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    Case No. 14-51311

     ____________________________

    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

     ____________________________

    LORETTA I. EURE,

    Plaintiff-Appellant

    v.

    THE SAGE CORPORATION,

    Defendant-Appellee

     __________________________________________________

    ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

    FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS

     No. 5:12-CV-1119, Hon. David A. Ezra, Presiding

     __________________________________________________

    BRIEF OF U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

    AS AMICUS CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF

    PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT LORETTA EURE AND REVERSAL

     __________________________________________________

    P. DAVID LOPEZ U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

    General Counsel OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

    Office of General Counsel

    CAROLYN L. WHEELER 131 M St. NE, Fifth Floor

    Acting Associate General Counsel Washington, D.C. 20507

    (202) 663-4699LORRAINE C. DAVIS [email protected]

    Assistant General Counsel Attorneys for amicus curiae 

    U.S. Equal Employment

    ANNE W. KING Opportunity Commission

    Attorney

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    i

    SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT OF INTERESTED PARTIES

    Loretta Eure v. The Sage Corporation,

    Case No. 14-51311, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,

    Case No. 5:12-CV-1119, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

    The undersigned counsel of record certifies that the following listed persons

    and entities as described in the fourth sentence of 5th Cir. R. 28.2.1 have an

    interest in the outcome of this case. These representations are made in order that

    the judges of this court may evaluate possible disqualification or recusal.

    1. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

    Amicus Curiae

    2. P. David Lopez

    Carolyn L. Wheeler

    Lorraine C. Davis

    Anne W. King

    Attorneys for Amicus Curiae U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

    Commission

    s/ Anne W. King___________

    Attorney of record for the

    Equal Employment

    Opportunity Commission

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    ii

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT OF INTERESTED PARTIES ........................... i

    TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... ii

    TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ................................................................................... iii

    STATEMENT OF INTEREST .................................................................................. 1

    STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE ................................................................................. 1

    STATEMENT OF THE CASE ..................................................................................2

    I. Statement of Facts ............................................................................................2

    II. District Court Decision .....................................................................................8

    SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ......................................................................10

    ARGUMENT ...........................................................................................................11

    I. Discrimination against transgender persons is cognizable as discrimination

     because of sex under Title VII. .............................................................................11

    II. Plaintiffs asserting transgender discrimination need not provide specific

    evidence of gender stereotyping. ..........................................................................16

    III. A jury could conclude that Sage discriminated against Eure because

    of his sex ............................................................................................................... 23

    CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................28

    CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

    ECF CERTIFICATE

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    iii

    TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

    Cases

     Alvarado v. Tex. Rangers,

    492 F.3d 605 (5th Cir. 2007)…………………………………………………26, 27

     Barnes v. City of Cincinnati,

    401 F.3d 729 (6th Cir. 2005) ……………………………………………………..13

    Chavez v. Credit Nation Auto Sales,

    49 F. Supp. 3d 1163 (N.D. Ga. 2014) …………………………………………….15

    Corley v. La. ex rel. Div. of Admin.,

    498 F. App’x 448 (5th Cir. 2012) ………………………………………………...24 

     Doe v. Dekalb Cnty. Sch. Dist.,

    145 F.3d 1441 (11th Cir. 1998) …………………………………………………..24 

     Doe v. United Consumer Fin. Servs., No. 1:01 CV 1112,

    2001 WL 34350174 (N.D. Ohio Nov. 9, 2001)…………………………………...15

     EEOC v. Boh Bros. Constr. Co., L.L.C.,

    731 F.3d 444 (5th Cir. 2013) ………………………………………..8, 5, 18, 22, 23

     Etienne v. Spanish Lake Truck & Casino Plaza, L.L.C.,

    778 F.3d 473 (5th Cir. 2015) ……………………………………………………..25

     Etsitty v. Utah Transit Auth.,

    502 F.3d 1215 (10th Cir. 2007) ………………………………………………13, 21

    Finkle v. Howard Cnty.,

    12 F. Supp. 3d 780 (D. Md. 2014) ………………………………………………..14

    Glenn v. Brumby,

    663 F.3d 1312 (11th Cir. 2011) ………………………………………12, 15, 16, 23

     Hart v. Lew,

    973 F. Supp. 2d 561 (D. Md. 2013) ………………………………………………15

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    iv

     Hinson v. Clinch Cnty., Ga. Bd. of Educ.,

    231 F.3d 821 (5th Cir. 2000) ……………………………………………………..24

     Jones v. Robinson Prop. Grp., L.P.,

    427 F.3d 987 (5th Cir. 2005) ……………………………………………………..25

    Kastl v. Maricopa Cnty. Cmty. Coll. Dist .,

    325 F. App’x 492 (9th Cir. 2009) ………………………………………………...13

     Lopez v. River Oaks Imaging & Diagnostic Grp., Inc.,

    542 F. Supp. 2d 653 (S.D. Tex. 2008) ……………………………………………14

     McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green,

    411 U.S. 792 (1973) ………………………………………………………...……26

     Mitchell v. Axcan Scandipharm, Inc., No. Civ.A. 05-243,

    2006 WL 456173 (W.D. Pa. Feb. 17, 2006) ……………………………………...15

     Myers v. Cuyahoga Cnty.,

    182 F. App’x 510 (6th Cir. 2006) ………………………………………………...13

     Nichols v. Azteca Restaurant Enters., Inc.,

    256 F.3d 864 (9th Cir. 2001) …………………………………………………22, 23

    Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Oil Servs., Inc.,

    523 U.S. 75 (1998) ………………………………………………………...……..18

    Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins,

    490 U.S. 228 (1989) ……………………………………………………8, 11-12, 18

     Rosa v. Park W. Bank & Trust Co.,

    214 F.3d 213 (1st Cir. 2000) ……………………………………………………...13

    Schroer v. Billington,525 F. Supp. 2d 58 (D.D.C. 2007) ………………………………………………..19

    Schroer v. Billington,

    577 F. Supp. 2d 293 (D.D.C. 2008) ………………………………14, 19-20, 21, 22

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    v

    Schwenk v. Hartford ,

    204 F.3d 1187 (9th Cir. 2000) ……………………………………………13, 17, 20

    Smith v. City of Salem,

    378 F.3d 566 (6th Cir. 2004) ……………………………………………..15, 16, 18

    Sommers v. Budget Mktg., Inc.,

    667 F.2d 748 (8th Cir. 1982) ……………………………………………………..17

    Thompson v. City of Waco,

    764 F.3d 500 (5th Cir. 2014) ……………………………………………………..24

    Tronetti v. TLC HealthNet Lakeshore Hosp., No. 03-cv-375E(SC),

    2003 WL 22757935 (W.D.N.Y. Sept. 26, 2003) …………………………………15

    Ulane v. E. Airlines,

    742 F.2d 1081 (7th Cir. 1984) ……………………………………………………17

    Willis v. Cleco Corp.,

    749 F.3d 314 (5th Cir. 2014) …………………………………………………26, 27

    Young v. City of Houston,

    906 F.2d 177 (5th Cir. 1990) ……………………………………………………..25

    Statutes

    42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq.………………………………………………………....1

