Joanne Ogden v. Public Utility Dist. No. 2 ( 2018 )

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MAY 16 2018
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
JOANNE M. OGDEN, No. 16-35295
Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. 2:12-cv-00584-RMP
v.
MEMORANDUM*
PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT NO 2 OF
GRANT COUNTY, DBA Grant County
PUD,
Defendant-Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Washington
Rosanna Malouf Peterson, District Judge, Presiding
Argued and Submitted April 11, 2018
Seattle, Washington
Before: HAWKINS and GRABER, Circuit Judges, and TEILBORG,** District
Judge.
Plaintiff-Appellant Joanne Ogden (“Ogden”) appeals the district court’s
grant of summary judgment to Defendant-Appellee Public Utility District No. 2 of
Grant County (“PUD”) on her Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Family
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
**
The Honorable James A. Teilborg, United States District Judge for the
District of Arizona, sitting by designation.
Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), and related state claims. We have jurisdiction
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and affirm.
I. ADA and Related State Claims
Ogden alleges that she suffered actionable discrimination under the ADA in
the forms of disparate treatment, failure to accommodate, and harassment by PUD.
The ADA prohibits an employer from discriminating “against a qualified
individual on the basis of disability[.]” 42 U.S.C. § 12112(a). Thus, to establish a
prima facie case under the ADA, a plaintiff must show that: (1) she is disabled, (2)
she is qualified to perform the essential functions of her position, and (3) she
suffered an adverse employment action because of her disability. See Hutton v. Elf
Atochem N. Am., Inc., 273 F.3d 884, 891 (9th Cir. 2001).1 To withstand a motion
for summary judgment on an ADA claim, a plaintiff must either provide sufficient
direct evidence of an employer’s discriminatory intent, or give rise to an inference
of discrimination by satisfying the burden-shifting test from McDonnell Douglas
Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973). See Cordova v. State Farm Ins. Cos., 124
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Ogden’s related state claim arises under the Washington Law Against
Discrimination (“WLAD”), which is construed analogously with the ADA. See,
e.g., Hardage v. CBS Broad. Inc., 427 F.3d 1177, 1183 (9th Cir. 2005) (stating that
“Washington’s Law Against Discrimination tracks federal law”), amended on
denial of reh’g, 433 F.3d 672 (9th Cir.), amended on denial of reh’g, 436 F.3d
1050 (9th Cir. 2006); Arthur v. Whitman Cty., 24 F. Supp. 3d 1024, 1033 (E.D.
Wash. 2014) (“The WLAD substantially parallels Title VII.” (internal quotation
marks omitted)). Accordingly, the court will treat the ADA and WLAD claims
consistently.
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F.3d 1145, 1148 (9th Cir. 1997) (citing Wallis v. J.R. Simplot Co., 26 F.3d 885,
889 (9th Cir. 1994)).
Here, assuming that the two actions alleged—placement in a different
position and delay in career path—were adverse employment actions, there is
insufficient direct evidence of discriminatory animus to create a genuine issue of
material fact. Even if Ogden establishes the prima facie case under the first step of
McDonnell Douglas, PUD gave legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons for both
actions, and the record evidence does not create a genuine issue of material fact as
to pretext. With regard to the placement, Ogden’s former position was in fact
eliminated in its previous form, as a cost-cutting measure, with its functions
absorbed by another employee. Additionally, Ogden’s extensive absences meant
that she could not perform an essential function of a supervisor’s job: being present
at work to supervise. With respect to the delay in career path, the delay benefitted
Ogden because she had a chance to prove that her performance met the required
standards and, once she did, was compensated retroactively. To the extent that
Ogden was treated differently, it was for a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason on
this record.
Moreover, there is insufficient evidence of harassment to support an ADA
claim on that ground. All leave requested by Ogden was granted by PUD, and her
other demands were met, so there is likewise no evidence of failure to
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accommodate Ogden’s disability. Accordingly, the district court did not err in
granting summary judgment to PUD on Ogden’s ADA and WLAD claims.
II. FMLA and Related State Claims
On the FMLA claim, Ogden had no right to restoration to her old job
because (1) that job no longer existed for reasons unrelated to her FMLA leave,
and (2) she was unable to perform an essential function of the old position: regular
attendance. See Gambini v. Total Renal Care, Inc., 486 F.3d 1087, 1097 (9th Cir.
2007) (“Though the FMLA generally confers the right to reinstatement, an
employer may still terminate [or transfer] an employee during her leave if the
employer would have made the same decision had the employee not taken leave.”
(citations omitted)); see also 29 C.F.R. § 825.216(c) (“If the employee is unable to
perform an essential function of the position because of a physical or mental
condition, including the continuation of a serious health condition . . . , the
employee has no right to restoration to another position under the FMLA.”).
Following the same analysis as on Ogden’s ADA and WLAD claims, there
is no evidence of retaliation to refute PUD’s legitimate explanations for the
allegedly adverse employment actions, making summary judgment appropriate
even if Ogden established a prima facie case under the FMLA or Washington State
Family Leave Act (“WFLA”). See Cordova, 124 F.3d at 1150. Accordingly, the
district court did not err in granting summary judgment to PUD on Ogden’s FMLA
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and WFLA claims.
AFFIRMED.
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