No. 23-1019

Dennis McLain v. Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2024-03-18
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: causation-standard civil-rights discrimination due-process employment employment-discrimination federal-employee federal-employment jury-instruction retaliation title-vii whistleblowing
Key Terms:
Arbitration SocialSecurity ERISA Securities EmploymentDiscrimina JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2024-04-12
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Whether, when instructing a jury on causation in a federal employee Title VII claim under 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-16(a) it is error to fail to instruct the jury on the causation standard delineated in Babb v. Wilkie, 589 U.S. 399, 402-411 (2020), but rather to instruct them based on the simple and traditional but-for causation standard in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., 557 U.S. 167 (2009) and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, 570 U.S. 338 (2013) which was expressly rejected in Babb.

2. Whether in a federal employee retaliation claim it is error to: use the simple and traditional but-for causation standard to admit evidence of plaintiff's protected whistleblowing and union activity, at least without limiting instructions and to exclude corroborative evidence under F.R.E. 404(b) and 801(d)(2)(D) which tended to prove differential treatment was based on consideration of the Petitioner's EEO activity and identity and absence of mistake.

Subsidiary questions are whether the language and syntax of Title VII should be interpreted as it was under the ADEA, and whether such language bans retaliation in federal employment.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the jury should be instructed on the causation standard delineated in Babb v. Wilkie for federal employee Title VII claims

Docket Entries

2024-04-15
Petition DENIED.
2024-03-27
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/12/2024.
2024-03-20
Waiver of right of respondent Secretary Dept. of Veterans Affairs to respond filed.
2024-03-14
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 17, 2024)

Attorneys

Dennis McLain
Joseph D MagriMerkle, Magri, Meythaler, PA, Petitioner
Secretary Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent