Young v. Trinity Property Consultants, LLC
Young v. Trinity Property Consultants, LLC
Opinion of the Court
MEMORANDUM
Lilia Young (“Young”) appeals the district court’s adverse grant of summary judgment on her three employment discrimination claims.
We apply the McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802-05, 93 S.Ct. 1817, 36 L.Ed.2d 668 (1973), burden-shifting method of proof in evaluating Young’s discrimination and retaliation claims. Bergene v. Salt River Project Agric. Improvement & Power Dist., 272 F.3d 1136, 1140-41 (9th Cir. 2001); Walker v. City of Lakewood, 272 F.3d 1114, 1128 (9th Cir. 2001). If the plaintiff presents a prima facie claim, then “the burden shifts to the defendant to articulate a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for its decision.” Walker, 272 F.3d at 1128. “If the defendant articulates such a reason, the plaintiff bears the ultimate burden of demonstrating that the reason was merely a pretext for a discriminatory motive.” Id. To avoid summary judgment, the plaintiff must produce “ ‘specific, substantial evidence of pretext.’ ” Collings v. Longview Fibre Co., 63 F.3d 828, 834 (9th Cir. 1995) (quoting Steckl v. Motorola, Inc., 703 F.2d 392, 393 (9th Cir. 1983)).
Trinity Property’s belief that Young tampered with company computer records to indicate that she had paid October rent constitutes a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for her termination. The material fact is not whether Young actually altered
AFFIRMED.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and may not be cited to or by the courts of this circuit except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
. Young’s request for judicial notice of the Order Accepting Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero is granted.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.