Zane Hardin v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

604 F. App'x 545
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMarch 18, 2015
Docket13-15098
StatusUnpublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 604 F. App'x 545 (Zane Hardin v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zane Hardin v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 604 F. App'x 545 (9th Cir. 2015).

Opinion

*547 MEMORANDUM **

Ruth Hardin, personal representative for Zane Hardin, appeals the district court’s judgment in favor of Wal-Mart on Hardin’s fourteen claims. In this diversity case, Hardin alleges age and disability discrimination in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 12900-12996, in addition to various other state law claims. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Reviewing the district court’s decisions de novo, Castle v. Eurofresh, Inc., 731 F.3d 901, 905-06 (9th Cir.2013), we affirm.

1. As an initial matter, we dismiss Hardin’s claims for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress for lack of standing. See Berkley v. Dowds, 152 Cal.App.4th 518, 61 Cal.Rptr.3d 304, 314 (2007); see also Martin v. Cal. Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, 560 F.3d 1042, 1050-51 (9th Cir.2009) (“[Ujnder California law, the ' Estate’s tort claims for emotional distress did not survive the death of [the plaintiff].”). Sullivan v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., 15 Cal.4th 288, 63 Cal.Rptr.2d 74, 935 P.2d 781 (1997), is inapplicable because Hardin was not awarded judgment in his favor on these claims while he was alive. See 63 Cal.Rptr.2d 74, 935 P.2d at 785, 792. In any event, Hardin’s claims for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress also fail on the merits for the reasons • included in the district court’s well-reasoned decisions.

2. Hardin has failed to establish a prima facie case for discrimination or retaliation based on Wal-Mart’s alleged failure to promote. Although failure to promote is a classic example of an adverse employment action, see Nat’l R.R. Passenger Corp. v. Morgan, 536 U.S. 101, 114, 122 S.Ct. 2061, 153 L.Ed.2d 106 (2002), Hardin points to no evidence showing that Wal-Mart failed to promote him.. In fact, Hardin admits that he never applied for a promotion using Wal-Mart’s required computer system. To the extent Hardin argues that he applied for a promotion through other channels, Hardin cannot identify the open position he applied for, the person who vacated the position, or the person who ultimately received the position. The district court properly granted summary judgment against Hardin on these claims. See Loggins v. Kaiser Permanente Int’l, 151 Cal.App.4th 1102, 60 Cal.Rptr.3d 45, 51 (2007).

3. Hardin has failed to establish a prima facie case for discrimination or retaliation based on Wal-Mart’s requirement that Hardin park in a different disabled parking spot. The change in parking spaces did not materially affect the terms, conditions, or privileges of Hardin’s employment and therefore did not constitute an adverse employment action. See Yanowitz v. L’Oreal USA, Inc., 36 Cal.4th 1028, 32 Cal.Rptr.3d 436, 116 P.3d 1123, 1138-39 (2005); Thomas v. Dep’t of Corr., 77 Cal.App.4th 507, 91 Cal.Rptr.2d 770, 773 (2000). The district court properly granted summary judgment against Hardin on these claims. See hoggins, 60 Cal.Rptr.3d at 51.

4. Hardin has failed to establish a pri-ma facie case for age discrimination based on Wal-Mart’s reduction of his hours. Hardin points to no evidence creating a genuine issue of material fact as to whether there was a causal link between the reduction in hours and Hardin’s age. See Loggins, 60 Cal.Rptr.3d at 51. One stray *548 remark about'Hardin’s age by an employee in 2002 does not suggest that a different employee had similar motivations in reducing Hardin’s hours in 2009. Likewise, a preliminary research memo about the rising costs of healthcare circulated only to a small number of Wal-Mart executives does not suggest a link between the reduction in hours and Hardin’s age. The district court properly granted summary judgment against Hardin on this claim. See id.

5. Hardin has failed to establish a pri-ma facie case for retaliation based on Wal-Mart’s reduction of his hours. Hardin has not shown that his reduction in hours was causally related to his requests for reasonable accommodations. See Loggins, 60 Cal.Rptr.3d at 51. The district court properly granted summary judgment against Hardin on this claim. See id.

6. Hardin has failed to establish a prima facie case for retaliation based on Wal-Mart’s Coaching Report. Hardin argues that Wal-Mart authored this report out of a retaliatory motive for Hardin’s workers compensation claim. Although an “undeserved” performance rating can, in certain circumstances, constitute an adverse employment action, see Yartzoff v. Thomas, 809 F.2d 1371, 1376 (9th Cir.1987), “a mere oral or written criticism of an employee ... does not meet the definition of an adverse employment action under FEHA,” Akers v. Cnty. of San Diego, 95 Cal.App.4th 1441, 116 Cal.Rptr.2d 602, 613 (2002). Hardin points to no facts in the record showing that Wal-Mart subsequently “use[d] the negative evaluation to substantially and materially change the terms and conditions of [Hardin’s] employment.” See Akers, 116 Cal.Rptr.2d at 614. Therefore, we agree with the district court that the Coaching Report was not an actionable adverse employment action. See id.

7. Hardin has failed to establish a genuine issue of material fact on his disparate impact claim. To prevail, Hardin “must show that regardless of motive, a facially neutral employer practice or policy, bearing no manifest relationship to job requirements, in fact had a disproportionate adverse effect on certain employees because of their membership in a protected group.” See Frank v. Cnty. of L.A., 149 Cal.App.4th 805, 57 Cal.Rptr.3d 430, 440 (2007) (internal quotation mark omitted). But Hardin only points to Wal-Mart’s parking policy and alleged hiring practice, neither of which is facially neutral as articulated by Hardin. The appropriate avenue for challenging these policies is through a disparate treatment claim, not a disparate impact claim. See id. The district court properly granted summary judgment against Hardin on this claim. See id.

8. Hardin has failed to establish a genuine issue of material fact on his harassment claim. To be actionable, FEHA requires that the harassment be “sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the victim’s employment.” Etter v. Veriflo Corp., 67 Cal.App.4th 457, 79 Cal.Rptr.2d 33, 37 (1998) (internal quotation marks omitted).

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