Herman v. Raytheon Aircraft Co.

97 F. Supp. 2d 1249, 12 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 978, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7887, 2000 WL 725804
District Court, D. Kansas·Decided June 1, 2000·No. No. 99-1199-JTM·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ORDER

MARTEN, District Judge.

This is an action by plaintiff Todd Herman, suing under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., after defendant Raytheon withdrew a provisional offer of employment as a sheet metal assembler. Currently before the court is Raytheon’s motion for summary judgment. Because the court finds that the present matter turns on a credibility determination involving conflicting witness testimony, summary judgment must be denied.

Summary judgment is proper where the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show 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). In considering a motion for summary judgment, the court must examine all evidence in a light most favorable to the opposing party. McKenzie v. Mercy Hospital, 854 F.2d 365, 367 (10th Cir.1988). The party moving for summary judgment must demonstrate its entitlement to summary judgment beyond a reasonable doubt. Ellis v. El Paso Natural Gas Co., 754 F.2d 884, 885 (10th Cir.1985). The moving party need not disprove plaintiffs claim; it need only establish that the factual allegations have no legal significance. Dayton Hudson Corp. v. Macerich Real Estate Co., 812 F.2d 1319, 1323 (10th Cir.1987).

In resisting a motion for summary judgment, the opposing party may not rely upon mere allegations or denials contained in its pleadings or briefs. Rather, the nonmoving party must come forward with specific facts showing the presence of a genuine issue of material fact for trial and significant probative evidence supporting the allegation. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Once the moving party has carried its burden under Rule 56(c), the party opposing summary judgment must do more than simply show there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts. “In the language of the Rule, the nonmoving party must come forward with ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) (quoting Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(e)) (emphasis in Matsushita). One of the principal purposes of the summary judgment rule is to isolate and dis[1251] pose of factually unsupported claims or defenses, and the rule should be interpreted in a way that allows it to accomplish this purpose. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

1. Findings of Facts

Herman applied for a sheet metal assembler position with defendant on March 31, 1998. He did not have any prior experience as an aircraft sheet metal assembler, but he had recently taken the sheet metal training class at Wichita Area Technical College in the evenings. He interviewed with two Raytheon supervisors, and met with Shirley Winters, who works as one of the defendant’s staffing representatives. Herman was given a conditional job offer, contingent on his passing the drug test, background check, and physical examination.

Herman applied for an opening in Ray-theon’s JPATS program. The JPATS is a very small aircraft with two seats, one behind the other. Due in part to the size and configuration of the aircraft, performing the duties of a sheet metal assembler on the JPATS aircraft requires working in awkward and uncomfortable body positions for lengthy periods of time, and the frequent and extended use of vibratory tools. The job duties also require repetitive heavy grasping,squeezing, pulling, bending, twisting, and crawling.

As part of his physical examination, Herman was asked about his medical history. He disclosed that he had had bilateral carpal tunnel surgery in 1990.

Herman was given a Nerve Pace test, which measures the time it takes for an electrical stimulus to pass through the median nerve to the thumb. A latency period of 4.4 milliseconds is at the upper limit of normal. In accordance with the Nerve Pace Operating Manual, Raytheon’s practice is to take five latency readings on each hand, to arrive at an average reading. Herman’s latency period for his right hand was 6.0 milliseconds, and for his left hand was 5.8 milliseconds.

Plaintiff stresses the testimony of Dr. Anthony G.A. Pollock, M.D., a board certified orthopedic surgeon, who had performed Herman’s carpal tunnel repair, that he had never heard of such a machine, and could not attest to its reliability, indicating that had he known of it he probably would have “poohpoohed the thing as some kind of quack black box.” (Pollock Depo. Attachment 3, at 26-27). In addition, plaintiff cites the testimony of Wanda Roehl, Raytheon’s Workers Compensation Manager, who stated that the machine is “somewhat of a crude test,” and that Ray-theon has subsequently added another test. (Roehl Depo., Att. 6, p. 38-39).

The plaintiff overplays Dr. Pollock’s reaction to the Nerve Pace monitor, to the extent that it suggests he felt the device was unreliable. In fact, he was wholly noncommittal on the subject Asked if he had “any opinion as to whether or not it is reliable or unreliable,” Dr. Pollock responded “none.” (Pollock Depo., Def. Exh. 17, at 9). After stating that he was not sure whether other physicians used the device, and that he had never seen one, Dr. Pollock stated: “I could not comment on the validity of the test one way or the other.” (Id., at 10). Dr. Pollock in his deposition explicitly states he could not attack the validity or usefulness of the Nerve Pace monitor. Roehl’s testimony also deserves fuller context. She testified that “although [the Nerve Pace monitor] is somewhat of a crude test, we have seen good correlation to the entire test, which is like a nerve conduction test.” (Roehl Depo., Def. Exh. 16, at 39). There is no evidence that the Nerve Pace monitor, used in conjunction with other elements of a physical examination, is medically unreliable.

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Herman v. Raytheon Aircraft Co., 97 F. Supp. 2d 1249, 12 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 978, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7887, 2000 WL 725804 (D. Kan. 2000).

97 F. Supp. 2d 1249 (Herman v. Raytheon Aircraft Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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