THE UNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURT

FORTHE MIDDLEDISTRICTOF PENNSYLVANIA

IRISWILKIE,
Plaintiff,
v. 3:12CV580
(JUDGE MARIANI)
GEISINGERSYSTEMSERVICESand
GEISINGERHEALTHPLAN
Defendants.
MEMORANDUMOPINION
I. Introduction
Before the Court is Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 23) on
Plaintiffs four remaining claims alleging Defendants violated both Title VII and the
Pennsylvania Human Relations Act ("PHRA") when they terminated her employment
(Counts I and V) and failed to select her for other positions (Counts \I and VI) based on her
nationalorigin.
1
The record evidence discloses disputes of material fact which preclude,
though barely so, the entry of summary judgment.
Because the Court finds that the parties discharged their initial burdens under
McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 93 S. Ct. 1817,36 L. Ed. 2d 668 (1973),
"the McDonnell Doug/as framework-with its presumptions and burdens-is no longer
relevant" and "simply drops out of the picture." St. Mary's Honor Ctr. v. Hicks, 509 U.S. 502,
510-11,113 S. Ct. 2742, 2749,125 L. Ed. 2d 407 (1993). As a result, the central issue here
1 The parties stipulated to the dismissal of her age discrimination claims in Counts III, IV, VII, and VIII of
Plaintiff's Complaint, which the Court approved on April 10, 2013. (Doc. 27).
is whether Plaintiff has "point[ed] to some evidence, direct or circumstantial, from which a
factfinder could reasonably either (1) disbelieve the employer's articulated legitimate
reasons; or (2) believe that an invidious discriminatory reason was more likely than not a
motivating or determinative cause of the employer's action." See Fuentes v. Perskie, 32
F.3d 759, 764 (3d Cir. 1994). This formulation of the issue follows the holding of Fuentes!
where the Third Circuit Court of Appeals stated,
In particular! we consider the evidence that a plaintiff, who has made out a
prima facie case, must adduce to survive a motion for summary judgment
when the defendant offers a legitimate reason for its employment action in a
"pretext" employment discrimination case. We hold that! to do so, the plaintiff
generally must submit evidence which: 1) casts sufficient doubt upon each of
the legitimate reasons proffered by the defendant so that a factfinder could
reasonably conclude that each reason was a fabrication; or 2) allows the
factfinder to infer that discrimination was more likely than not a motivating or
determinative cause of the adverse employment action.
32 F.3d at 762.
For the reasons set forth below, the Court will deny Defendants' Motion.
II. Defendants' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts
2
Plaintiff, a native of Germany, began working for Defendants as a temporary
employee in March 1999. (DSOF at 1m 5,6). In October 1999, Plaintiff applied for full-time
employment. (ld. at 7). Her application contained her resume "which illustrated that her
entire education, including elementary school, took place in Germany." (/d. at 8; Defs.' Ex.
2 Part II contains the facts as presented in Defendants' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts (tlDSOF")
(Doc. 25) and its accompanying Appendix and Exhibits (Doc. 26). Unless otherwise indicated, it contains those
facts Plaintiff explicitly admits and those facts the Court deems admitted for the reasons discussed in footnote
seven of this Opinion. Part 11/ of this Opinion presents Plaintiff's version of the facts.
2
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B, Doc. 26-2, at ECF3 6-8). Defendants hired Plaintiff as a "Telemarketing Representative/
Inside Sales/Group Service Agreement Projection," aposition she held until 2005. (DSOF
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at 1f1f 9,13). From 1999 until 2005, her supervisor was John Shemo ("Shemo"). (ld. at 11
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11). Between December 11, 2005 and September 29, 2008, Plaintiff held the positions of
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Data Control Specialist and Marketing Systems Analyst. (ld. at 1f1f 13,15).
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From September 29,2008 until her discharge on March 17,2011, Plaintiff worked
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as a Call Center Sales Coordinator. (ld. at 1f1f 21, 84). Defendants' Call Center
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encompassed two departments: "the commercial and small business department and a i

Medicare department[.]" (ld. at 11 22). Plaintiff worked in the Medicare department. (Id. at
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11 25). On May 22, 2009, "Joan Niedjaco ['Niedjaco'] began supervising the Medicare
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department." (ld. at 11 26). "Joan Niedjaco's direct supervisor was Renee Blasi ['Blasi'], who
was the Director of Customer Services." (ld. at 11 35). Both Niedajo and Blasi are "of
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German descent." (ld. at 1111 27,36).4
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According to Defendants, Niedjaco began receiving complaints about Plaintiffs work i
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performance in June 2009. (ld. at 11 43).5 Between June 2009 and January 2010, no formal

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disciplinary action was taken; however, Niedjaco met with Plaintiff to "informally 'coach' and
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'mentor' Plaintiff' to help improve her performance. (ld. at 11 46). On January 19, 2010, !
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Defendants initiated formal disciplinary action pursuant to their progressive disciplinary
3 Aside from depositions, the Court uses the pagination of its electronic filing system for the parties'
exhibits, citing those pages as "ECF X".
4 Plaintiff points out that neither Niedjaco nor Blasi speak German, have ever been to Germany or
celebrate any German holidays. (PI.'s Am. Counterstatement of Facts ("PCSOF"), Doc. 36, at '1'1 41, 69).
5 Plaintiff contends that these alleged complaints were never documented. (PCSOF at 48).
3
policy. (Id. at1m 42,44). Underthepolicy, "an employee, by wayofperformance
improvementplans, is issuedaverbalcounseling, awrittenwarning, asuspensionand, if
performanceissues continue, theemploymentoftheemployeeis terminated." (/d. at1f 42).
Niedjacowrote, and Blasi approved, aVerbal Warning which was issuedtoPlaintiff
on January19, 2010. (Id. at1m 44,54). On January21,2010,Niedjacometwith Plaintiffto
discusstheVerbalWarning. (/d. at1f 47). During themeeting, "Ms. Niedjacoprovided
Plaintiffwith goals and actionitemsthatPlaintiffwas required toaddress." (Id. at1f 49).
Theserequests weresubsequentlysupplementedwith aPerformanceImprovementPlan
("PIP"), whichwas incorporatedintotheVerbalWarning. (ld. at1f 52).
On October8,2010, Niedjacoand Blasimetwith Plaintiff. (DSOFat1f 58; Defs.' Ex.