    42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1) ………………………………………………………..11

    Administrative Materials

     Lusardi v. McHugh, Appeal No. 0120133395

    (EEOC Apr. 1, 2015) ………………………………………………………..........16

     Macy v. Holder , Appeal No. 0120120812,

    2012 WL 1435995 (EEOC Apr. 20, 2012) ………………………….........16, 17, 23

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    1

    STATEMENT OF INTEREST

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC” or

    “Commission”) is the primary agency charged by Congress with administering,

    interpreting, and enforcing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§

    2000e et seq. This appeal raises the issue of whether disparate treatment of an

    employee because he is transgender is discrimination “because of … sex” under

    Title VII. The district court concluded that individuals alleging discrimination

     based on transgender status must provide additional evidence of gender

    stereotyping, which conflicts with the Commission’s view of Title VII. This appeal

    also raises further questions relating to the merits of Appellant’s Title VII claim.

    Because these issues are important to the effective enforcement of Title VII, the

    Commission respectfully offers its views to the Court. See Fed R. App. P. 29(a).

    STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE

    Whether a reasonable jury could determine that Appellee Sage Corporation

    discriminated against Appellant Lorenzo (Loretta) Eure because he is transgender.

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    STATEMENT OF THE CASE

    I. Statement of Facts1 

    Appellant Lorenzo Eure, formerly known as Loretta Eure, was an instructor

    at Appellee Sage Corporation’s (“Sage”) San Antonio, Texas truck driving school,

     beginning around December 2010. ROA.326; ROA.664 (RE.T5) (Eure Dep.

    43:11-19; Eure Decl. ¶ 2). He was paid on an hourly basis, and his responsibilities

    included conducting classroom training and providing on-the-road training in truck

    driving. ROA.326 (Eure Dep. 43:16-25). Eure worked part time, about 26 to 28

    hours a week, but he was told he would soon receive additional hours when the

    San Antonio school launched expanded services for Sanjel, Inc., a long-time client

    of Sage. ROA.239; ROA.326-27 (Campanian Aff. ¶ 6; Eure Dep. 43:20-44:11).

    Eure is transgender: his gender identity (male) is different from the sex

    assigned to him at birth (female). ROA.665 (RE.T5) (Eure Decl. ¶ 4). When Eure

    worked at Sage, he presented as a male and he had taken steps towards

    transitioning from female to male (including a hysterectomy, mastectomy, and

    testosterone therapy) before starting at Sage. ROA.309-10; ROA.355; ROA.392;

    ROA.665 (RE.T5) (Eure Dep. 26:3-27:9; 72:13-24; Eure Dep. Ex. 1; Eure Decl. ¶

    1 Except for the record citations, the Statement of Facts is nearly identical to the

    Statement of Facts in the EEOC’s amicus brief in Brandon v. The Sage

    Corporation, No. 14-51320 (5th Cir.). 

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    4). Eure was known as “Loretta Eure” when he worked at Sage and later changed

    his name to “Lorenzo Eure.” ROA.288-89 (Eure Dep. 5:8-6:2).

    Margie Brandon, Eure’s supervisor, was School Director for Sage’s San

    Antonio school, beginning in May 2010. ROA.670 (RE.T7) (Brandon Decl. ¶ 1).

    Brandon interviewed Eure for the instructor position and recommended hiring him.

    ROA.460-62; ROA.568 (Brandon Dep. 42:16-44:9; 150:11-20). Sage’s Safety

    Manager approved Eure’s hire based on a background check and a Department of

    Transportation assessment. ROA.569; ROA.671 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 151:1-25;

    Brandon Decl. ¶ 3).

    In March 2011, Sage’s Carmella Campanian visited the San Antonio school

    in conjunction with Sage’s expansion of driver training services for the Sanjel

    company. ROA.239 (Campanian Aff. ¶ 6). Campanian introduced herself to the

    San Antonio school staff as Sage’s co-founder and Vice President. ROA.496;

    ROA.667 (RE.T6); ROA.670 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 78:10-15; Solis Decl. ¶ 4;

    Brandon Decl. ¶ 2). Campanian, who is located in Montana, served as the National

    Project Director in charge of the Sanjel driver training program. ROA.238-39

    (Campanian Aff. ¶¶ 2, 6). Sage has provided driver training services to Sanjel since

    1994, and in June 2010 Sage entered into an expanded contract with Sanjel, which

    included launching driver training for Sanjel at the San Antonio school. ROA.239

    (Campanian Aff. ¶¶ 6-7) (describing “multi-million dollar expansion”). Before

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    Campanian’s visit, Brandon spoke to Campanian by phone on one occasion, and

    found her “pushy” and “abrasive” to a degree that made Brandon “uncomfortable.”

    ROA.487-93 (Brandon Dep. 69:22-75:1). Brandon reported her impression of

    Campanian to her own supervisor, Barbara Blake. ROA.488 (Brandon Dep. 70:8-

    14). Blake acknowledged that Campanian “is very difficult to work with,” but

    warned Brandon, “You’re on your own on that one.” ROA.488 (Brandon Dep.

    70:8-14).

    Brandon testified that Campanian expressed animosity towards Eure soon

    after her arrival at the San Antonio school, on March 29. ROA.494-96; ROA.671

    (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 76:5-78:9; Brandon Decl. ¶ 3). Campanian was looking

    outside the Sage office when she exclaimed, “What the hell is that? What the hell

    is that out there?” ROA.494; ROA.671 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 76:5-19; Brandon

    Decl. ¶ 3). Brandon realized that Campanian was referring to Eure, who was

    working with a student on a truck. ROA.494-95; ROA.671 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep.

