Debra Millen v. Oxford Bank

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedAugust 23, 2018
Docket17-2423
StatusUnpublished

This text of Debra Millen v. Oxford Bank (Debra Millen v. Oxford Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Debra Millen v. Oxford Bank, (6th Cir. 2018).

Opinion

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PUBLICATION File Name: 18a0435n.06

No. 17-2423

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FILED FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT Aug 23, 2018 DEBORAH S. HUNT, Clerk DEBRA MILLEN, ) ) Plaintiff-Appellant, ) ) ON APPEAL FROM THE v. ) UNITED STATES DISTRICT ) COURT FOR THE EASTERN OXFORD BANK, ) DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN ) Defendant-Appellee. ) )

BEFORE: SILER, COOK, and WHITE, Circuit Judges.

HELENE N. WHITE, Circuit Judge. Debra Millen appeals the district court’s grant of

summary judgment to her former employer, Defendant Oxford Bank, on her federal and state-law

claims of age and sex discrimination and harassment, and her claims under the Family and Medical

Leave Act (FMLA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 2601–2654. We AFFIRM the grant of summary judgment

except on several of Millen’s age-discrimination claims, which we REVERSE.

I.

Millen, a female born on October 23, 1956, began working for Oxford Bank as a teller

around February 1, 1990. Between 1990 and 2000, Oxford transferred Millen between its Oxford,

Lake Orion, and Clarkston branches. In 2000, Millen left Oxford for a short time, and Oxford later

hired her back as a customer service representative at the Lake Orion branch. In 2004, Oxford

promoted Millen from teller to assistant branch manager and transferred her from the Lake Orion

branch to the Ortonville branch. In 2008, Oxford promoted Millen to branch manager and

transferred her to the Addison Branch. Between 2008 and 2013, Millen’s then-supervisor, Cary No. 17-2423 Millen v. Oxford Bank

Listerman, transferred Millen several times between the Addison and Lake Orion branches. In

April 2013, Listerman transferred Millen to the smallest branch, Goodrich, over Millen’s written

protest.

Nancy Rosenstrater, age 42, supervised Millen beginning in May 2015, when Rosenstrater

was promoted from Addison branch manager to Vice President of Retail Banking. Jennifer

Sherby, age 42, was promoted to Addison Branch Manager when Rosenstrater was promoted.

Rosenstrater and David Lamb, Oxford’s President and Chief Executive Officer, formulated

a strategic plan around May 2015 under which the Goodrich branch would be closed due to poor

economic performance.

On or about July 23, 2015, after conferring with Rosenstrater and Human Resources (HR)

Manager Micki Kelley, Millen took an approved leave under the FMLA to care for a family

member; her leave was set to expire on October 15, 2015. Millen informed Oxford that she would,

in fact, return to work as planned, and received a letter from Oxford around September 4, 2015

confirming her return to work on October 15, 2015.

However, around October 8, 2015, Millen received a separation and release agreement

from Oxford stating that her employment was terminated effective September 30, 2015; no reason

was stated for that termination. Millen was 57-years old at the time. After filing a charge with

the EEOC, Millen instituted this action in federal district court. Following discovery, Oxford

moved for summary judgment on all of Millen’s claims.

The district court dismissed all claims except Millen’s ADEA claim related to the Addison

branch-manager position. Oxford moved for reconsideration, asserting that the district court

mistakenly concluded that the Addison branch-manager position was open at the time Millen’s

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position was eliminated. On reconsideration, the district court granted Oxford summary judgment

in full. Millen timely appealed.

II.

We review the district court’s summary judgment determination de novo. Arban v. West

Publ’g Corp., 345 F.3d 390, 400 (6th Cir. 2003). Summary judgment is appropriate if the

pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits,

if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is

entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c).

A. AGE DISCRIMINATION

1.

Where an ADEA plaintiff relies on circumstantial evidence of discrimination, as Millen

does here, she must establish the following prima facie elements: that she 1) was a member of a

protected class; 2) suffered an adverse employment action; 3) was qualified for the position; and

4) was replaced by someone outside the protected class or was treated differently than similarly

situated employees outside of the protected class. Geiger v. Tower Automotive, 579 F.3d 614, 622

(6th Cir. 2009). Under Michigan law, the first three prima facie elements of an age discrimination

claim are the same as under the ADEA; the fourth element a plaintiff must establish is that she was

discharged under circumstances that give rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination. Hazle v.

Ford Motor Co., 628 N.W.2d 515, 521 (Mich. 2001).

If the plaintiff establishes a prima facie case, the burden shifts to the defendant employer

to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the adverse employment action. Blizzard

v. Marion Tech. Coll., 698 F.3d 275, 283 (6th Cir. 2012); Town v. Mich. Bell Tel. Co., 568 N.W.2d

-3- No. 17-2423 Millen v. Oxford Bank

64, 68 (Mich. 1997). Once the employer does so, the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to present

evidence of pretext. Blizzard, 698 F.3d at 285; Town, 568 N.W.2d at 68. A plaintiff may establish

pretext by showing that the employer’s proffered reason 1) had no basis in fact, 2) did not actually

motivate the adverse employment action, or 3) was insufficient to motivate the adverse

employment action. Blizzard, 698 F.3d at 285; Town, 568 N.W.2d at 68.

2.

Millen argues that Oxford discriminated against her based on her age by repeatedly

transferring her between branches. With one exception, Millen’s transfers did not constitute

adverse employment actions because she retained her salary, benefits, title, and duties. See

Burlington Indus., 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.”); Mitchell v. Vanderbilt Univ., 389 F.3d 177, 182 (6th Cir. 2004) (to constitute

an adverse employment action under the ADEA, the action must be “more disruptive than a mere

inconvenience or an alteration of job responsibilities”); Pena v. Ingham Cty. Road Comm’n, 660

N.W.2d 351, 358 (Mich. Ct. App. 2003) (under Michigan law, an adverse employment action is

an employment decision that is materially adverse in that it is more than a mere inconvenience or

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