E, Doc. 26-5,atECF31). "DuringtheOctober8,2010meeting, Ms. Niedjacoand Ms. Blasi
provided Plaintiffwith acopyofherjobdescriptionand askedhertooutlinethoseareas in
which Plaintifffeltsheneededhelp." (DSOFat1f 59). On December13,2010,"Plaintiff
was issuedaWritten Warning, togetherwith asecond PerformanceImprovementPlan, by
Ms. Niedjaco." (Id. at1f 60; Defs.' Ex. BatECF21-25). TheWrittenWarning, which was
reviewed byBlasi, "identifiedthreeareas ofconcern: (1) commission processing
understanding; (2) overduetaskmonitoring;and(3) communication andjudgmentskills."
(DSOFat1m 62,69). "On December16,2010, Ms. Niedjacometwith Plaintifftodiscuss
thecontents ofthe December13,2010Written Warning." (ld. at1f 70).
4
Niedjacowrote, and Blasi reviewed, "a third disciplinarynotice- aSuspension
Notice"which was issuedto Plaintiffon January26, 2011. (Id. atmJ73, 78). "TheJanuary
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26,2011 Suspension Noticecontainedathird, revised Performance ImprovementPlan,
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which specificallyincorporated Plaintiff'spriorPerformanceImprovementPlans[.]" (Id. at
74; Defs.' Ex. BatECF 16-20). TheThird PIPrequired Plaintifftomeetwith an Employee
AssistanceProgramcounselor, to besuspendedforonedayand tobereevaluated. (Defs.'
Ex. BatECF 18;WilkieDep., Defs.' Ex. A, Doc. 25-1, at106:23-107:2).
PursuanttotheThird PIP, Niedjacometwith Plaintiffon February 17,2011. (DSOF
at 80). In an emailtoBlasi and Human ResourceGeneralistDan Smith ("Smith"),
Niedjacostated, "I feel itwas apositivemeeting." (Defs.' Ex. EatECF69). Theemail
contained"PIPupdate,"which assessedPlaintiff'sperformancesincetheSuspension. (Id.
atECF69-73). Although Defendants maintainthat"Plaintiffwas still havingsignificant
performanceissues,"Niedjaco"notedsomeimprovementin Plaintiffsperformanceatthe
meetingofFebruary 17,2011." (OSOF at 82). Niedjacotold Plaintiffthatthey"would
reassess in twoweeks." (Defs.' Ex. EatECF69). Although Niedjacotestifiedduring her
depositionthatshewas "certain"afollow-up assessmenttookplace,shecould notrecall
whetherareassessmentoccurredorwhetheritwas documented(Defs.' Ex. 0,Doc. 26-4,
at77:8-78:3), and Defendants donotappeartoprovideanysuch documentation.
Defendantsdischarged Plaintiffon March 17,2011. (DSOF at 84). Niedjaco, Blasi
and Smithcollectivelymadethe dischargedecision. (Id. at 89). Defendantsprovided
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PlaintiffaTermination Notice. (Defs.' Ex. BatECF 13-15). TheTerminationNotice, written
byNiedjaco, stated:
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Iris received awritten warning on December 13th. She was consequently
Suspended on January 11th. Since Iris' suspension, she has been given
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detailed job responsibilitiesJ and has been asked to do her best with the
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tasks. The tasks are not new, the systems are not new, and Icontinued to
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offercoaching.
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There have been improvements with the frequency of overdue task
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monitoring, but not to an acceptable level. Tasks remain overdue, and
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incomplete.
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Regarding the commission processing &understanding, Iris did make avery
conscious attemptto documentthe process. She is open to suggestions and
advice, howeverthe process remains undocumented and incomplete. Recent I
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review of commission processing indicates questionable judgment calls
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regarding sales agentcreditapprovals.
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Iris' judgment skills continue to require coaching. While this may have been !
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acceptable 2years ago, at this time, considering the coaching which has
occurred overthe pasttwoyears, Ihave notseen reasonable improvementto
provethatthis taskcan belearned.
Iris' performance at this time does not show the required improvement
required tocontinuetoworkin the capacityofthe Sales Coordinator.
Aterminationofemploymentis effective, March 17, 2010.
(Id. atECF 13-14).
III. Plaintiff's Counterstatement of Material Facts
Plaintiffbelieves Defendants discharged herdueto hernationalorigin. (WilkieDep.
at63:17-21). Plaintiffwas born in Germany. (PCSOFat,-r18). She isaGermancitizen
and residentalienofthe UnitedStates. (DSOFat,-r5). Both Blasiand Niedjacoknew
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Plaintiffwas German, and shewas theonlyperson in Niedjaco'sdepartmentthatwas
"identifiablyGerman." (PCSOFatmr 40,68).
Plaintiffalleges thatBlasi and Niedjacotold herthattheywere"notfond of
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Germans." (Jd. at1117). Shetestifiedduring herdepositionthatNiedjacoreferredtoAdolf
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Hitlerin theworkplace. (See id. atmr 12,42). Niedjacowould referto Blasi as "LH,"
or"littleHitler." (Id. at116). Niedjaco"would makejokesaboutHitlerin meetings"and "in
frontofotheremployees." (/d. atmr11-12). ToGermans, "[r]eferencestoHitlerare
particularlyoffensive ...and in somecasesillegalforthatreason inthenationof
Germany." (Jd. at1136).
PlaintifftestifiedthatDefendantstreated herdifferentlybecauseherprimary
languagewas German. PlaintiffallegesthatNiedjacoinstructedhernotto"speakGerman
on personalcalls in theworkplace." (Jd. at1135). "In thesummerof2010[,]Ms. Niedjaco
insistedthatnearlyall ofMs. Wilkie'semails bescreenedbyherbeforeMs. Wilkiesent
them, becauseher'English istoobad towrite.'" (Id. at1116). Additionally, Plaintiffalleges
thatBlasi mockedheraccentand difficultieswith English in an emaiI.
6
(Br.inOpp.at12;
seePCSOF at In theemail, Blasiallegedlycharacterized"a conversation
between Ms. Blasi and thePlaintiffas 'yada, yada' ... 'stutter, stutter,"which Plaintiff
submits"can easilybeinterpretedas adirectreferencetothetroublean individualforwhom
6 The partiesrefertothisemailintheirbriefsand statementsoffactbutdonotappeartoincludethe
emailfortheCourt'sreview.
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English isnottheirfirstlanguagemayhaveconvertingspeech from theirnativelanguageto
English." (Sr. in Opp. at 12).