    76:20-77:1; Brandon Decl. ¶ 3). Brandon responded that it was Loretta Eure, a

    Sage instructor. ROA.494-95 (Brandon Dep. 76:20-77:1). Campanian declared,

    “We don’t hire cross-genders in this company,” and asked who made the decision

    to employ Eure, inquiring, “[W]ho the hell hired that?” and querying whether

    Brandon herself hired Eure. ROA.495; ROA.671 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 77:2-18;

    Brandon Decl. ¶ 3). Brandon responded that Eure was qualified for the instructor

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     position and explained that Sage’s safety department approved the hire. ROA.495;

    ROA.671 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 77:5-8; Brandon Decl. ¶ 3).

    Campanian indicated that Brandon would face consequences for employing

    Eure, asserting, “[W]e will deal with you seriously for hiring that.” ROA.495;

    ROA.671 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 77:2-10; Brandon Decl. ¶ 3). Maria Solis,

    Brandon’s administrative assistant, witnessed this exchange and confirmed

    Brandon’s account. ROA.667-68 (RE.T6) (Solis Decl. ¶¶ 5, 7, 9). Afterwards,

    Brandon called Blake, her supervisor, to report Campanian’s comments about

    Eure. ROA.499-500 (Brandon Dep. 81:20-82:8).

    On March 30, Campanian continued berating Brandon, repeating the

    admonishment that, “[W]e’re going to deal with you seriously for hiring” Eure,

    and emphasizing that, “I told you yesterday we don’t hire cross-genders.”

    ROA.507-08 (Brandon Dep. 89:17-90:4). Brandon asked how Campanian planned

    to “deal with” her, and Campanian responded, “I haven’t made the decision yet. I

    have to talk to [Sage President Gregg] Aversa. He’s still traveling, and I can’t get a

    hold [of] him.” ROA.508 (Brandon Dep. 90:5-10).

    After this conversation, Campanian made some phone calls; Brandon

    assumed that she spoke with Aversa, and Campanian acknowledged speaking to

    Aversa that day. ROA.247; ROA.508 (Campanian Aff. ¶ 26; Brandon Dep. 90:11-

    12). Then, Campanian called Solis, Brandon’s administrative assistant, into

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    Brandon’s office and told Brandon and Solis to sit down. ROA.508; ROA.668

    (RE.T6); ROA.671-72 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 90:11-14; Solis Decl. ¶ 13;

    Brandon Decl. ¶ 5). Campanian asked Brandon her salary, and Brandon—shocked

    that Campanian had raised a highly personal question in front of Solis—did not

    immediately respond. ROA.508; ROA.668 (RE.T6); ROA.671-72 (RE.T7)

    (Brandon Dep. 90:15-21; Solis Decl. ¶ 13; Brandon Decl. ¶ 5). Campanian then

    announced, “[O]ur decision to deal with you seriously is to cut your pay in half.”

    ROA.508; ROA.668 (RE.T6); ROA.671-72 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 90:23-25;

    Solis Decl. ¶ 13; Brandon Decl. ¶ 5). Brandon protested that cutting her pay would

     be illegal. ROA.509; ROA.668 (RE.T6); ROA.671-72 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep.

    91:1-6; Solis Decl. ¶ 13; Brandon Decl. ¶ 5).

    Also on March 30, Campanian created a schedule for the San Antonio

    school instructors that incorporated the Sanjel students. ROA.512-13; ROA.672

    (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 94:22-95:22; Brandon Decl. ¶ 6). Brandon reviewed this

    schedule and told Campanian there was a mistake: Campanian failed to include

    Eure on the schedule. ROA.513; ROA.672 (RE.T7) (Brandon Dep. 95:3-10;

    Brandon Decl. ¶ 6). Campanian retorted, “Are you stupid? … I’m not putting her

    on the schedule. Those Sanjel people, they’ll eat her up alive.” ROA.513 (Brandon

    Dep. 95:11-14). Brandon asked Campanian if she was firing Eure. ROA.513

    (Brandon Dep. 95:15). Campanian said no, but clarified, “We’re just not going to

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    give her any hours. Just won’t put her on the schedule.” ROA.513 (Brandon Dep.

    95:15-18). Then, Campanian asked Brandon whether she understood the

    consequences she faced for hiring Eure. ROA.672 (RE.T7) (Brandon Decl. ¶ 2).

    When Eure saw the schedule, he asked Brandon why he was excluded from the

    schedule and whether he had been fired. ROA.513-14 (Brandon Dep. 95:23-96:5).

    Documentary evidence corroborates Brandon’s account that Campanian

    reduced Eure’s hours. One version of the instructor schedule for April 4 through

    April 10 reflects that Eure was scheduled to work six shifts, while a second version

    of that week’s schedule omits all of Eure’s shifts. Compare ROA.414 with 

    ROA.415. Also, one version of the instructor schedule for March 28 through April

    3 reflects possible shifts for Eure on March 31 and April 3, while a second version

    of that week’s schedule allots those shifts to another instructor. Compare ROA.412

    with ROA.413.

    Sage acknowledged that Campanian created an instructor schedule and

    reduced Eure’s hours but provided a different explanation of Eure’s exclusion from

    the schedule. Campanian claimed that, on March 31, she scheduled a meeting for

    the next morning (April 1) to determine instructors’ availability for the following

    week. ROA.249-50 (Campanian Aff. ¶ 29). According to Campanian, Eure had

    called Campanian earlier on March 31 to report that he had the stomach flu.

    ROA.249 (Campanian Aff. ¶ 28). Campanian claimed that she tried to contact Eure

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    at home the afternoon of March 31 to apprise him of the instructors’ meeting, but

    could not reach him. ROA.249-50 (Campanian Aff. ¶ 29). Campanian asserted that

    she posted the schedule for the following week late on April 1, and that she

    excluded Eure from the schedule because she could not confirm his availability.

    ROA.249-50 (Campanian Aff. ¶ 29).

    Both Brandon and Eure resigned as a result of Campanian’s conduct.

