JOHN A. MENDEZ, District Judge.
Michael Eyraud ("Plaintiff" or "Eyraud") sued Swift Transportation Co. of Arizona, LLC ("Defendant" or "Swift") for violations of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Compl., ECF No. 1-1. Swift now moves for summary judgment. Mot., ECF No. 14. Eyraud opposes Defendants' motion. Opp'n, ECF No. 15. For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS Defendants' motion.
Swift is a trucking company that holds safety as a priority in its operations, and expects its drivers to be able to back up their trucks safely. Undisputed Material Fact ("UMF") 2-3, ECF No. 15-1, pp. 2-3. Swift hired Plaintiff as a truck driver in February 2015. UMF 1. At the time of hiring, Eyraud was 66 years old.
In January 2016, Amazon reported to Swift that Eyraud had backed his truck into a set of rollers on Amazon's property. Schrock Decl., ECF No. 14-3, p. 2. Eyraud disputes that this was an accident. Eyraud Dep., ECF No. 14-2, p. 77. Eyraud later wrote Swift that Amazon "put these flats of rollers right next to where we're supposed to back up our trucks to floating metal ramps and I touched this thing, but there were no damage and no report because no damage." Eyraud Dep., Ex. 15, ECF No. 14-2, p. 138. In his deposition, Eyraud testified that the "thing" he "touched" while backing up was "possibly" the rollers Amazon reported he hit. Eyraud Dep. at 164.
Following the Amazon complaint, another Swift driver, Tamara Evans, submitted a written complaint to Swift that Eyraud had hit her truck while backing up. Schrock Dep., Ex. 1, ECF No. 14-3, pp. 6-7. Evans details that after Eyraud hit her trailer, she confronted him and he claimed "he just scratched it . . .
In February 2016, Swift sent Eyraud to Lathrop, California to work with a trainer, Dennis Rogers, on his backing skills. Eyraud Dep. at 78-80. Eyraud believes that Rogers verbally told him that he passed the one-day training.
Swift sent Eyraud down to its Phoenix terminal in March 2016 to trade in his truck and receive additional back-up training from John Kramer. Eyraud Dep. at 82-83. For three days, Eyraud worked with Kramer on how to back-up his truck safely.
Kramer reported to Swift that Eyraud was not able to safely back-up a truck. Schrock Decl., Ex. 3, pp. 2-9. Kramer stated that Eyraud struggled to understand the concept of backing and rated him a 2 out of 10 on his backing skills after two days of class.
After those three days of training, Swift did not replace Eyraud's truck.
Supervisors at Swift determined, based on the information provided by Rogers and Kramer, that Eyraud was not a safe driver in a close quarters backing situation. Lauletta Decl., Ex. 1, pp. 2-4. On April 1, 2016, Eyraud's supervisor, Trevor Schrock, called Eyraud to terminate him. Eyraud Dep. at 102. Following his termination, Eyraud submitted a feedback report to Swift regarding his termination. Eyraud Dep., Ex. 15, ECF No. 14-2, p. 138. In that report, Eyraud voiced disapproval for the reasons he was terminated.
Other than Kramer's remark that Eyraud was "old and brittle," Eyraud recalls one other age-related remark made during his employment at Swift.
Eyraud claims that Swift's termination of him constituted age discrimination because he had driven for another trucking company for over a year without being fired and received a safety award from that company while home with a broken hand.
Eyraud brought suit in San Joaquin County Superior Court on March 14, 2017, alleging: (1) harassment based on age in violation of FEHA, California Government Code §§ 12940 and 12941; (2) discrimination based on age in violation of FEHA, California Government Code §§ 2940 and 12941; (3) retaliation based on age in violation of FEHA, California Government Code §§ 12940 and 12941; and (4) retaliation and wrongful termination in violation of public policy. Compl. at 2-20. Swift removed this action to federal court on diversity grounds. Notice of Removal, ECF No. 1. Swift seeks summary judgment on all of Eyraud's claims, as well as on Eyraud's request for punitive damages. Mot. at 23-24.
Eyraud's first cause of action alleges that Swift harassed him based on age in violation of FEHA §§ 12940 and 12941.