According toPlaintiff, Niedjaco"would looktoMs. Wilkieforadvice"when shefirst
becamePlaintiffssupervisorin 2009. (PCSOFat 39). NiedjacoallegedlygavePlaintiffa
performancereviewof"exceedsexpectations."7 (Id. at 43, 45). However, Plaintiff
suggeststhatonceNiedjacobecameacclimatedwith thedepartment,herattitudetowards
Plaintiffchanged. (See id. at 10). "Atonepoint, Ms. Niedjacostatedto Ms.Wilkie'I have
learnedalotfrom you, and Idon'tneedyou anymore. Germans can go,'whilewaiving [sic]
herawaywith herhand." (ld.).
Plaintiffalleges, "Ms. Niedjacoadmittedto Ms. Wilkiethaton prioroccasions,when
shedidn'tlikean employeeshewas supervising,shewould changetheemployee'sjob
descriptionquicklytomakeitdifficult,ifnotimpossible, fortheemployeetoperformherjob."
{Br. in Opp. at2(citingPCSOFat 19)). AccordingtoPlaintiff, Niedjacosimilarly
manipulatedherworkresponsibilities to"set[her] uptofaiL" (Sr. in Opp. at20). First,
Plaintiffdisputesthatherworkperformancewas poor. (See PCSOF at 43, 67). She
assertsthatboth Niedjacoand Shemo, herprevioussupervisor,found that"sheperformed
toexpectationsandwas agoodworker." (ld.).
7 DefendantsarguethatPlaintiffmisleadinglycitesNiedjaco'stestimonytosupportitsassertionthat
Niedjacohadgiven Plaintiffapositiveperformanceevaluation. (Defs.'Resp. toPI.'sCounterstatementofFacts
(UDRSOF
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), Doc.40, at 43). However,neitherpartyappearstoproduceacopyofthisperformanceevaluation,so
theCourtcannotassesstheveracityofPlaintiffscharacterization.
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Second, Plaintiff argues that Niedjaco initiated the disciplinary actions against her
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based on unfounded and unverified complaints. (Id. at 48). Third, Niedjaco allegedly
assigned Plaintiff tasks that were impossible to complete. (See id. at 34). Fourth, Plaintiff
suggests that Niedjaco fired her for subjective and unverifiable factors. (Br. in Opp. at 3;
PCSOF at 55). Finally, "Ms. Niedjaco gave the initial recommendation for [Plaintiffs]
termination," even though she "had never given a recommendation to terminate any other
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employee while working for the Defendant." (PCSOF at W57-58).
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According to Plaintiff, she sought alternative employment with Defendants following i

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her termination. Plaintiff claims that she applied for twenty jobs in April 2011 "on the
Defendant's internal job search." (Id. at 1MJ 22, 24, 26). One of the alleged applications
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was for "HR Service Representative 1," a position that Plaintiff stated she was qualified to
hold. (Id. at 31-32). Despite her applications, Plaintiff claims Defendants did not
consider her for these positions. (See id. at 30).
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IV. Standard on Motion for Summary Judgment
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Through summary adjudication, the court may dispose of those claims that do not
present a"genuine issue as to any material fact." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Summary
judgment "should be rendered if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on
file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that
the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Turner v.
Schering-Plough Corp., 901 F.2d 335, 340 (3d Cir. 1990). "As to materiality, ... [o]nly
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disputesoverfacts thatmightaffecttheoutcomeofthesuitunderthegoverning lawwill
properlyprecludetheentryofsummaryjudgment." Anderson v. Uberty Lobby, Inc., 477
U.S. 242, 248, 106S. Ct. 2505, 91 L. Ed. 2d 202(1986).
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Thepartymoving forsummaryjudgmentbearstheburden ofshowing theabsence f
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ofagenuineissueas toanymaterialfact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S.317, 323, 106
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S. Ct. 2548, 91 L. Ed. 2d 265 (1986). Oncesuch ashowing has been made, the non-
moving partymustofferspecificfacts contradictingthoseaverred bythemovanttoestablish
agenuineissueofmaterialfact. Lujan v. Nan Wildlife Fed'n, 497 U.S. 871,888, 110S. Ct.
3177, 111 L. Ed. 2d695(1990). "Inferencesshould bedrawn in thelightmostfavorableto
thenon-movingparty, and wherethenon-moving party'sevidencecontradictsthemovant's,
then thenon-movant's mustbetaken as true." Big Apple BMW, Inc. v. BMW of N. Am.,
Inc., 974F.2d 1358, 1363(3d Cir. 1992),cert. denied 507 U.S.912, 113S. Ct. 1262, 122L.
Ed. 2d 659 (1993). In employmentdiscriminationcases, theThird Circuithasstatedthat
"[s]ummaryjudgmentis tobe usedsparingly[.]" Doe v. C.A.R.S. Prot. Plus, Inc., 527F.3d
358,369(3d Cir. 2008)).8
8 As aninitialmatter,PlaintiffreliesheavilyonReeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prod., Inc., 530U.S. 133,
120S.Ct. 2097,147L.Ed.2d 105(2000)torefutemanyofDefendants'statementsofundisputedfacts. There,the
SupremeCourtsaid, "althoughthecourtshouldreviewtherecord as awhole,itmustdisregardallevidence
favorabletothemovingpartythatthejuryis notrequiredtobelieve. Thatis,thecourtshouldgivecredenceto
theevidencefavoringthenonmovantaswellasthatevidencesupportingthemovingpartythatis uncontradicted
and unimpeached,atleasttotheextentthatthatevidencecomesfromdisinterestedwitnesses:" 530U.S. at151
(internalcitationand quotationmarksomitted).
UnderPlaintiff'sargument,theCourtcannotconsideranystatementsfrominterestedwitnesseswhen
evaluatingamotionforsummaryjudgment. Takingthisargumenttoitslogicalconclusion,acourtcouldnever
consideradefendant'sdepositionoraffidavitbecauseheisan interestedparty,renderingdiscoveryofa
defendant'stestimonyuselessforsummaryjudgmentpurposes. ThistakesReeves toofar,andthisisexactlywhat
theThirdCircuitstatedinLauren W. v. DeFlaminis, 480F.3d 259, 272(3dCir. 2007)(noting"thatinconsideringa
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V. Analysis
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TitleVII states, "Itshall be an unlawfulemploymentpracticeforan employer... to
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fail orrefuseto hireortodischargeanyindividual, ...becauseofsuch individual's ...
nationalorigin[.]" 42 U.S.C.2000e-2(a)(1).9
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A. Counts Iand V: Termination based on National Origin
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"UnderthefamiliarMcDonnell Doug/as burden shiftingtest, aTitleVII plaintiffbears
theinitialburden ofestablishingaprima facie caseofdiscriminationbyapreponderanceof
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theevidence." Storey v. Burns Int'I Sec. Servs., 390F.3d760, 763(3d Cir. 2004). "Ifthe I
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plaintiffsucceeds, theburdenofproduction shiftstothedefendantto'articulatesome
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legitimate, nondiscriminatoryreason fortheemployee'srejection.'" Fuentes, 32 F.3d at763
(quotingMcDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at802).