    Brandon did not return to work on March 31 and submitted a formal resignation to

    Sage President Aversa, while Eure resigned on April 4. ROA.343-44; ROA.520-22

    (Eure Dep. 60:22-61:1; Brandon Dep. 102:19-104:20).

    II. District Court Decision

    The district court granted summary judgment to Sage on Eure’s sex

    discrimination claim on the rationale that Eure could not show that Sage

    discriminated against him “because of … sex.” The parties’ summary judgment

     briefing had not even raised this issue, see ROA.844 n.7 (RE.T4), but the district

    court found it dispositive.

    The district court acknowledged that, under Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins,

    490 U.S. 228 (1989), “[i]t is well established that ‘a plaintiff can satisfy Title VII’s

     because-of-sex requirement with evidence of a plaintiff’s perceived failure to

    conform to traditional gender stereotypes.’” ROA.840 (RE.T4) (quoting EEOC v.

     Boh Bros. Constr. Co., L.L.C., 731 F.3d 444, 454 (5th Cir. 2013) (en banc)). The

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    district court further recognized that transgender plaintiffs have successfully relied

    on Price Waterhouse to bring sex discrimination claims under Title VII. ROA.842

    (RE.T4).

    However, the district court concluded that Eure was required to provide

    additional evidence of gender stereotyping to bring a Title VII claim. ROA.842

    (RE.T4). The district court asserted that courts applying Price Waterhouse “have

    generally required evidence of gendered statements or acts that target a plaintiff’s

    conformance with traditional conceptions of masculinity or femininity.” ROA.841

    (RE.T4). Along the same lines, the district court stated that “courts have been

    reluctant to extend the sex stereotyping theory to cover circumstances where the

     plaintiff is discriminated against because [of] the plaintiff’s status as a transgender

    man or woman, without any additional evidence related to gender stereotype non-

    conformity.” ROA.842 (RE.T4).

    In this case, the district court asserted, “[a]ll of the testimony that Eure has

     presented related to Campanian’s animus couches Campanian’s alleged

    discrimination in terms specifically related to Eure’s status as a transgender person,

    not in terms related to [Eure’s] conformance with gender stereotypes.” ROA.844

    (RE.T4). The district court viewed Eure’s evidence as consisting of two items: 1)

    Brandon’s testimony that Campanian asked “What is that and who hired that?”

    when she saw Eure; and 2) Brandon’s testimony that Campanian asked whether

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    she (Brandon) understood the consequences for hiring a “cross-gender.” ROA.844

    (RE.T4). The district court held that, “[b]ecause Eure has failed to present evidence

    showing that the discrimination was motivated by her [Eure’s] failure to act as a

    stereotypical woman would, Eure has not presented a cognizable gender

    stereotyping claim and cannot succeed in showing that the discrimination … claim

    that she [Eure] presents is ‘because of sex’ as Title VII requires.” ROA.845

    (RE.T4).

    Having resolved Eure’s sex discrimination claim on that basis, the district

    court did not reach the merits of his claim. However, the district court determined

    that Campanian’s reduction of Eure’s hours—and Eure’s corresponding reduction

    in income—could be a materially adverse action for Eure’s retaliation claim

    (which is not at issue in this appeal). ROA.850-52 (RE.T4).

    SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

    In granting summary judgment to Sage on Eure’s disparate treatment claim,

    the district court incorrectly interpreted the scope of Title VII’s protections against

    discrimination “because of … sex.” In the Commission’s view, Title VII

    encompasses discrimination against transgender persons because the statute

     provides that gender must not play a role in employment decisions. The district

    court erred in holding that no reasonable jury could find that Sage discriminated

    against Eure based on his non-conformance with gender stereotypes. The district

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    court also erred in determining that transgender plaintiffs must present additional

    evidence of gender stereotyping in order to establish a cognizable Title VII claim.

    Gender stereotypes inherently drive discrimination against transgender persons, so

    it is not necessary to identify specific evidence of stereotyping.

    Here, the record presents genuine issues of fact as to whether Sage

    discriminated against Eure “because of … sex.” A jury could reasonably infer that

    Campanian reduced Eure’s work hours because he is transgender—or “cross-

    gender” in Campanian’s words. Or, a jury could determine that Campanian

    reduced Eure’s hours because she believed he failed to conform with his assigned

    sex, and preferred that he look and act female rather than present as male.

    ARGUMENT

    I. Discrimination against transgender persons is cognizable as

    discrimination because of sex under Title VII.2 

    Title VII makes it unlawful for an employer “to discriminate against any

    individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of

    employment, because of such individual’s race, color, sex, or national origin.” 42

    U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1). The Supreme Court has clarified that the phrase “because

    of … sex” means “that gender must be irrelevant to employment decisions.” Price

    2 The EEOC understands the term “transgender” to refer broadly to a person whose

    gender identity or expression is different from the sex assigned to him or her at

     birth.

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    Waterhouse, 490 U.S. at 240. The plaintiff in Price Waterhouse was a female

    senior manager who was being considered for partnership in an accounting firm.

     Id. at 231-32. There was evidence that she was denied partnership because she was

    considered not feminine enough in dress and behavior. Id. at 235. Her evaluators

    suggested that she could improve her chances for partnership if she were less

    “macho” and learned to “walk more femininely, talk more femininely, dress more

    femininely, wear make-up, have her hair styled, and wear jewelry.” Id. The Court

    held that the evaluation amounted to prohibited sex stereotyping, explaining that

    “[i]n forbidding employers to discriminate against individuals because of their sex,

    Congress intended to strike at the entire spectrum of disparate treatment of men

    and women resulting from sex stereotypes.” Id. at 251 (citations omitted). The

    court held that Title VII barred not just discrimination because the plaintiff was a

    woman, but also discrimination based on the employer’s belief that she was not

    acting like a woman. Id. at 250-51.

    After Price Waterhouse, the courts of appeals have recognized that a

    transgender plaintiff may state a claim for discrimination because of sex if the

    defendant’s action was motivated by the plaintiff’s nonconformance with a sex

    stereotype or norm. See Glenn v. Brumby, 663 F.3d 1312, 1317 (11th Cir. 2011)

    (stating that “discrimination against a transgender individual because of her

    gender-nonconformity is sex discrimination, whether it’s described as being on the

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     basis of sex or gender”); Smith v. City of Salem, 378 F.3d 566, 572-73 (6th Cir.

