| 25-1139 |
Brian Armstrong v. WB Studio Enterprises, Inc., et al. |
Ninth Circuit |
2026-03-31 |
Pending |
Response Waived |
but-for-causation civil-rights-act diversity-policy employment-discrimination race-conscious-hiring summary-judgment |
1. Should a judge or a jury decide the fact intensive question of whether intentional discrimination against white people in the workplace—done pursua… |
| 25-1014 |
Laith Saud v. DePaul University |
Seventh Circuit |
2026-02-24 |
Pending |
|
adverse-employment-action but-for-causation pretext race-discrimination summary-judgment title-ix-investigation |
1. Whether a discriminatory Title IX investigation—
whose findings are relied upon by a decisionmaker
to impose concrete employment consequences—can … |
| 24A145 |
Ronald Hittle v. City of Stockton, California, et al. |
Ninth Circuit |
2024-08-07 |
Presumed Complete |
|
bostock-standard but-for-causation mcdonnell-douglas-framework religious-discrimination summary-judgment title-vii |
1. This case raises an important issue regarding the summary judgment standard in Title VII actions after Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, 590 U.S.… |
| 24-78 |
Intelligent Waves, LLC v. Marthe Lattinville-Pace |
Fourth Circuit |
2024-07-25 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
adea age-discrimination but-for-causation civil-rights due-process eeoc-complaint employment employment-law equal-employment-opportunity-commission fourth-circuit |
Does a claim of age discrimination under 29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq. fail in the absence of but-for causation? |
| 24-67 |
Tammie L. Terrell v. Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
Eleventh Circuit |
2024-07-19 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
age-discrimination-in-employment-act burden-of-proof but-for-causation causation differential-treatment employment-discrimination federal-employment personnel-action retaliation title-vii |
1. Whether differential treatment must contribute to the ultimate decision.
2. Whether the burden shifts to the defendant to establish it would have … |
| 24-5069 |
Phile Andra Watson v. FedEx Express |
Fifth Circuit |
2024-07-12 |
Denied |
Relisted (2)IFP |
ada-discrimination americans-with-disabilities-act but-for-causation causation causation-standard congressional-intent disability-discrimination disability-rights employment-law motivating-factor |
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) forbids discrimination "on the basis of" disability, but does not specifically set forth the standard to be … |
| 23-12 |
John Kowal v. Ferndale Area School District, et al. |
Third Circuit |
2023-07-05 |
Denied |
|
age-discrimination but-for-causation employee-benefits equal-cost-or-equal-benefit equal-protection medicare-eligibility older-workers-benefit-protection-act takings-clause |
The U.S. Supreme Court, in University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, (2013) and Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., (2009), inter … |
| 22-931 |
Paulo K. Mwassa v. Presbyterian Homes & Services |
Eighth Circuit |
2023-03-24 |
Denied |
|
but-for-causation but-for-cause civil-rights discrimination employment-discrimination federal-sector-employment protected-activity retaliation title-vii |
1. Whether the federal-sector provision of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provides that actions affecting employees shall be made fr… |
| 22-713 |
Shannon Gladden v. The Procter & Gamble Distributing, LLC |
Eleventh Circuit |
2023-01-31 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
bostock bostock-interpretation but-for but-for-causation circuit-split civil-rights employment-discrimination evidence-evaluation motivating-factor pretext pretext-analysis |
1) Does the but-for reasoning referenced in Bostock apply to McDonnell Douglas pretext analysis?: In the decision below, the Eleventh Circuit appears … |
| 21-8116 |
Demarco Tempo v. United States |
Sixth Circuit |
2022-06-10 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
but-for-causation causation criminal-law death-enhancement drug-statute due-process jury-instructions pinkerton-liability proximate-cause sentencing statutory-interpretation |
I. Should the government be required to prove proximate cause in addition
to but-for causation for the "death results" enhancement in 21 U.S.C.
§ 841?… |
| 21-1054 |
Shaoming Song v. Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al. |
Fourth Circuit |
2022-01-28 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
18-U.S.C.-1001 29-U.S.C.-633(a) age-discrimination but-for-causation civil-procedure discovery-rule federal-government fraud plausibility-pleading stare-decisis statute-of-limitations |
1. Whether, or under what circumstance, a six-year concealed fraud in a federal agency's official personnel action allegedly violated the Age Discrimi… |
| 21-6787 |
Rondale Young v. United States |
Ninth Circuit |
2022-01-10 |
Denied |
IFP |
but-for-causation but-for-cause circuit-split criminal-law ninth-circuit-interpretation purpose-element racketeering racketeering-enterprise statutory-interpretation vicar-statute violent-crime violent-crimes |
Whether the purpose element of the VICAR offense, 18 U.S.C. § 1959, requires the government to prove that the racketeering-enterprise motive was a but… |
| 21-6111 |
Jonas Ross, III v. United States |
Eighth Circuit |
2021-10-29 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
burrage-standard burrage-v-united-states but-for-causation causation circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law drug-distribution eighth-circuit evidence |
WHETHER THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT'S CONCLUSION THAT MR. ROSS DISTRIBUTED THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF K.P. IS IN CONFLICT WITH THIS… |
| 21-136 |
Melanie Pelcha v. Watch Hill Bank |
Sixth Circuit |
2021-08-02 |
Denied |
|
adea age-discrimination but-for-causation but-for-test causal-standard causation employment employment-law summary-judgment workplace-termination |
1. Does the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
(ADEA) require the plaintiff to prove that age was the
sole reason for her termination?