1. Prima Facie Case
Whetheraplaintiffhas madeoutaprima facie caseofemploymentdiscrimination
is aquestionoflawthatmustbedecided by theCourt. Itrequires ashowing
that: (1)theplaintiffbelongstoaprotectedclass; (2) he/shewas qualifiedfor
theposition; (3) he/shewas subjecttoan adverseemploymentactiondespite
being qualified; and (4) undercircumstances thatraisean inferenceof
discriminatoryaction, theemployercontinued toseekoutindividualswith
quali'f1cations similartotheplaintiffstofill theposition.
motionforsummaryjudgmentthecourtshouldbelieveuncontradicted testimonyunlessitis inherently
implausibleeven if the testimony is that of an interested witness") (emphasisadded). Moreover,theundersigned
hasalreadyrejected Plaintiff'sinterpretationofReeves inTurner v. Luzerne County, 2013 Wl791450,at*8(M.D.
Pa. 2013)and Gazdick v. Solis, 2013 Wl1909576,at*10(M.D. Pa. 2013).
Therefore,forthoseparagraphsin Defendants'StatementofUndisputedMaterialFactstowhichPlaintiff
respondsbyrelyingonReeves, theCourtwilldeemPlaintiff's"denials" as admissions. As aresult,thefollowing
paragraphsfromDefendants'StatementofUndisputed MaterialFacts aredeemedadmitted:~ J 4 1 1 4 , 23, 27, 36,
38,43-46,52-72,78-83,85-92,94,115,117.
9 ThePHRAisinterpretedconsistentlywithTitleVII. Scheidemantle v. Slippery Rock Univ. State Sys. of
Higher Educ., 470F.3d 535, 539(3dCir. 2006).
11
Sarulfo v. U.S. Postal Serv., 352 F.3d 789, 797 (3d Cir. 2003).
The first three elements of Plaintiffs prima facie case are uncontested. The parties
dispute what the fourth element requires and whether Plaintiff has set forth sufficient facts to
satisfy those requirements. Contrary to Defendants' assertion, "a plaintiff claiming
discriminatory firing need not prove, to make out a prima facie case, that she was replaced
by someone outside the relevant class." Pivirotto v. Innovative Sys., Inc., 191 F.3d 344, 347
(3d Cir. 1999). "Even if the plaintiff was replaced by someone within her own class, this
simply demonstrates that the employer is willing to hire people from this class ... and does
not establish that the employer did not fire the plaintiff on the basis of her protected status."
Id. at 353. Rather, a plaintiff may "meet her prima facie burden by demonstrating generally
that 'she was either not hired for [a] position or was fired from it under circumstances that
give rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination.'" Id. at 357 (quoting Waldron v. SL
Indus., Inc., 56 F.3d 491, 494 (3d Cir. 1995)).
Here, the crux of Plaintiffs claim concerns Niedjaco's and Blasi's alleged comments
about Germans and Hitler. The parties' discussion of whether Plaintiff can establish aprima
facie case, however, primarily focuses on potential comparators. Because Plaintiff need not
prove that she was replaced by a non-German, it is not necessary for the Court to engage in
a comparator analysis. See Pivirotto, 191 F.3d at 347.
The Third Circuit has stated '''the elements of that prima facie case must not be
applied woodenly, but must rather be tailored flexibly to fit the circumstances of each type of
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illegal discrimination.'" Doe, 527 F.3d at 365 (quoting Geraciv. Moody-Tottrup, Int'l, Inc., 82
F.3d 578, 581 (3d Cir. 1996)). Further, "the Supreme Court has cautioned that the prima
facie requirement for making aTitle VII claim 'is not onerous' and poses 'a burden easily
met.'" Id. (quoting Texas Dep'tof Cmty. Affairsv. Burdine, 450 U.S. 248, 253, 101 S.Ct.
1089,67 L.Ed.2d 207 (1981)). Considering the evidence in the light most favorable to
Plaintiff as well as the light burden she faces at this stage, the Court concludes that Blasi's
and Niedjaco's alleged statements constitute sufficient evidence of discriminatory animus to
make out aprimafacie case.
10
SeeSewellv. Hertrich Inv., LTD, 825 F. Supp. 2d 503,509,
513-15 (D. Del. 2011) (holding that one comment-"Jamaica[n] people don't like white
people"-made by decision-maker was enough to "giveO rise to an inference of
discriminatory animus" and sufficient to establish aprimafacie case of national origin
discrimination, despite an absence of comparator evidence).
2. Pretext
Plaintiff concedes that Defendants have offered a legitimate, non-discriminatory
reason for her discharge. (Br. in Opp. at 10). As a result, the burden of production shifts
back to Plaintiff to "point to some evidence, direct or circumstantial, from which afactfinder
could reasonably either (1) disbelieve the employer's articulated legitimate reasons; or (2)
believe that an invidious discriminatory reason was more likely than not a motivating or
determinative cause of the employer's action." SeeFuentes, 32 F.3d at 763-64. Plaintiffs
10 Defendants contend that Niedjaco's and Blasi's alleged statements are stray remarks. (Reply Br., Doc.
39, at 15). However, Defendants' make their stray remark argument at the pretext stage. Accordingly, the Court
shall address Defendants' argument in Part V.A.2.
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principal basisforbelieving Defendantsdischargedherdueto hernationalorigin is that
Niedjacoand Blasi allegedlystatedtheyareUnotfond ofGermans"and thatNiedjaco
allegedlymadeHitlerremarks. (Br. in Opp. at1). Defendantsrespondthatthealleged
statements,even ifproven, "would amountto nothing morethan ...strayremark[s]
unrelatedtothedecisiontoterminatePlaintiffsemploymentand, thus, irrelevanttothe
pretextanalysis." (ReplyBr. at 15).