    2004) (holding that an adverse action taken because of transgender plaintiff’s

    failure to conform to sex stereotypes concerning how a man or woman should look

    and behave constitutes unlawful gender discrimination); Schwenk v. Hartford , 204

    F.3d 1187, 1201-02 (9th Cir. 2000) (concluding that a transsexual prisoner had

    stated a viable sex discrimination claim under the Gender Motivated Violence Act

     because “[t]he evidence offered … show[s] that [the assault was] motivated, at

    least in part, by Schwenk’s gender—in this case, by her assumption of a feminine

    rather than a typically masculine appearance or demeanor” and noting that its

    analysis was equally applicable to claims brought under Title VII);3 but see Etsitty

    v. Utah Transit Auth., 502 F.3d 1215, 1222-24 (10th Cir. 2007) (declining to adopt

    3 See also Kastl v. Maricopa Cnty. Cmty. Coll. Dist ., 325 F. App’x 492, 493 (9thCir. 2009) (concluding that, after Price Waterhouse, “it is unlawful to discriminate

    against a transgender (or any other) person because he or she does not behave in

    accordance with an employer’s expectations for men or women”); Myers v.

    Cuyahoga Cnty., 182 F. App’x 510, 519 (6th Cir. 2006) (concluding that “Title VII

     protects transsexual persons from discrimination for failing to act in accordance

    and/or identify with their perceived sex or gender”); Barnes v. City of Cincinnati,

    401 F.3d 729, 733, 736-39 (6th Cir. 2005) (holding that the demotion of a

    “preoperative male-to-female transsexual” police officer because he did not

    “conform to sex stereotypes concerning how a man should look and behave” stateda claim of sex discrimination under Title VII); Rosa v. Park W. Bank & Trust Co.,

    214 F.3d 213, 214-15 (1st Cir. 2000) (applying Price Waterhouse to conclude,

    under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, that plaintiff stated a claim for sex

    discrimination because “it [was] reasonable to infer” that bank refused to provide a

    loan application because plaintiff’s “traditionally feminine attire” “did not accord

    with his male gender”).

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    a per se rule that transgender discrimination always amounts to sex discrimination

    “at this point in time and with the record and arguments before this court,” but not

    reaching whether Title VII protects “transsexuals who act and appear as a member

    of the opposite sex”).

    Additionally, numerous district courts, including one from within the Fifth

    Circuit, have concluded that transgender discrimination is cognizable under Title

    VII. See, e.g., Finkle v. Howard Cnty., 12 F. Supp. 3d 780, 788 (D. Md. 2014)

    (holding that an officer’s claim that she was discriminated against because of her

    transgender status was a “cognizable claim of sex discrimination”); Schroer v.

     Billington, 577 F. Supp. 2d 293, 305-06 (D.D.C. 2008) (“While I would therefore

    conclude that Schroer is entitled to judgment based on a Price Waterhouse-type

    claim for sex stereotyping, I also conclude that she is entitled to judgment based on

    the language of the statute itself.”); Lopez v. River Oaks Imaging & Diagnostic

    Grp., Inc., 542 F. Supp. 2d 653, 659-61 (S.D. Tex. 2008) (“Title VII and Price

    Waterhouse … do not make any distinction between a transgendered litigant who

    fails to conform to traditional gender stereotypes and an ‘effeminate’ male or

    ‘macho’ female who, while not necessarily believing himself or herself to be of the

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    opposite gender, nonetheless is perceived by others to be in nonconformity with

    traditional gender stereotypes.”).4 

    Likewise, the Fifth Circuit, outside the transgender discrimination context,

    has recognized that “a plaintiff can satisfy Title VII’s because-of-sex requirement

    with evidence of a plaintiff’s perceived failure to conform to traditional gender

    stereotypes.” Boh Bros., 731 F.3d at 454 (same-sex harassment case). In reaching

    its holding, the en banc court relied in part on two transgender discrimination

    cases, Smith, 378 F.3d at 573, and Glenn, 663 F.3d at 1316. See Boh Bros., 731

    F.3d at 454 n.4.

    4 See also Chavez v. Credit Nation Auto Sales, 49 F. Supp. 3d 1163 (N.D. Ga.2014) (“Because Title VII protects discrimination based on gender stereotypes,

    Plaintiff can assert a sex discrimination claim because Plaintiff was transitioning

    from a male to a female, and Plaintiff essentially claims that the failure to conform

    to male stereotypes caused Plaintiff’s termination.”); Mitchell v. Axcan

    Scandipharm, Inc., No. Civ. A. 05-243, 2006 WL 456173, at *2 (W.D. Pa. Feb. 17,

    2006) (transgender plaintiff may state a claim for sex discrimination by “showing

    that his failure to conform to sex stereotypes of how a man should look and behave

    was the catalyst behind defendant’s actions”); Tronetti v. TLC HealthNet

     Lakeshore Hosp., No. 03-cv-375E, 2003 WL 22757935, at *4 (W.D.N.Y. Sept. 26,2003) (transsexual plaintiff may state a claim under Title VII “based on [] alleged

    discrimination for failing to ‘act like a man’”); Doe v. United Consumer Fin.

    Servs., No. 1:01-cv-1112, 2001 WL 34350174, at *2-5 (N.D. Ohio Nov. 9, 2001)

    (termination based on non-conformity with gender expectations is actionable under

    Title VII); cf. Hart v. Lew, 973 F. Supp. 2d 561, 579 (D. Md. 2013) (assuming

    without deciding that Title VII protects transsexual individuals). 

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    II. Plaintiffs asserting transgender discrimination need not provide specific

    evidence of gender stereotyping.

    Plaintiffs alleging that their employers discriminated against them because

    they are transgender need not provide specific evidence of gender stereotyping

     because “consideration of gender stereotypes will inherently be part of what drives

    discrimination against a transgendered individual.” Macy v. Holder , Appeal No.

    0120120812, 2012 WL 1435995, at *8 (EEOC Apr. 20, 2012); see also Lusardi v.

