputed questions of material fact with regard to each element of Plaintiffs Title VII retaliation claim, Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment on that claim is DENIED.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons cited above, Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED IN PART, DENIED IN PART.
. Page number citations in this Opinion and Order refer to the CM/ECF pagination.
. Docket No. 51.
. Docket No. 55.
. Docket No. 65.
. Docket No. 56.
. Docket No. 67. Defendants' Reply to Plaintiff’s Response to Defendants’ Motion in Limine was due July 10, 2012. No Reply was filed, therefore the Court deems Defendants' Reply waived.
.The following facts are either not specifically controverted by Plaintiff in accordance with Local Civil Rule 56.1(c) or are described in the light most favorable to Plaintiff as the nonmoving party.
. Plaintiff’s Response to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 11, Docket No. 55.
. Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 9, Docket No. 51.
. 2008 EEOC Charge Detail Inquiry at 8, Docket No. 51-1.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id. See also Amended Complaint at 3, Docket No. 23.
. See Affidavit, 2010 EEOC Intake at 10-11, Docket No. 55-2. See also Deposition of Gregory Province at 16, 77:3-12, Docket No. 55-12 (referencing Warden Province’s knowledge of the Price incident).
. See Incident/Staff Report at 1, Docket No. 51-12.
. See Affidavit, 2010 EEOC Intake at 11, Docket No. 55-2.
. Id. at 12. See also Deposition of Shannon Moody at 13-14, 90:20-91:20, Docket No. 55-3. Plaintiff’s Response to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment indicates that the logbook graffiti occurred on December 28, 2008. Although the lewd phrases appear on the logbook page date "12/28/08,” examination of the evidence indicates the January date in Plaintiff's 2010 EEOC affidavit is more likely correct. See also Logbook Note at 2, Docket No. 55-10 (notation by Curtis Hood that he had reviewed the logbook graffiti on 3/1/09).
. See Affidavit, 2010 EEOC Intake at 11, Docket No. 55-2.
. Id. at 11.
. Id.
. Id. at 12.
. Id. See also Affidavit of Dustin Coen at 1-2, Docket No. 55-14; Affidavit of John Sigman at 1, Docket No. 55-15.
. See Deposition of Shannon Moody at 9-10, 84:17-85:6, ("I verbally spoke to Chief Hood about the comments that were made”); 15-16, 96:20-97:23 ("I went and spoke verbally [to Chief Hood].” "I complained to him about sexual harassment, about the harassment about ongoing issues”); 17, 147:4-12 (”Q: Are you claiming that you have made complaints, verbal complaints, that he didn’t act upon?” "A: Correct”), Docket No. 55-3.
The deposition of Chief Curtis Hood also reflects these verbal notifications. See Deposition of Curtis Hood at 18, 115:2-25 ("Q: I mean, was she telling you that a lot, that she felt like she was being humiliated a bunch?” "A: It had to be”).
. See Pre-Suspension Notice at 1, Docket No. 65-1.
. Id. at 2.
.Id. at 2-3.
. See Incident/Staff Report at 1, Docket No. 55-9.
. See Letter of Suspension Without Pay at 1, Docket No. 51-8.
. Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 9, Docket No. 51.
. 2008 EEOC Charge at 1, Docket No. 51-1.
. Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 10, Docket No. 51.
. Id.
. 2010 Charge of Discrimination at 1, Docket No. 55-2.
. Id.
. Id. at 10.
. See Amended Complaint at 2, Docket No. 23.
. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a),(c).
. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).
. Nat’l Football Scouting, Inc. v. Const. Assur. Co., 931 F.2d 646 (10th Cir. 1991).
.Berry v. T-Mobile USA, Inc., 490 F.3d 1211, 1216 (10th Cir. 2007) (citation omitted) (internal quotation marks omitted).
. Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 10, Docket No. 51 ("Plaintiff’s attempt to revive these claims must fail. Plaintiff did not timely pursue legal action on her 2008 EEOC claims, and therefore, all claims asserted by Plaintiff in her 2008 EEOC charge are time-barred").