"Strayremarks by non-decisionmakersorbydecisionmakersunrelatedtothe
decisionprocessarerarelygiven greatweight, particularlyiftheyweremadetemporally
remotefrom thedateofdecision.'" Ezold v. Wolf, Block, Schorr &Solis-Cohen, 983 F.2d
509,514,545(3dCir. 1992)(finding thatapartner'scomment-thatthejob"would notbe
easyfor[Ezold]atWolfbecause'shewas awoman, had notattendedan IvyLeaguelaw
school, and had notbeen on lawreview"'-was"tooremoteand isolated"to provesex
discrimination becauseitoccurred "beforeEzoldbegan heremploymentatWolf, fiveyears
beforethe...decision"todenyherapartnership). In ordertodeterminewhetherstray
remarks are probativeofTitleVII discrimination,"theThird Circuitestablishedthreefactors"
toguideadistrictcourt's analysis: "(1) therelationshipofthespeakertotheemployeeand
[thespeaker's role]within thecorporatehierarchy; (2)thetemporal proximityofthe
statementtothe adverseemploymentdecision; and (3) thepurposeand contentofthe
statement." DeCecco v. UPMC, --- F. Supp. 2d ---,2014WL900224, at*45(W.o. Pa.
2014) (citing Keller v. ORIX Credit Alliance, Inc., 130F.3d 1101, 1112(3d Cir. 1997);Ryder
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v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp., 128F.3d 128, 133(3d Cir. 1997)). "Thesefactors mustbe
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considered in totoin lightofthenatureand contextin which thecommentwas made." Id.
(citing Keller, 130F.3dat 1112-13).
Here, Blasiand Niedjacowere Plaintiffssupervisors, and both played arole in her
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dischargedecision. (DSOFatmr 26, 35, 89). Niedjacorecommended Plaintiffs
termination. (PCSOF at 57). PlaintiffallegesthatBlasiand Niedjacotold herthatthey
were"notfond ofGermans"duringameeting in late2009 (ld. at 17;Wilkie Dep. at42:20-
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43:5). During anothermeeting, Niedjacoallegedlystatedthatshewas "notin favorof
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Germans." (WilkieDep. at44:11-22). In addition, PlaintiffclaimsthatNiedjacoreferred to
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Hitlerin theworkplace. (See PCSOF atmr 6-7,11-12,42).
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Niedjacoacknowledges referring toBlasi as "LH,"or"littleHitler." (NiedjacoDep.,
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Defs.' Ex. D, Doc. 26-4, at24:10-21). Niedjacoallegedlyreferred to Blasias "littleHitler"on
atleastten occasions. (DSOF at 106). PlaintiffalsoclaimsthatNiedjacotold Hitlerjokes.
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(WilkieDep. at49:16-50:5). On oneoccasion, accordingtoPlaintiff, Blasi rebuked Niedjaco
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formaking Hitlerjokesand informed herthatit"would bean HRissue." (Id. at46:12-19).
Although thefirstfactorleans in Plaintiffsfavor, as both Blasi and Niedjacowere
supervisorswhocontributed tothetermination decision, therecord is unclearas towhen or I
in whatcontexttheallegedstatementsweremade. Plaintifftestifiedduring herdeposition
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thatBlasiand Niedjacostated thattheywere"notfond ofGermans. .. [i]n 2009 ...maybe
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[the]end oftheyearof2009." (Id. at42:1-43:5). Defendantsinitiatedformal disciplinary
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action against Plaintiff in January 2010. (DSOF at 44). Construing the facts in the light
most favorable to Plaintiff, the temporal proximity between the alleged statements and the
initial disciplinary action would be no more than a few months. Regarding the Hitler
comments, Plaintiff claims Niedjaco made such remarks on at least ten occasions. (ld. at
106). Although Plaintiff asserts that Niedjaco made Hitler jokes, she could not recall the
dates the jokes were allegedly told. (ld. at 110).
The third factor, the content and context of the comments, cuts against Plaintiff.
Plaintiff could not recall during her deposition the circumstances surrounding Niedjaco's and
Blasi's alleged statements that they were "not fond of Germans." (Wilkie Dep. at 42:1-19).
The only detail Plaintiff could remember was that the statements occurred during a meeting
with both Blasi and Niejaco present. (Id.). There is no suggestion that the statements were
made in connection with an adverse employment action.
Similarly, Plaintiff does not appear to allege that Niedjaco's Hitler remarks occurred
as part of an adverse employment action or even that they were directed at Plaintiff. The
undisputed record reflects that "Niedjaco's husband 'coined' the term 'LH' for Ms. Blasi
because Ms. Blasi was very tough with time-off requests." (DSOF at 108; PI.'s Am. Resp.
to Defs.' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ("PRSOF"), Doc. 36, at 108). Moreover,
it is undisputed that "Niedjaco did not ever call Plaintiff or refer to Plaintiff as 'Little Hitler' or
'LH.'" (DSOF t ~ 111; PRSOF t ~ 111).
16
I
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,
In light of the foregoing factors, particularly given that Niedjaco and Blasi were the
I
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supervisors who recommended and approved Plaintiffs discharge, the alleged comments-
at least the alleged statements about being "not fond of' and "not in favor of Germans"-
provide some evidence of discrimination. "Although stray remarks alone are insufficient,
they can support afinding of pretext when there is additional evidence to disbelieve the
employer's proffered reason." Kargbo v. Philadelphia Corp. for Aging, 2014 WL 1632193, at
*11 (ED. Pa. 2014) (citing Waldron, 56 F.3d at 502). Even though the comments at issue
would be stray remarks, summary judgment is inappropriate since Plaintiff offers additional
evidence of pretext.
11
First, Plaintiff asserts that Niedjaco prohibited her from speaking German. (Br. in
Opp. at 16-17). Courts have recognized that "language may be used as acovert basis for
national origin discrimination." Abbasi v. SmithKline Beecham Corp., 2010 WL 1246316, at
*8 (E.D. Pa. 2010) (quoting Montes v. Vail Clinic, Inc., 497 F.3d 1160, 1170 (10th Cir. 2007)
(internal quotation marks omitted)). According to Plaintiff, "Neidjaco [sic] forbade Ms. Wilkie
from conversing with her husband on personal telephone calls in their native tongue, being
told all personal phone calls must be done in English." (Br. in Opp. at 16). Citing the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") guidelines and a case from the Northem
11 In contending that Niedjaco's and Blasi's alleged comments are stray remarks that "should not be
considered in a Title VII pretext case" (Reply Br. at 15-16), Defendants liken the present matter to Valentin v.