FEHA prohibits age-based harassment of employees. Cal. Gov't Code § 12940(j)(1). FEHA-qualifying harassment is "conduct outside the scope of necessary job performance, conduct presumably engaged in for personal gratification, because of meanness or bigotry, or for other personal motives," rather than "performance of necessary personnel management duties."
There is no dispute that under FEHA Eyraud qualifies as a member of a protected group because he is over the age of 40. The Court also assumes without deciding that he was subject to inappropriate comments based on his age, rather than other characteristics. The primary dispute is whether the comments Eyraud alleges rise to the level of creating a hostile work environment.
"[O]nly behavior so objectively offensive as to alter the `conditions' of the victim's employment" creates a hostile work environment.
Annoying or merely offensive comments in the workplace are not actionable.
Here, the two isolated instances of alleged misconduct by Swift employees do not rise to the level of creating a hostile work environment for Eyraud. A reasonable jury could not find that the singular instance of Brown publicly asking Plaintiff, "Exactly how old are you?" was severe, threatening, or humiliating enough to unreasonably interfere with Eyraud's work performance or create a hostile work environment. Similarly, Kramer telling Eyraud that he was "old and brittle, and [he had] to turn around to look to see where the trailer is going," may be offensive, but a reasonable jury could not find it created a hostile work environment. The comment was not accompanied by physical threats or humiliation and was not part of a concerted or repeat pattern of discrimination.
The evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to Eyraud, does not meet the legal standard of harassment under FEHA. The Court grants summary judgment to Swift on Eyraud's first claim.
Eyraud's second cause of action alleges that Swift discriminated against him based on age in violation of FEHA §§ 12940 and 12941. Compl. at 8-13. Swift moves for judgment on Eyraud's discrimination claim, arguing that he cannot establish a prima facie case of discrimination under the
Eyraud's opposition asserts that the two comments made to him by Brown and Kramer constitute direct evidence of age discrimination. Yet none of the cases Eyraud relies upon support the argument that the two isolated statements here are direct evidence of discrimination.
Eyraud then argues that "direct evidence of illegal motivation usually takes the form of derogatory statements concerning a plaintiff's protected status" and "[s]uch derogatory statements create an inference of discriminatory motive." Opp'n at 11. Direct evidence does not require one to infer a motive—it is indirect evidence that requires such an inference.
The Court next examines Plaintiff's indirect evidence under the
To prevail on a summary judgment motion, an employer is required to show that (1) the plaintiff could not establish one of the elements of his FEHA claim or (2) there was a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for its decision to terminate plaintiff's employment.
Eyraud "must carry the initial burden under the statute of establishing a
Assuming, without deciding, that Eyraud carried the minimal burden of establishing a prima facie case of age discrimination, his claim still fails under the pretext step of the
Once an employee establishes a prima facie case of discrimination, the burden shifts to the employer to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the adverse employment action.
Swift asserts that Eyraud was terminated because his inability to back up his truck in January 2016 raised serious safety concerns. Mot. at 8. The company received two separate complaints—one from a customer and one from an employee—that Eyraud was unable to back up his truck safely. Swift then sent Eyraud to training to verify whether the complaints were accurate. After several days of training from two instructors at different facilities, Swift confirmed that Eyraud lacked sufficient skills to back up his truck safely.
Although Eyraud disputes the veracity of the complaints about his backing ability, the proper inquiry is not whether Eyraud actually committed the acts alleged in the complaints.
Where an employer is able to demonstrate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the adverse employment action, the burden shifts back to the employee to show that the employer's proffered reason was a pretext for discrimination.
Eyraud argues that he has shown pretext because (1) he had not been in enough accidents to raise his safety score to the level that required intervention; (2) he was "forced" into backup training and believed Swift's Get Out And Look (GOAL) policy necessitated him to seek assistance from others when backing up his truck; (3) the decision to terminate him was made on a subjective assessment; (4) he was not told about the complaints at the time Swift received them; (5) he does not believe that Swift had sufficient corroborating documentation about his performance deficiencies; (6) there was a "culture of bias" against older employees; and (7) he was treated differently than younger employees. Each of Eyraud's arguments fails.