     McHugh, Appeal No. 0120133395, at *11 n.6 (EEOC Apr. 1, 2015) (explaining

    that “ Macy [] held that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is per se

    sex discrimination” and found “that a plaintiff need not have specific evidence of

    gender stereotyping”). As the Eleventh Circuit has emphasized, “[a] person is

    defined as transgender precisely because of the perception that his or her behavior

    transgresses gender stereotypes. [T]he very acts that define transgender people as

    transgender are those that contradict stereotypes of gender-appropriate appearance

    and behavior.” Glenn, 663 F.3d at 1316 (citations omitted) (second alteration in

    original). And, as the Sixth Circuit explained, discriminating against an individual

     because of his or her transgender status inherently entails sex-based considerations.

    See Smith, 378 F.3d at 574-75 (“[D]iscrimination against a plaintiff who is

    transsexual—and therefore fails to act and/or identify with his or gender—is no

    different from the discrimination directed against Ann Hopkins in Price

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    Waterhouse, who, in sex-stereotypical terms, did not act like a woman.”).

    Therefore, “[w]hen an employer discriminates against someone because the person

    is transgender, the employer has engaged in disparate treatment ‘related to the sex

    of the victim.’” Macy, 2012 WL 1435995, at *7 (quoting Schwenk , 204 F.3d at

    1202).

    In this case, the district court erred in holding that plaintiffs who allege

    transgender discrimination are required to provide specific evidence of gender

    stereotyping. The district court maintained, “[C]ourts have been reluctant to extend

    the sex stereotyping theory to cover circumstances where the plaintiff is

    discriminated against because [of] the plaintiff’s status as a transgender man or

    woman, without any additional evidence related to gender stereotype non-

    conformity.” ROA.842 (RE.T4). However, in the Commission’s view, “evidence

    of gender stereotyping is simply one means of proving sex discrimination” in

    transgender discrimination claims under Title VII. Macy, 2012 WL 1435995, at *8.

    Moreover, the opinions on which the district court relied do not squarely illustrate

    courts’ “reluctan[ce]” to apply Title VII to discrimination based on the plaintiff’s

    status as a transgender person.

    First, the district court relied on two opinions, Ulane v. Eastern Airlines, 742

    F.2d 1081 (7th Cir. 1984), and Sommers v. Budget Marketing, Inc., 667 F.2d 748

    (8th Cir. 1982), which pre-date Price Waterhouse. The Supreme Court has since

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    rejected the two rationales these courts used to decline to extend protections to

    transgender individuals—a narrow definition of “sex” and a refusal to expand

     protections beyond the protected groups originally considered by Congress. To

     begin, as noted, Price Waterhouse makes clear that Title VII does not simply

     prohibit discrimination based on biological sex, but also “the entire spectrum of

    disparate treatment of men and women resulting from sex stereotypes.” 490 U.S. at

    251 (citations omitted); see also Smith, 378 F.3d at 573 (“[T]he approach in []

    Sommers[] and Ulane … has been eviscerated” by Price Waterhouse’s holding that

    “Title VII’s reference to ‘sex’ encompasses both the biological differences

     between men and women, and gender discrimination, that is, discrimination based

    on a failure to conform to stereotypical gender norms.”). Moreover, in Oncale v.

    Sundowner Offshore Oil Services, Inc., 523 U.S. 75 (1998), in ruling that same-sex

    harassment is actionable, the Supreme Court explicitly rejected the notion that

    Title VII only proscribes types of discrimination specifically contemplated by

    Congress. Id. at 79-80 (explaining that “statutory prohibitions often go beyond the

     principal evil [they were passed to combat] to cover reasonably comparable evils,

    and it is ultimately the provisions of our laws rather than the principal concerns of

    our legislators by which we are governed”); see also  Boh Bros., 731 F.3d at 454

    (same).

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    Second, the district court cites Schroer v. Billington, Schwenk v. Hartford ,

    and Etsitty v. Utah Transit Authority to support its position, but the court’s reliance

    on those opinions is misplaced. As described above, Schroer  held that a

    transgender plaintiff was “entitled to judgment based on a Price Waterhouse-type

    claim for sex stereotyping” and “based on the language of the statute itself”; that is,

     because discrimination predicated on an individual’s transgender status is

    “discrimination … because of sex.” 577 F. Supp. 2d at 305-06. The district court

    quoted the following language from Schroer :

    While I agreed with the Sixth Circuit [in Smith v. Salem] that []

    transsexuality is not a bar to a sex stereotyping claim, I took the position that

    ‘such a claim must actually arise from the employee’s appearance or conduct

    and the employer’s stereotypical perceptions.’ In other words, ‘a Price

    Waterhouse claim could not be supported by facts showing that [an adverse

    employment action] resulted solely from [the plaintiff’s] disclosure of her

    gender dysphoria.’

    ROA.843 (RE.T4) (quoting Schroer , 577 F. Supp. 2d at 304 (quoting Schroer v.

     Billington, 525 F. Supp. 2d 58, 63 (D.D.C. 2007) (emphasis and third and fourth

    alteration in original)). However, the district court neglected to explain that, in the

    quoted passage, the Schroer court is describing the position it took in a prior

    opinion. The Schroer  court makes clear that it subsequently changed its position

     based on “the development of the factual record that is now before me.” 577 F.

    Supp. 2d at 304. Schroer  goes on to conclude, “Ultimately, I do not think it matters

    for purposes of Title VII liability whether [the employer] withdrew its offer of

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    employment because it perceived Schroer to be an insufficiently masculine man,

    an insufficiently feminine woman, or an inherently gender-nonconforming

    transsexual.” Id. at 305. In summary, the district court failed to acknowledge that

    the Schroer  court revised its understanding of Title VII and determined that a

    transgender plaintiff may state a claim “based on the language of the statute itself.”

     Id. at 305-06.

    Similarly, the district court quotes language from Schwenk  without

    acknowledging its full context, citing a passage that states, “[w]hat matters, for the

     purpose of this part of the Price Waterhouse analysis, is that in the mind of the

     perpetrator the discrimination is related to the sex of the victim: here, for example,

    the perpetrator’s actions stem from the fact that he believed that the victim was a

    man who ‘failed to act like’ one.” ROA.842-43 (RE.T4) (quoting Schwenk , 204

    F.3d at 1201-02). But, as explained previously, Schwenk held that a prisoner stated

    a cognizable sex discrimination claim under the Gender Motivated Violence Act

     by alleging that an assault was “motivated, at least in part, by [her] gender,” that is,

    “by her assumption of a feminine rather than a typically masculine appearance or

    demeanor.” 204 F.3d at 1202; see also id. (explaining that the same reasoning

    applies under Title VII). Schwenk  makes clear that discrimination based on a

     plaintiff’s “assumption of a feminine rather than typically masculine appearance or

    demeanor” is equivalent to discrimination based on a “belie[f] that [a plaintiff] was

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    a man who ‘failed to act like’ one.” Therefore, Schwenk does not support the

    district court’s position that a transgender plaintiff must provide “additional

    evidence related to gender stereotype non-conformity,” ROA.842 (RE.T4), to

    establish a sex discrimination claim.