Crozer-Chester Med. Ctr., 986 F. Supp. 292 (E.D. Pa. 1997). In Valentin, the court held, "A supervisor's comment on
[the plaintiffs] pronunCiation of 'shopping,' more than two years before her termination, does not establish that
[the defendant's] legitimate reasons for firing her were mere pretext." 986 F. Supp. at 301. In Valentin, "[t]he only
evidence [the plaintiff] offered related to her national origin involved stray remarks by supervisors and co-
workers[.J" /d. In contrast, as stated infra, there is additional evidence here that could lead a reasonable jury to
find pretext.
17
DistrictofTexas, Plaintiffasserts, "anyblanketpolicythatprohibitsspeaking anylanguage
besides Englishon [] workpremises atall times, violates theTitleVII's prohibition against
nationalorigin discrimination." (Id. at16-17(citing 29 C.F.R. 1606.7;E.E.O.C. v. Premier
Operator Servs., Inc., 113F. Supp. 2d 1066, 1073(N.D. Tex. 2000))).
TheEEOC has promulgatedguidelinesgoverning English-onlypoliCies in thework
place. 29C.F.R. 1606.7. Although thepartiesdo notcite, and theCourtis unawareof,
anyrecent
12
Third Circuitcases thatdiscuss 1606.7,aNebraskaDistrictCourtcase
reviewed theguidelinesand discussedtheirapplicabilityin federal courts. Reyes v. Pharma
Chemie, Inc., 890 F. Supp. 2d 1147, 1162-64(D. Neb. 2012). "Theguidelinesdistinguish
between policiesrequiring employees tospeakEnglish atalltimes or'onlyatcertain times.'"
Id. at1163(citing 1606.7).
English-onlypolices applied atall times presumptivelyviolateofTitleVII underthe
guidelines. Id. (citing 1606.7(a)). "Policies appliedonlyatcertaintimes arepermitted, but
onlywheretheemployercan showtheruleis 'justifiedbybusinessnecessity.'" Id. (quoting
1606.7(b)). "Courts haveupheld English-onlypoliciesenactedto improveemployee
relations and protectworkersfrom feeling theyarebeing talked aboutbyothers." Id. at
1165(citing Tran v. Standard Motor Prods., Inc., 10F. Supp. 2d 1199, 1210-11 (D. Kan.
1998); Roman v. Cornell Univ., 53 F. Supp. 2d223,237(N.D.N.Y. 1999)("Severalcourts
12 Kania v. Archdiocese of Philadelphia, 14F. Supp. 2d 730(E.D. Pa. 1998)andSilvestre v. Sera Care, Inc.,
2002WL 32341778(E.D. Pa. 2002)discussed 1606.7;however,thosecasesweredecidedoveradecadeago.
18
haveheldthatan English-onlypolicydesignedto reduce intra-officetensions is alegitimate
business reason.") (collecting cases)).
With respecttotheapplicabilityof 1606.7, Reyes explained,
[C]ourts are split on how to treat these guidelines. The Ninth Circuit has
rejected theseguidelines as contraryto the textofTitleVII. [Garcia v.] Spun
Steak, 998 F.2d [1480],1489-90 [(9th Cir. 1993)]. Afew district courts have
acceptedand appliedtheguidelines. See, e.g., Premier Operator Servs., 113
F.Supp.2d at 1073; EEOC v. Synchro-Start Prods., Inc., 29 F.Supp.2d 911
(N.D. III. 1999). The Tenth Circuit has taken anuanced middle approach.
Maldonado v. City ofAltus, 433 F.3d 1294, 1305 (10th Cir. 2006), overruled
on other grounds by Burlington N. &Santa Fe Ry. Co. v. White, 548 U.S. 53,
126S.Ct. 2405, 165L.Ed.2d 345(2006).
890 F. Supp. 2d at 1163.
Here, Defendantsdonotcontestthelegal validityofPlaintiffsassertion-that
blanketEnglish-onlypoliCies arepresumptivelydiscriminatory. (See Reply Br. at20-21).
Instead,they arguethatthereis nofactual basisforfinding thattheyinstitutedsuch apolicy.
(Id.). Defendants notethatPlaintiffrelies on excerpts from thedepositiontranscriptsof
Plaintiffand Niedjaco. (Id. at19-20).
Plaintifftestified,
Q. Were you everinstructedtostopspeaking German intheworkplace?
A. Yes.
Q. Is Germanyourfirstlanguage?
A. Yes, sir.
(WilkieDep. at143:21-25).
19
Niedjacotestified,
Q. When you had issuewith hercornmunications, whatsteps did you take
tofixthose? Whatrestrictions, ifany, didyou place?
A. The only restriction about the telephone call was, she used her cell
phone and was speaking German. And Ireceived acomplaint from
someone who was uncomfortable, because they felt that she was
mocking them or making fun of them. So Iasked her if she would
please make her personal phone calls outside of her cubicle. That
was therestriction.
Q. Did otherindividualsmakepersonal phonecalls within theircubicles?
A. In my particular department, probably, yeah. We're mostly incoming
phonecalls. Sotherewasn'talotoftimeforit.
Q. They wouldn't be restricted if they spoke in English for making
personal phonecalls?
A. Theywould notbe.
(NiedjacoDep. at41:9-42:2).
Although thepartiesdonotcite, and theCourtis unawareof, anycases fromthe
Third CircuitCourtofAppeals discussing howmuch weighttoafford1606.7,itis
unnecessarytomakethis determination here. Unlikemanycases involving 1606.7,the
presentmatterdoes notconcern ablanketEnglish-onlypolicyin thesensethatitallegedly
applied toallemployees.
13
See e.g., Kania, 14F. Supp. 2d at731; Premier Operator
Servs., 113F. Supp. 2d at 1069. Thereis noallegationthatDefendants required all
employeestospeakEnglish only. (PCSOF at 51; DRSOF at 51). WhetherNiedjaco
13 Plaintiffdoesasserta"blanketprohibition"inthesensethatNiedjacoallegedlyrequired Plaintiffto
speakEnglishatalltimes,includingduringpersonalcallstoherhusband. (Br. in Opp.at16-17).
20
institutedarestriction, as Plaintiffclaims, ormadearequestthatshespeakEnglishwhilein
hercubicle, as Defendantssubmit, thereis nodisputethattheaction taken was uniqueto
Plaintiff. (See NiedjacoDep. at41:12-42:2).
As aresult, ifPlaintiffcan provethatshealonewas prohibited from speaking another
language,then such arestriction would beindicativeofdiscrimination. Thus, issues of
materialfactexistas towhetherPlaintiffwas prohibitedfrom speaking German in the
workplaceand, ifso, whethertheprohibitionwas limitedtowork-relatedcommunications.
Therecord issimplytoounclearfortheCourttodetermine, as amatteroflaw, thatnosuch
prohibitionexistedorthat, ifitdid, itwasjustified by business necessity.
In additiontoallegedlyprohibiting herfrom speaking German, Plaintiffclaims,
"Niedjacoinsistedthatnearlyall ofMs.Wilkie's emails bescreened byherbeforeMs.Wilkie
sentthem, becauseher'English istoobad towrite.'" (PCSOFat1f 16). Forthepurposesof
theirSummaryJudgmentMotion, DefendantsdonotdisputethatNiedjacorequired
Plaintiffsemailstobe reviewed. (DRSOFat1f 16). NordoDefendantscontestthat"the
email restrictions sheplaced on Ms. Wilkiewould havetaken additionaltimeoutofMs.
I
!
Wilkie'sday," (PCSOFat1f50; DRSOFat1f50), Whereas Plaintiffimpliesthattheemail
screeningwas partofplotto"set[Plaintifn uptofail" (Br. in Opp, at20), Defendants argue
thatNiedjaco"onlyreviewed Plaintiffsemails as a'coaching tool'tohelpPlaintiffwith,
I
among otherthings, thetone(orperception)ofheremails," (DRSOFat1f 16). Thus, issues
I
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21
of material fact exist as to whether the email screening evinces national origin discrimination
or was motivated by legitimate, facially neutral business reasons.
Third, Blasi allegedly mocked Plaintiff's accent and difficulties with the English
language. "Accent and national origin are obviously inextricably intertwined in many cases."
Raad v. Fairbanks N. Star Borough Sch. Oist., 323 F.3d 1185, 1195 (9th Cir. 2003).
"Discrimination based upon a person's accent may constitute national origin
discrimination[.]" Wesley v. Palace Rehab. &Care Ctr., L.L.G., --- F. Supp. 2d ---, 2014 WL
956016, at *5 (D.N.J. 2014) (discussing when accent-based discrimination constitutes
national origin versus racial discrimination in the context of a42 U.S.C. 1981 claim); Le V.
City of Wilmington, 736 F. Supp. 2d 842, 855 (D. Del. 2010) aff'd, 480 F. App'x 678 (3d Cir.
2012) (differentiating "disparaging remarks about one's language skills and national origin"
from situations where "an employee's heavy accent or difficulty with spoken English can be
alegitimate basis for adverse employment action where effective communication skills are
reasonably related to job performance") (quoting Yili Tseng V. Florida A & M Univ., 380 Fed.
App'x. 908, 908-10 (11th Cir. 2010)). "National origin discrimination may arise in a case
where aplaintiff suffered from employees mocking her accent, while also being taunted with
phrases that specifically acknowledge aperson's national origin." Wesley, 2014 WL
956016, at *5.
Here, the issue of Plaintiff's accent arises in the context of an email from Blasi to
Niedjaco. (See PCSOF at 1m 60-61). According to Plaintiff, the email characterizes Ua
22
conversation between Ms. Blasi and the Plaintiff as 'yada, yada' ... 'stutter, stutter.'" (Br. in
Opp. at 12). Plaintiff submits, 'This can easily be interpreted as a direct reference to the
trouble an individual for whom English is not their first language may have converting
speech from their native language to English." (ld.). In response, Defendants assert that
Plaintiff "simply quotes part of an email, without providing foundation for the same, and
presents it out of context." (Reply Br. at 18-19).
While the email in question does not appear to be included in the record, Defendants
do not dispute, for the purposes of summary judgment, that Blasi "characterized a
conversation with Ms. Wilkie as 'yada, yada' and 'stutter, stutter[.]'" (PCSOF at 61;
DRSOF at 61). Viewing this in the light most favorable to Plaintiff, and in combination with
Blasi's alleged statement that she is "not fond of Germans," a reasonable jury could infer
some evidence discriminatory intent.
Afourth factor areasonable jury could consider is Plaintiffs work history. Plaintiff
worked for Defendants for over a decade without any formal disciplinary action being taken
against her. Defendants employed Plaintiff from March 1999 until her discharge on March
17,2011. (See DSOF at ml6-7, 84). Despite Defendants' assertion that "Shemo was
forced to counsel Plaintiff' at one point while he was her supervisor, no formal disciplinary
action was taken against Plaintiff until January 19, 2010, after Niedjaco had become her
supervisor. (ld. at 12, 26, 46). Thus, Plaintiffs work history casts some doubt on
23
Defendants' stated rationaleforherdischarge,which was allegedlypredicatedon poor
performance.
Fifth, itis undisputed, forthepurposes ofsummaryjudgment,thatNiedjacotold
Plaintiffthatshealtered thejobdescriptionsofPlaintiffscoworkers, CandiceThomas
("Thomas")and LouiseBelnoski("Belnoski"), "in orderto makeitdifficultforthemtokeep
theirjobs." (PCSOFat 19; DRSOF at 19). According toPlaintiff, Niedjacooriginally"got
alongwell"with Thomas and Belnoskibutlatertold Plaintiffthatshedid not"likeboth of
them anymore"and thatshewas "changingquicklythe[ir]jobsdescriptions." (WilkieDep. at
69:14-70:4). Plaintifftestified thatNiedjacoadded alicensing requirementtoThomas'and
Belnoski'sjobqualificationsbecausesheknewtheydid nothaveapplicablelicenseand
would have"to be letgo." (ld. at70:5-71:19).
PlaintiffassertsthatNiedjacotreated herin asimilarfashion. According toPlaintiff,
shegotalongwell with Niedjacoinitially. However, afterNiedjacobecameacclimatedtothe
department, "NiedjacostatedtoMs. Wilkie'I havelearnedalotfrom you, and Idon'tneed
you anymore. Germanscan go,'whilewaiving [sic] herawaywith herhand." (PCSOFat
10). According toPlaintiff, Niedjacothen tookmeasuresto"set[Plaintiff]uptofail by
giving [her] additionalworkandthen terminating herwhen she [could] notfinish thetasks
shewas neveraskedtodobefore, on topofthetaskshehad always been performingto[a]
levelthatexceededexpectations." (Br. in Opp. at20). As aresult, Niedjaco'salleged
24
treatmentofThomas and BelnoskiofferssomesupportforPlaintiffscontentionthat
Defendants'statedjusti'flcation forherdischargeis apretext.