First, Eyraud has not provided legal precedent or company policies that require Swift to wait until an employee repeatedly damages property or badly injures someone to terminate an employee who exhibits attributes that could cause an accident. The policy Eyraud references does not limit termination to only those drivers who had been in a certain number of crashes or accidents.
Second, there is no evidence that Eyraud was "forced" to attend remedial backing training. Opp'n at 14. Eyraud stated that he accepted the "opportunity" to receive more training in this area. Eyraud Dep. at 83. Eyraud's citation to
Third, Eyraud's argument that he was terminated based on subjective assessments ignores much of the evidence. Eyraud relies entirely on Kramer's evaluation of his backing ability; however, Swift presented evidence that the termination decision came after multiple independent reports that Eyraud was unable to back up his truck safely. Moreover, the cases Eyraud cited regarding the subjectivity inherent in employment decisions based on "soft skills" are distinct from the instant case.
Fourth, Eyraud's argument that he was not immediately notified about Amazon's and Evan's complaints does not demonstrate pretext. Eyraud argues the complaints are disputed because he was not immediately told about them. And while Eyraud disputes the veracity of the complaints Swift received about his ability to safely back up the truck, the proper inquiry is not whether Eyraud actually committed the acts alleged in the complaints.
Fifth, the record contradicts Eyraud's argument that there was an absence of corroborating documentation about his performance deficiencies. Eyraud relies on
Sixth, Eyraud's claim that Swift had a "corporate culture of bias" is belied by the record. "[M]ere discriminatory thoughts or stray remarks are not sufficient to establish liability under the FEHA."
Seventh, Eyraud fails to present a single piece of evidence to support his claim that he was treated differently than younger employees. The case upon which Eyraud relies—an abrogated, 20-year-old opinion from another circuit—states that a plaintiff may show pretext through disparate treatment by proving a disparity between the plaintiff and other employees "similarly situated in all relevant respects."
In sum, Eyraud has not presented evidence upon which a reasonable jury could conclude Swift's reason for termination was mere pretext for age discrimination.
Finally, Eyraud argues that he has proven discriminatory animus under the cat's paw theory of discrimination. Opp'n at 19-21. This argument also fails. Under the theory, a discrimination claim may arise "where the ultimate decision-maker, lacking individual discriminatory intent, takes an adverse employment action in reliance on factors affected by another decision-maker's discriminatory animus."
The Court grants summary judgment to Swift on Eyraud's second claim because the evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to Eyraud, does not meet the legal standard of discrimination under FEHA.
Eyraud's third cause of action alleges that Swift retaliated against him based on age in violation of FEHA §§ 12940 and 12941. Compl. at 13-17. Swift argues the claim must be dismissed for several reasons, primarily that Eyraud has not provided evidence that he engaged in a protected activity.
To prevail on a FEHA retaliation claim, "a plaintiff must show (1) involvement in a protected activity, (2) an adverse employment action and (3) a causal link between the two."
Rather than identify the "protected activity" upon which his retaliation claim depends, Eyraud provides the elements of a FEHA retaliation claim and concludes, without citing to any evidence, that he has met his burden. Opp'n at 18. Although Eyraud's Complaint alleges that retaliation was based on "complaining about and reporting . . . inappropriate conduct," no evidence was presented that Eyraud ever complained about, let alone reported, the two comments he believes were inappropriate. Compl. at 14 ¶ 41(f).
The evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to Eyraud, does not meet the legal standard of retaliation under FEHA. The Court grants summary judgment to Swift on Eyraud's third claim.
Eyraud's fourth cause of action alleges that Swift retaliated against him and wrongfully terminated him in violation of public policy. Compl. at 17-20. In California, a plaintiff establishes a claim for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy by proving that (1) he was employed by the defendant, (2) the defendant discharged him, (3) a violation of public policy substantially motivated the discharge, and (4) the discharge caused him harm.
Eyraud has not identified a public policy under which his claim arises. Accordingly, it appears Eyraud's wrongful termination is derivative of his three preceding FEHA claims. He cites to
Just as each of Eyraud's other claims have failed, so too does his claim for retaliation and wrongful termination in violation of public policy. The Court grants Swift summary judgment on Eyraud's fourth claim.
For the reasons set forth above, the Court GRANTS Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment in its entirety.