    Moreover, Etsitty is weak support for the district court’s position. While

     Etsitty declined to adopt a per se rule that transgender discrimination is

    discrimination “because of … sex,” the Tenth Circuit acknowledged that other

    courts had relied on Price Waterhouse to “recognize a cause of action for []

    transsexuals claiming protection under Title VII,” although it did not reach that

    question itself. 502 F.3d at 1223-24. Further, Etsitty relied on decisions rendered

     before Price Waterhouse and Oncale —including Ulane and Sommers —which, for

    the reasons discussed above, see supra at 17-18, are no longer viable. See Etisitty,

    502 F.3d at 1221. 

    Additionally, underpinning the Etsitty court’s rejection of a broader per se

    rule was its interpretation of Title VII as prohibiting discrimination against men or

    women, but not against individuals who change their sex. See 502 F.3d at 1222

    (emphasizing a “traditional binary conception of sex” and “two starkly defined

    categories of male and female”). The court’s reasoning is flawed, as the Schroer

    decision highlights that discrimination against someone for changing genders is

    itself evidence of sex discrimination. 577 F. Supp. 2d at 305-06. Schroer

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    analogized to a religious conversion: an employer that fires an individual for

    converting from Christianity to Judaism, and that harbors no bias against

    Christians or Jews but only converts, has discriminated “because of religion.” Id. at

    306. The court concluded that “[n]o court would take seriously the notion that

    ‘converts’ are not covered by the statute. Discrimination ‘because of religion’

    easily encompasses discrimination because of a change of religion.” Id. (emphasis

    in original). It follows that discrimination against transgender individuals—those

    who have changed their gender expression—“is literally discrimination ‘because of

    … sex.’” Id. at 302.

    The district court also maintained that “courts have generally required

    evidence of gendered statements or acts that target a plaintiff’s conformance with

    traditional conceptions of masculinity or femininity.” ROA.841 (RE.T4). To

    support its assertion, the district court relied on EEOC v. Boh Brothers and Nichols

    v. Azteca Restaurant Enterprises, Inc., 256 F.3d 864 (9th Cir. 2001), which both

    involved Title VII claims alleging male employees were harassed because they

    failed to conform to the harassers’ gender stereotypes. See Boh Brothers, 731 F.3d

    at 449; Nichols, 256 F.3d at 869. It is certainly accurate that both Boh Brothers and

     Nichols involved “evidence of gendered statements or acts that target[ed] [the]

    [employees’] conformance with traditional conceptions of masculinity.” But in

    those cases, such evidence was integral to demonstrating that harassment occurred

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    “because of … sex.” See Boh Bros., 731 F.3d at 457; Nichols, 256 F.3d at 874. It

    does not follow from Boh Brothers and Nichols that a transgender individual—who

    is “defined as transgender precisely because of the perception that his or her

     behavior transgresses gender stereotypes,” Glenn, 663 F.3d at 1316—must provide

    such evidence. Again, “evidence of gender stereotyping is simply one means of

     proving sex discrimination” in transgender and other sex discrimination claims.

     Macy, 2012 WL 1435995, at *8.

    III. A jury could conclude that Sage discriminated against Eure because ofhis sex.

    The record evidence presents a genuine dispute of fact as to whether Sage

    discriminated against Eure “because of … sex.” A reasonable jury could infer that

    Campanian correctly understood that Eure was transgender, given Campanian’s

    disparagement of “cross-genders” in reference to Eure. ROA.495. Or, a reasonable

     jury could infer—also based on Campanian’s stated animus towards “cross-

    genders”—that Campanian perceived Eure as non-conforming with his assigned

    sex (female), and that Campanian expected or preferred that Eure look and act

    female, rather than dressing and otherwise presenting as male. See ROA.309-10;

    ROA.355; ROA.392; ROA.495; ROA.665 (RE.T5).

    To begin, a jury could determine that Eure experienced an adverse

    employment action. For example, as Brandon testified and Campanian

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    acknowledged, Campanian entirely excluded Eure from the instructor schedule,

    eliminating his work hours. ROA.249-50; ROA.414-15; ROA.512-13; ROA.672

    (RE.T7). The district court also recognized that the record indicated that

    Campanian reduced Eure’s work hours. ROA.850-52 (RE.T4). Eure was paid by

    the hour, ROA.326, so the reduction in hours was an adverse employment action

    that directly affected his compensation. See Thompson v. City of Waco, 764 F.3d

    500, 503 (5th Cir. 2014) (“[A]dverse employment actions consist of ‘ultimate

    employment decisions’ such as … compensat[ion].”); see also Hinson v. Clinch

    Cnty., Ga. Bd. of Educ., 231 F.3d 821, 829 (5th Cir. 2000) (reduction in pay is

    adverse) (citing Doe v. Dekalb Cnty. Sch. Dist., 145 F.3d 1441, 1448 (11th Cir.

    1998)); Corley v. La. ex rel. Div. of Admin., 498 F. App’x 448, 450 (5th Cir. 2012)

    (treating “reduction in pay equal to a one-day suspension” as an “ultimate

    employment decision”). Eure’s removal from the schedule may also be

    characterized as a “loss of job responsibilities . . . [that is] so significant and

    material that it rises to the level of an adverse employment action.” Thompson, 764

    F.3d at 504.5 

    5 Sage argued at summary judgment that Eure’s EEOC charge references only

    termination—not a reduction in hours—as an adverse employment action.