Sixth, thereis agapin thedocumentationofPlaintiffsdisciplinaryrecordsthatcould
contributetoan inferenceofpretext. Whilethedisciplinaryactionstaken againstPlaintiff
weredocumentedin emails and PIPs throughout2010 and early2011, Defendantsdonot
offersimilardocumentationforthe monthimmediatelypreceding herdischarge. (See
generally Defs.' Exs. B, E). Defendantsfired Plaintiffon March 17,2011. (DSOFat 84).
On February 17, 2011, Niedjacometwith herpursuanttotheThird PIP. (Id. at 80). In an
t
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email to Blasi, Niedjacocharacterized themeeting as a"positive"oneand indicatedthatshe
hadtold PlaintiffthatDefendantswould reassess herperformancein twoweeks. (Defs.'Ex.
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EatECF 69). Niedjacotestifiedduring herdepositionthatshewas "certain"afollow-up
i
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assessmenttook place; however, shecould notrecall whetheritoccurredorwas
documented. (77:8-78:3).
I
,
Finally, Defendants makeseveralassertionswhich donotrebutPlaintiffspretext
f
l
evidencebutareworth brieflydiscussing. Defendants argue(1) thatboth Blasiand
I
NiedjacoareofGerman descent(Br. in Supp. at25-26; ReplyBr. 15, 17), (2)that"Plaintiff
I
!
and herfamilyhaveahistoryofallegingthattheyhavebeen discriminatedagainstor
harassedbased upon theirnationalorigin"(Br. in Supp. at27 n.12) and that(3) Plaintiffhad
!
!
f
afriendlyrelationshipwith Niedjaco(id. at27). Theimplicationoftheseclaims is thatthey
t
I
f
;
25
are inconsistent with Plaintiffs assertion that Blasi and Niedjaco discriminated against her
based on national origin.
In response, Plaintiff argues that there is "a clear difference between a German
national [and] an American who has some German heritage." (Br. in Opp. at 13). Further,
Plaintiff submits that "being a member of a class does not preclude one from discriminating
against that class." (Id. (citing Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Servs., Inc., 523 U.S. 75, 78-
80, 118 S. Ct. 998, 1001-02, 140 L. Ed. 2d 201 (1998)). The Supreme Court has stated,
"Because of the many facets of human motivation, it would be unwise to presume as a
matter of law that human beings of one definable group will not discriminate against other
members of their group." Oncale, 523 U.S. at 78 (quoting Castaneda v. Partida, 430 U.S.
482,499,97 S.Ct. 1272, 1282,51 L.Ed.2d 498 (1977)). Therefore, the fact that Niedjaco
and Blasi are German-American does not entitle Defendants to judgment as a matter of law.
Their heritage, along with Defendants' assertions that Plaintiff was friendly with Neidjaco
and that Plaintiffs family has a history of claiming discrimination, may be the basis for
arguments at trial, but they cannot form a basis for agrant of summary judgment.
In sum, viewing the record in its entirety and keeping in mind the Third Circuit's
admonition that "[s]ummary judgment is to be used sparingly in employment discrimination
cases," Doe, 527 F.3d at 369, Plaintiff has produced enough evidence, though barely so, to
necessitate trial. The Court is mindful that Defendants allegedly discharged Plaintiff in
accordance with their progressive disciplinary policy and that, at trial, Plaintiff will need to
26
convinceajuryboth thatDefendants' proffered reasons forfiring herwerefalse"and that
discrimination was the real reason." Fuentes, 32 F.3d at763 (quoting Sf. Mary's Honor Ctr.,
509 U.S. at515 (emphasis in Sf. Mary's Honor Ctr.)). However, atthesummaryjudgment
stage, Plaintiffneed notmakethis dual showing. See id. at764. It is sufficientthatthe
factorsdiscussedabovecombinetocreateareasonable inferencethat"an invidious
discriminatoryreason was morelikelythan notamotivatingordeterminativecauseof'
Defendants'decisiontofirePlaintiff. See id. Thus, Defendants' MotionforSummary
JudgmentastoCounts Iand Vmustbedenied.
B. Counts II and VI: Failureto Selectbasedon NationalOrigin
Afterhertermination, Plaintiffallegedlyappliedforalternativeemploymentwith
Defendants. Sheassertsthatduetohernationalorigin Defendantsdid notselectherfor
rehire. (Br. in Opp. at26-28). Defendants arguethatPlaintifffailed toadducesufficient
evidencetoestablish aprima facie caseofdiscriminationfor herfailuretoselectclaims.
(Br. in Supp. at30-32). Aplaintiffcan establish aprima facie caseofdiscrimination under
TitleVII "byshowing (i) that [s]he belongs toa[protectedgroup]; (ii)that[s]heapplied and
wasqualifiedforajobforwhich theemployerwas seeking applicants; (iii)that, despite[her]
qualifications, [s]hewas rejected; and (iv)that, after[her] rejection, theposition remained
open andtheemployercontinuedtoseekapplicantsfrom persons ofcomplainant's
qualifications." McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at802.
27
Defendants assert, "Plaintiff has introduced absolutely no evidence - not even her
own subject[ive] beliefs or personal observations - to establish that she applied for even
one position with Defendants, let alone twenty (20)." (Br. in Supp. at 32). Despite this,
Defendants admit, "for the purposes of summary judgment," that "Ms. Wilkie applied for
twenty jobs with the Defendant[s]," including for HR Service Representative 1. (PCSOF at
mr 22, 31; DRSOF at 1f1f 22, 31). Defendants fail, therefore, to establish that Plaintiff cannot
make out aprima facie of discrimination for her failure to select claims.14 Thus, Defendants'
Motion for Summary Judgment as to Counts II and IV must be denied.
VI. Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, the Court will deny Defendants' Motion for Summary
Judgment (Doc. 23). Aseparate Order follows.
14 Although Defendants' Brief in Support contests only whether Plaintiff can show that she applied for
another position (Doc. 24 at 30-32), their Reply Brief appears to raise additional challenges to Plaintiff's prima facie
case (Doc. 39 at 31). In ruling on a motion, "a district court need not address issues raised for the first time in a
reply brief." Dreyer v. Sheaffer, 2009 WL 917829, at *3 (M.D. Pa. 2009). That is because ural reply brief is intended
only to provide an opportunity to respond to the arguments raised in the response brief; it is not intended as a
forum to raise new issues." United States v. Martin, 454 F. Supp. 2d 278, 281 n.3 (E.D. Pa. 2006) (collecting cases).
As a result, the Court does not consider Defendants' Reply Brief assertions that Plaintiff "cannot establish that she
was qualified for the position" and "cannot establish that the position remained open and Defendants continued
to seek applicants." (Doc. 39 at 31).
28