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Mann v. Hutchinson, 10th Cir. (1999)
Mann v. Hutchinson, 10th Cir. (1999)
NOV 23 1999
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
PATRICIA K. MANN,
Plaintiff-Appellant and
Cross-Appellee,
v.
HUTCHINSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
U.S.D. 308,
Defendant-Appellee and
Cross-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal.
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
discrimination claim. Her retaliation claim was submitted to the jury. A mistrial
was declared after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
defendant moved to dismiss the retaliation claim. The court granted the motion.
In appeal No. 98-3307, Ms. Mann argues that the district court erred in
granting defendants motion to dismiss her retaliation claim. She also asserts she
met her burden to state a retaliation claim and the second trial should proceed.
Ms. Mann does not contest the dismissal of her sex discrimination claim. In
appeal No. 98-3318, defendant cross-appeals the district courts denial of its
Rule 50 motion as to Ms. Manns retaliation claim.
Ms. Mann states that the jury found that she had been retaliated against, but
was unable to agree on damages. The record does not support this assertion. The
district court stated that the jury was unable to reach a verdict on her retaliation
claim. We accept the district courts characterization.
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Ms. Mann argues that defendants motion to dismiss was untimely because
it was not filed until just prior to the second trial. Ms. Mann contends defendant
was actually seeking reconsideration, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59
, of the
during trial, but after the first trial and before the second trial was scheduled to
begin. Thus, the motion to dismiss was not filed pursuant to Rule 50(a)(2).
We conclude that the motion to dismiss was filed pursuant to
Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). A Rule 12(b) motion to dismiss may be made in
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1228 (10th Cir. 1987); see also Moodie v. Federal Reserve Bank
13 (S.D.N.Y. 1994) (Rule 12(b)(6) motion not waived even if not made until the
eve of re-trial after the first trial was declared a nullity, as long as it is filed
before any merits determination is made on plaintiffs claim). Defendants
motion was timely.
A Rule 12(b)(6) motion must be based only on the facts stated in the
pleadings. See Rule 12(b)(6). A review of the motion shows that defendant
referred to matters outside the pleadings, including the evidence presented at trial.
When a party files a motion to dismiss, but relies on matters outside the
pleadings, and those matters are not excluded by the court in its consideration, the
motion must be treated as
and notice must be given to the opposing party permitting it to also present all
material made pertinent.
Id.
The district court considered all the materials to which defendant referred.
Thus, the motion was converted to one for summary judgment. Ms. Mann was
not given notice of this conversion. However, the lack of notice was harmless
error as Ms. Mann responded in kind and discussed the evidence she presented at
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1996), and cases cited therein. The Rule 12(b)(6) motion was properly converted
to a motion for summary judgment and was properly considered by the district
court.
We review the entry of summary judgment de novo, drawing all
reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmovants. Hulsey v. Kmart, Inc.,
43 F.3d 555, 557 (10th Cir. 1994). The moving party must show there is no
genuine issue as to any material fact and it is entitled to judgment as a matter of
law. See id. The nonmovant must establish, at a minimum, an inference of the
presence of each element essential to the case. See id.
411 U.S. 792, 802-04 (1973), guides our review of a retaliation claim.
See
Anderson v. Coors Brewing Co. , 181 F.3d 1171, 1178 (10th Cir. 19 99). First,
Ms. Mann must establish a prima facie case of retaliation.
Jeffries v. Kansas , 147 F.3d 1220, 1231 (10th Cir. 1998) (quotation omitted). To
prevail on the first prong,
See
Love v. Re/Max of Am., Inc. , 738 F.2d 383, 385 (10th Cir. 19 84) (opposition
activity is protected even when based on mistaken good faith belief). Thus, Ms.
Mann must show that, at the time she told her supervisor, Ray Atkins, she
thought he was discriminating against her, the actions she complained of were
ones she reasonably could have believed had been taken due to her sex.
Here the issue is whether Ms. Mann met the first prong of a prima facie
case. She has established an adverse employment action.
Inc. v. Ellerth , 524 U.S. 742, 761 (1998) (A tangible employment action
constitutes a significant change in employment status, such as hiring, firing,
failing to promote, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, or
a decision causing a significant change in benefits.)
established the third prong, if we determine that she has met the first prong, as
her termination occurred twelve days after she threatened to file discrimination
charges. See Chavez v. City of Arvada , 88 F.3d 861, 866 (10th Cir. 1996)
(retaliatory motive may be inferred when an adverse action closely follows
protected activity).
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Ms. Mann argues that she has met the first prong because she had a
reasonable good faith belief that she was the object of gender discrimination. To
support her argument, Ms. Mann cites to evidence she presented demonstrating
that her problems with Mr. Atkins began when he was appointed her supervisor.
In her complaint, she alleged that Mr. Atkins derogated her authority to her crew,
scrutinized her more than other employees, made sarcastic remarks about her to
other employees, delayed requesting raises for her, criticized her for using an
indoor toilet rather than a tree on the school grounds, and investigated a
Christmas gift she received from a local nursery.
At trial, Mr. Atkins stated that some of her crew had complained to him
that Ms. Mann was showing favoritism to others
Ms. Mann
admitted that, as a supervisor, more was expected of her than of her crew
members and that she should not show favoritism towards her crew members.
See Appendix at 171:23.
Ms. Mann testified that when she asked for a pay increase, Mr. Atkins told
her she was making more money than many men with families.
However, she subsequently received the largest raise she had ever received as a
supervisor. See id. at 170:17. Mr. Atkins also wrote her a very favorable
recommendation when the request was submitted.
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Ms. Mann testified that a male employee spent $80.00 of school funds on
long distance phone calls for which he was put on probation and was required to
repay the funds.
See id. at 110:82. Ms. Mann did not testify that she knew, at
the time she told Mr. Atkins he was discriminating against her, that one of the
issues supporting her termination would be that she kept $2.99
beyond a conclusory statement, that male employees had received similar gifts
without any investigation at all.
Ms. Mann testified that Mr. Atkins made unwelcome comments to her and
about her to others. However, she failed to show that any of them were sexually
motivated. Ms. Manns husband testified that his wife thought that Mr. Atkins
treated her differently than other employees, but he did not indicate that she
thought Mr. Atkins generally treated women differently from men.
See id. at
135:183-84; 136:186.
Ms. Mann presented no evidence establishing that she had a reasonable
good faith belief that she was the object of unlawful sexual discrimination. She
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has failed to meet the first prong of the prima facie case. Therefore, we AFFIRM
the judgment of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas in
appeal No. 98-3307. We DISMISS appeal No. 98-3318 as moot.
James E. Barrett
Senior Circuit Judge
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