2. Is the em… |
| 21-74 |
Shawna Cannon Lemon v. Myers Bigel, P.A., et al. |
Fourth Circuit |
2021-07-20 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
bostock-v-clayton-county but-for-causation causation-standard civil-rights civil-rights-act clackamas-factors employment-discrimination race-discrimination shareholder-status title-vii |
1. Whether the six factors set forth in Clackamas Gastroenterology Associates, P.C. v. Wells, 538 U.S. 440 (2003), addressing whether director-shareho… |
| 20-1765 |
Donald S. Harden v. United States |
Seventh Circuit |
2021-06-22 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
but-for-causation circuit-split controlled-substances-act death-results ineffective-assistance-of-counsel ineffective-counsel jury-instruction jury-instructions sentencing |
For a death-results sentence under the Controlled Substances Act, must a jury be instructed as to but-for cause if the evidence of causation is confli… |
| 20-8293 |
Louis John Fontanez v. United States |
Eighth Circuit |
2021-06-14 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
§2255-motion 21-usc-841 but-for-causation criminal-procedure due-process expert-witness expert-witnesses habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance-of-counsel penalty-enhancement |
Was counsel constitutionally ineffective because he failed to consult or hire expert witnesses to investigate tte but-for causation of the victim's in… |
| 20-8003 |
Cynthia Metivier v. Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior |
Eighth Circuit |
2021-05-12 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
but-for-causation civil-rights discrimination federal-sector hostile-work-environment motivating-factor personnel-actions Question not identified. retaliation retaliation
20-8002" retaliation
20-8002" sex-discrimination title-vii |
I. Whether the federal-sector provision of Title VII (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-16(a)), which
provides in pertinent part that "All personnel actions affecting… |
| 20-7426 |
Rubin L. Williams v. Ohio |
Ohio |
2021-03-11 |
Denied |
IFP |
burrage-causation burrage-v-united-states but-for-causation criminal-law drug-related-death involuntary-manslaughter mixed-drug-overdose state-cases |
Can a conviction of involuntary manslaughter stand, when cause of death is a Mixed drug overdose and the accused is charged with only one of the contr… |
| 20-950 |
H. Renee James v. City of Montgomery, Alabama |
Eleventh Circuit |
2021-01-14 |
Denied |
|
but-for-causation employment-discrimination first-amendment free-speech mcdonnell-douglas retaliation summary-judgment title-vii |
1. Whether the court deprives a plaintiff of her First Amendment right to free speech and expression when, in applying the McDonnell Douglas framework… |
| 20-861 |
Arlene Fry v. Rand Construction Corporation |
Fourth Circuit |
2020-12-30 |
Denied |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) |
bostock-v-clayton-county burrage-v-united-states but-for-causation causation-standard circuit-split employment-action fmla-claim fmla-retaliation legal-interpretation motivating-factor negative-factor |
I.
In Burrage U. United States, 571 U.S. 204
(2014), this Court explained that a "but-for"
cause is merely one cause, perhaps among
several, which is … |
| 20-6108 |
Antoine Washington v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2020-10-22 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
21-usc-841 burrage-precedent burrage-v-united-states but-for but-for-causation causation causation-standard criminal-law drug-sentencing forensic-pathology statutory-interpretation |
I.