. Defendants' Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 2, Docket No. 65.
. See Defendants’ Motion in Limine at 3-4, Docket No. 56.
. Nat’l R.R. Passenger Corp. v. Morgan, 536 U.S. 101, 113, 122 S.Ct. 2061, 153 L.Ed.2d 106 (2002).
. Morgan, 536 U.S. at 115, 122 S.Ct. 2061.
. Plaintiff's Response to Defendants’ Motion in Limine at 2, Docket No. 67.
. Id.
. Haynes v. Level 3 Communications, 456 F.3d 1215, 1223 (10th Cir. 2006) (citing Morgan, 536 U.S. at 113, 122 S.Ct. 2061).
. Holmes, 483 F.3d at 1063 (emphasis added) (citing Morgan, 536 U.S. at 117, 122 S.Ct. 2061).
. See Defendants’ Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 1-2, Docket No. 65 (Defendant is not contending Plaintiff cannot pursue a hostile work environment claim, but simply that her claim cannot be based upon the same set of events that she included in her 2008 Charge). See also 2010 EEOC Charge at 1, Docket 55-2 (citing being subjected to unwelcome sexual conversations and pictures); Affidavit, 2010 EEOC Intake at 11-12, Docket No. 55-2 (noting constant rumors/discussions about Plaintiff’s sexual proclivities, "trash-talking,” and sexual jokes; detailing hostile behavior at shift meetings). See also Affidavit, 2010 EEOC Intake at 11-12, Docket No. 55-2 (alleging in June 2009 Captain Price screamed at Plaintiff and stated women should not work there); id. at 12 (alleging in December 2009 Officer Sofian asked for pictures of Plaintiff’s breasts).
.Holmes v. Utah, Dep’t of Workforce Serv.’s, 483 F.3d 1057, 1063 (10th Cir. 2007).
. Duncan v. Manager, Dep't of Safety, City and County of Denver, 397 F.3d 1300, 1308-09 (10th Cir. 2005) (quoting Morgan, 536 U.S. at 120, 122 S.Ct. 2061).
. Holmes, 483 F.3d at 1064.
. See, e.g., Deposition of Curtis Hood at 13, 70:222-73:9, Docket No. 55-11 (detailing minimal investigation of logbook graffiti); Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 4, Docket No. 51 (stating Plaintiff was given markers to cover the tower graffiti); Interoffice Memorandum at 1, Docket No. 51-13 (informing Warden Province that Officer Long was made to apologize for his lewd comments to Officer Cross about Officer Moody).
.See Interoffice Memorandum at 2, Docket No. 55-17 (outlining 2005 instances of harassing conduct by DeAndre); Letter of Suspension at 1-2, Docket No. 55-20 (stating reasons for suspension of Sutton in 2001, years before Plaintiff’s allegations; detailing an uncorrected pattern of sexual harassment by Sutton dating back to 1994).
. See Holmes 483 F.3d at 1064.
. Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 11, ¶¶ 9-10, Docket No. 51.
. See Interoffice Memorandum at 1, Docket No. 51-13; Deposition of Curtis Hood at 6, 44:4-18, Docket No. 55-11 (stating that any discipline received by Officer Long was unrelated to any claims of sexual harassment).
. See Cease and Desist Letter at 1-2, Docket No. 55-22.
. See Sutton Letter of Suspension at 1, 3-4, Docket No. 55-20.
.Additionally, the reported misconduct of these specific officers goes back much farther than Plaintiff’s 2008 Charge. See Interoffice Memorandum at 2, Docket No. 55-17 (outlining 2005 instances of harassing conduct by DeAndre); Notice of Pre-Suspension Hearing at 5-6, Docket No. 55-17 (noting two incidents of unwanted groping, omitting 2005 instances in past-conduct section); Letter of Suspension at 1-2, Docket No. 55-20 (stating reasons for suspension of Sutton in 2001, years before Plaintiff’s allegations; detailing an uncorrected pattern of sexual harassment by Sutton dating back to 1994).
. See Holmes 483 F.3d at 1063 ("[I]f an act on day 401 had no relation to the acts between days 1-100, or for some other reason, such as certain intervening action by the employer, was no longer part of the same hostile environment claim, then the employee cannot recover for the previous acts, at least not by reference to the day 401 act") (quoting Morgan, 536 U.S. at 118, 122 S.Ct. 2061).
. Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 15, Docket No. 51.
.Id. at 20.
. Amended Complaint at 8-9, Docket No. 23; Plaintiffs Response to Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment at 34, Docket No. 55.
. Id. at 9; id. at 36.
. Dodds v. Richardson, 614 F.3d 1185, 1201 (10th Cir. 2010).
. Id. at 1199.
. See Plaintiff’s Response to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 33-34, Docket No. 55.
. Id.
. Id. at 33.
. See id. at 17-18, ¶¶ 22-24 (allegations Plaintiff spoke to Province directly about Price incident and other frequent sexual harassment); 19, ¶¶ 30-33 (allegations Plaintiff spoke directly with Province about Long incident and Swarts/Coen incident).
. See, e.g., Deposition of Gregory Province at 16, 77:3-12, Docket No. 55-12 (referencing Warden Province's knowledge of the Price incident); Deposition of Curtis Hood at 4, 20:9-20; 9, 64:16-66:7; Docket No. 55-11 (referencing Hood's communication of harassment to Province). See also Interoffice Memorandum at 2, Docket No. 55-17.
. See Dodds, 614 F.3d at 1205 (assuming, without deciding, that deliberate indifference constitutes required state of mind for substantive due process violation of preventing arrestee from posting bail); Green v. Post, 574 F.3d 1294, 1301 (10th Cir. 2009) (explaining when plaintiff alleges substantive due process violation and “when actual deliberation is practical” court will employ deliberate indifference standard).
. Serna v. Colorado Department of Corrections, 455 F.3d 1146, 1155 (10th Cir. 2006).
. See Deposition of Greg Province at 2-3, 26:19-27:11; 7-9,49:23-25; 9, 58:1-4, Docket No. 55-12.
. See, e.g., Deposition of Gregory Province at 16, 77:3-12, Docket No. 55-12 (referencing Warden Province's knowledge of the Price incident); Deposition of Curtis Hood at 4, 20:9-20; 9, 64:16-66:7; Docket No. 55-11 (referencing Hood's communication of harassment to Province). See also Interoffice Memorandum at 2, Docket No. 55-17.
. See Plaintiff's Response to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at 33-34, 37, Docket No. 55.
. Id.
. See Deposition of Greg Province at 2-3, 26:19-27:11; 7-9,49:23-25; 9, 58:1-4, Docket No. 55-12.
. See, e.g., Letter of Suspension at 1-2, Docket No. 55-20 (stating reasons for suspension of Sutton in 2001, years before Plaintiff's allegations; detailing an uncorrected pattern of sexual harassment by Sutton dating back to 1994); Affidavit of Dustin Coen at 1-2, Docket No. 55-14.
. Medina v. City and County of Denver, 960 F.2d 1493, 1497 (10th Cir. 1992).
. Ramirez v. Department of Corrections, Colo., 222 F.3d 1238, 1243-44 (10th Cir. 2000) (quoting Poolaw v. City of Anadarko, Okla., 660 F.2d 459, 462 (10th Cir. 1981)).
. Dodds, 614 F.3d at 1200.
. Computer Publications, Inc. v. Welton, 2002 OK 50, ¶ 7, 49 P.3d 732, 735.
. Trentadue v. United States, 397 F.3d 840, 856, n. 7 (10th Cir. 2005) (applying Oklahoma law).
. See, e.g., Gabler v. Holder & Smith, Inc., 2000 OK CIV APP 107, 1164, 11 P.3d 1269, 1280 (noting that employment related facts rarely rise to a level of extreme and outrageous conduct); Anderson v. Oklahoma Temporary Services, Inc., 1996 OK CIV APP 90, ¶¶ 12, 14, 925 P.2d 574, 577 (no IIED where supervisor made lewd remarks about plaintiff, embarrassed plaintiff by discussing her faults while with co-workers); Miner v. Mid-America Door Co., 2003 OK CIV APP 32, ¶ 43, 68 P.3d 212, 223-24, (employer’s alleged failure to quickly reassign the plaintiff after learning of workplace harassment, even if both untimely unreasonable, was not extreme and outrageous).
. Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment at 29, Docket No. 51.
. Defendants' Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment at 8, Docket No. 65.
. See Jeffries v. State of Kansas, 147 F.3d 1220, 1231 (10th Cir. 1998) (citing McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802-04, 93 S.Ct. 1817, 36 L.Ed.2d 668 (1973)) (applying the McDonnell Douglas framework to a claim of retaliation).
. Stover v. Martinez, 382 F.3d 1064, 1071 (10th Cir. 2004).
. Id.
. Id.
. Petersen v. Utah Dept. of Corrections, 301 F.3d 1182, 1188 (10th Cir. 2002) ("An employer’s action against an employee cannot be because of that employee's protected opposition unless the employer knows the employee has engaged in protected opposition”).
. See Hertz v. Luzenac America, Inc., 370 F.3d 1014, 1015 (10th Cir. 2004).
. Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment at 27, Docket No. 51.
. See Incident/Staff Report at 1, Docket No. 55-9.
. See Logbook Note at 2, Docket No. 55-10 (notation by Curtis Hood that he had reviewed the logbook graffiti on 3/1/09). See also, generally, Deposition of Greg Province at 10-13, Docket No. 55-12 (discussing Defendant Province’s response to tower graffiti incidents).
.Further, this allegation mirrors her 2008 informal allegation that Captain Price and Sergeant Bowers informed co-workers similarly, evidencing that the behavior had not been corrected. See Deposition of Gregory Province at 16, 77:3-12, Docket No. 55-12 (referencing Warden Province's knowledge of the Price incident).
. See supra note 22 (Citing discussion of informal reports in the record).
. Defendants’ Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment at 8, Docket No. 65 (stating Plaintiff cannot show protected activity or causal connection).
. See Cahill v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 610 F.3d 1235, 1239 (10th Cir. 2010) (citing Hill v. Kemp, 478 F.3d 1236, 1250-51 (10th Cir. 2007) (arguments first raised in a reply brief come too late)).
. Stover, 382 F.3d at 1071.
. Anderson v. Coors Brewing Co., 181 F.3d 1171, 1179 (10th Cir. 1999).
. Id.
. See id. at 1074 (citing Annett v. Univ. of Kansas, 371 F.3d 1233, 1237-38 (10th Cir. 2004) (concluding that a period of two to three months between the protected activity and the alleged retaliatory action was close enough to establish a prima facie case of causation); Anderson v. Coors Brewing Co., 181 F.3d 1171, 1179 (10th Cir. 1999) (assuming that temporal proximity of two months and one week is sufficient to support a prima facie case of retaliation); Ramirez v. Oklahoma Dep’t of Mental Health, 41 F.3d 584, 596 (10th Cir. 1994) (concluding that a one and one-half month period between protected activity and adverse action may establish causation)).
. Stover, 382 F.3d at 1070.
. See Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment at 21-22, Docket No. 51 (discussing Plaintiff's violations underlying suspension in context Defendant Province’s culpability).
. Defendants’ Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment at 6, Docket No. 65 (discussing propriety of Plaintiff's termination).
. Stover, 382 F.3d at 1070.
. Id.
. See supra note 80 (citing record evidence of disparate treatment and termination policies).
. See Plaintiff's Response to Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment at 37, Docket No. 55 (citing Deposition of Greg Province at 33-34, 142:13-143:12; 37-39, 148:9-150:25) (discussing factual bases of Plaintiff's suspension and termination in the context of actual facility policies).
. Docket No. 51.
. Docket No. 56.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- 1) Shannon Nichole MOODY v. 1) OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, a Governmental Agency, 2) Greg Province, in his Individual Capacity and in his Official Capacity
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published