Whether the "special rule" exception to but-for causation mentioned in dicta in Burrage v. United States, 571 U.S. 204 (2014) is inapplicable to an… |
| 20-58 |
Anita Smith v. Vestavia Hills Board of Education |
Eleventh Circuit |
2020-07-24 |
Denied |
|
but-for-causation causation causation-standard civil-rights discrimination-claim motivating-factor pleading summary-judgment title-vii |
Nearly thirty years ago, Congress replaced Title VII's but-for causation standard with the "more forgiving" motivating factor standard. Bostock v. Cla… |
| 19-8133 |
Jorge A. Martinez v. United States |
Sixth Circuit |
2020-03-31 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
but-for-causation causation constitutional-rights conviction-notice criminal-conviction criminal-law due-process health-care-fraud judicial-notice statutory-interpretation |
1. WHETHER THE 'BUT-FOR' TEST OF GENERAL CAUSATION IS
SYNONYMOUS TO THE STATUTORIAL ELEMENT OF ACTUAL
CAUSATION IN THOSE STATUTES LIKE 18 USCS § 1347H… |
| 19-7936 |
James Zavaglia v. Boston University School of Medicine |
First Circuit |
2020-03-10 |
Denied |
IFP |
administrative-law but-for-causation causation-standard chevron-deference civil-rights due-process employment-discrimination family-medical-leave-act fmla-interference jury-trial medical-leave motivating-factor reeves-v-sanderson retaliation standing summary-judgment |
Whether the lower courts are correct to apply this Court's decision in University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, 133 S. Ct. 2517 (201… |
| 19-1008 |
Jim C. Hodge, et al. v. United States |
Fifth Circuit |
2020-02-12 |
Denied |
|
but-for-causation causation causation-standard false-claims-act foreseeability fraud legal-elements proximate-cause substantial-factor |
Whether the causation element standard under the
False Claims Act is proximate cause, requiring both
that the harm was foreseeable and that the false
… |
| 19-732 |
Richard Natofsky v. City of New York |
Second Circuit |
2019-12-10 |
Denied |
|
ada adverse-employment-action americans-with-disabilities-act burden-of-proof burden-shifting but-for-causation causation-standard civil-rights disability-discrimination employment-discrimination employment-law mixed-motive mixed-motive-causation |
Whether the Americans with Disabilities Act permits employees to proceed under a mixed-motive causation standard before the burden shifts to employers… |
| 19-6865 |
Delante L. Lunn v. United States |
Sixth Circuit |
2019-12-05 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
but-for-causation but-for-test causation criminal-law criminal-sentencing drug-distribution drug-offenses drug-overdose mandatory-minimum overdose-causation sentencing statutory-interpretation |
Whether this Honorable Court should re-evaluate the but-for test established by Burrage v. United States, 571 U.S. 204 (2014) for mixed drug overdoses… |
| 19-5115 |
Cordero Robert Seals v. United States |
Eighth Circuit |
2019-07-09 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
burden-of-proof burrage burrage-test but-for-causation causation-standard causation-test circuit-split contributing-causation contributing-cause eighth-circuit government-burden judicial-interpretation legal-standard seventh-circuit |
I. WHETHER THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT MISINTERPRETED THE BUT-FOR CAUSATION TEST IN LIGHT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S BURDEN, AND INAPPROPRIATELY APPLIED THE CONTRIBUT… |
| 18-1367 |
Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Mark A. Sumner |
Virginia |
2019-04-30 |
Denied |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) |
burden-of-proof but-for-causation but-for-cause causation civil-procedure common-law employee-injury federal-employers-liability-act federal-employers-liability-act-fela fela negligence proximate-cause railroad-liability |
Whether FELA permits liability when the plaintiff cannot meet the common-law standard of proof for but-for causation. |
| 18-8625 |
Jennifer N. Nere v. Illinois |
Illinois |
2019-03-29 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
burrage-v-united-states but-for-causation constitutional-rights contributing-cause controlled-substances criminal-law drug-induced-homicide due-process illinois-supreme-court precedent reasonable-doubt statutory-interpretation |
Whether the defendant may be convicted under the Illinois drug induced homicide Statute when the use of the controlled substance was a "contributing c… |
| 18-1185 |
Charter Communications, Inc. v. National Association of African American-Owned Media, et al. |
Ninth Circuit |
2019-03-13 |
GVR |
Relisted (5) |
1981 but-for but-for-causation causation civil-rights civil-rights-act editorial-decisions editorial-discretion first-amendment hurley hurley-v-irish-american motivating-factor section-1981 |
Twice now in the context of federal anti discrimination laws, this Court has instructed that the rule of but -for causation is the "default rule[]" ag… |
| 18-1171 |
Comcast Corporation v. National Association of African American-Owned Media, et al. |
Ninth Circuit |
2019-03-11 |
Judgment Issued |
Amici (12)Relisted (4) |
42-usc-1981 but-for-causation causation civil-rights contract-dispute discrimination plausibility-standard pleading race-discrimination section-1981 standing |
1. Does a claim of race discrimination under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 fail in the absence of but-for causation?
2. Can a plaintiff state a plausible claim fo… |
| 18-882 |
Noris Babb v. Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
Eleventh Circuit |
2019-01-09 |
Judgment Issued |
Amici (2)Relisted (2) |
but-for-causation causation civil-rights discrimination federal-employment federal-employment-discrimination personnel-actions retaliation statutory-interpretation title-vii |
Whether "shall be made free from any discrimination" permits federal-sector personnel actions that are not made free from any discrimination or retali… |
| 18-662 |
Mary McDonald v. City of Wichita, Kansas |
Tenth Circuit |
2018-11-21 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
adverse-action but-for-causation but-for-cause employment-discrimination jury-instruction jury-instructions predominant-cause retaliation sole-cause sole-cause-standard standard-of-proof title-vii |
The plaintiff in a Title VII retaliation case must "establish that his or her protected activity was a but for cause of the alleged adverse action by … |
| 18-5001 |
John Theodore Hancock v. United States |
Sixth Circuit |
2018-06-28 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
burrage-standard but-for-causation causation criminal-law criminal-procedure death-penalty death-resulting due-process jury-instruction jury-instructions sentencing statutory-interpretation |
Does a jury instruction that submits the question of whe-
ther a death was the result of the accused's offense by simply
tracking the statutory lang… |