    ROA.168. Eure’s charge states, “Since on or about March 30, 2011, I was taken off

    the schedule and have not been allowed to return to work.” ROA.411. Eure’s

    reduction-in-hours claim is readily inferred from that statement, and, at a

    minimum, falls within “the ‘scope’ of the EEOC investigation which can

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    Eure may rely on direct or circumstantial evidence to show that Campanian

    discriminated against him by reducing his hours based on his gender-

    nonconformity. Campanian’s statements maligning transgender individuals—and

    Eure in particular—provide direct evidence of discrimination because they were

    “(1) related to the plaintiff’s protected characteristic; (2) proximate in time to the

    challenged employment decision; (3) made by an individual with authority over the

    challenged employment decision; and (4) related to the challenged employment

    decision.” Etienne v. Spanish Lake Truck & Casino Plaza, L.L.C., 778 F.3d 473,

    476 (5th Cir. 2015). Here, Campanian’s admonishment to Brandon that “we don’t

    hire cross-genders in this company” is directly related to Eure’s protected

    characteristic: his gender. ROA.495. A supposed ban on employing “cross-

    genders” “prove[s], ‘without inference or presumption, that [gender] was a basis in

    employment decisions’” at Sage. Etienne, 778 F.3d at 476 (quoting Jones v.

     Robinson Prop. Grp., L.P., 427 F.3d 987, 993 (5th Cir. 2005)). The record

    indicates that Campanian expressed hostility towards Eure and his gender shortly

     before reducing Eure’s hours. ROA.495; ROA.512-13. Campanian had authority

    over the decision to reduce Eure’s hours; in fact, she created the schedule that

    reasonably be expected to grow out of the charge.” Young v. City of Houston, 906

    F.2d 177, 179 (5th Cir. 1990); see id. (observing that the court’s “scope of inquiry

    is not [] limited to the exact  charge brought to the EEOC”) (emphasis in original).

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    omitted Eure’s hours. ROA.249-50; ROA.512-13. Finally, Campanian’s statements

    are related to the reduction in Eure’s hours. Campanian expressed hostility to

    employing transgender individuals, exclaiming, “Who the hell hired that?” and

    telling Brandon she would “deal with her seriously for hiring that.” ROA.495;

    ROA.671 (RE.T7). Campanian’s statements made at the time she reduced Eure’s

    hours reflected this same hostility to employing transgender persons: “We’re just

    not going to give [Eure] any hours. Just won’t put [Eure] on the schedule.”

    ROA.513.

    Alternatively, Eure may rely on circumstantial evidence under the burden-

    shifting framework of McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802-04

    (1973). Under McDonnell Douglas, Eure may create an initial presumption of

    intentional discrimination by establishing a prima facie case. Alvarado v. Tex.

     Rangers, 492 F.3d 605, 611 (5th Cir. 2007). On this record, Eure easily satisfies

    the four prongs of the prima facie case. See Willis v. Cleco Corp., 749 F.3d 314,

    320 (5th Cir. 2014). First, for the reasons explained above, see supra at 23, Eure is

    “a member of a protected group” based on his gender. Willis, 749 F.3d at 320. 

    Second, Eure “was qualified for the [instructor] position”—a fact Sage does not

    seriously contest. Id. Third, Eure “suffered [an] adverse action”: a reduction in

    hours and pay. Id. Fourth, by reducing Eure’s hours, Sage “treated [Eure] less

    favorably than other similarly situated employees outside the protected group …

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    under nearly identical circumstances.” Id. The other San Antonio school instructors

    held the same position as Eure, and their hours were listed on the same schedule.

    See, e.g., ROA.412-14.

    Assuming Sage meets its burden of articulating a legitimate,

    nondiscriminatory justification for reducing Eure’s hours, Eure may rebut Sage’s

     justification in one of two ways. Alvarado, 492 F.3d at 611. First, Eure may show

    that even if Sage’s explanation were true, discrimination also motivated Sage. Id.

    Here, given Campanian’s insistence that Sage does not hire “cross-genders,” a jury

    could determine that Eure’s gender (or non-conformance with gender stereotypes)

    motivated Campanian’s decision to reduce his hours, regardless of any other

     justification Sage provides. Second, Eure may establish that Sage’s reason is

     pretext for discrimination. Id. For example, if Sage asserts that Campanian omitted

    Eure from the schedule because Eure did not attend the alleged April 1 scheduling

    meeting, Eure could call that justification into question by pointing out that

    Campanian only scheduled the meeting the day before (when Eure was not

     present), and emphasizing that a jury could doubt Campanian’s assumption that

    Eure was not available to work the following week. At a minimum, Brandon’s and

    Campanian’s divergent descriptions of how Campanian excluded Eure from the

    schedule raise a genuine issue of material fact supporting Eure’s pretext argument.

    Case: 14-51311 Document: 00513015639 Page: 33 Date Filed: 04/22/2015

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    28

    CONCLUSION

    For the reasons discussed above, the Commission respectfully urges this

    Court to reverse the district court’s grant of summary judgment.

    Respectfully submitted,

    P. DAVID LOPEZ s/ Anne W. King_____

    General Counsel ANNE W. KING

    Attorney

    CAROLYN L. WHEELER U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

    Acting Associate General Counsel OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

    Office of General Counsel

    LORRAINE C. DAVIS 131 M St. NE, Fifth FloorAssistant General Counsel Washington, DC 20507

    (202) 663-4699

    [email protected]

    Case: 14-51311 Document: 00513015639 Page: 34 Date Filed: 04/22/2015

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    CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    I hereby certify that on April 22, 2015, I electronically filed the foregoing

    with the Clerk of the Court for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth

    Circuit by using the CM/ECF system, which will transmit a Notice of Electronic

    Filing to all participants in this case, who are all registered CM/ECF users.

    s/ Anne W. King_____

    ANNE W. KING

    Attorney for the Equal Employment

    Opportunity Commission

    U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

    OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

    Office of General Counsel

    131 M St. NE, Fifth Floor

    Washington, DC 20507

    (202) 663-4699

    [email protected]

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    CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

    This brief complies with the type-volume limitations of Fed. R. App. P.

    32(a)(7)(B) and Fed. R. App. P. 29(d), because this brief contains 6,282 words,

    excluding the parts of the brief exempted by Fed. R. App. P. 32(a)(7)(B)(iii).

    This brief complies with the typeface requirements of Fed. R. App. P.

    32(a)(5) and the type style requirements of Fed. R. App. P. 32(a)(6) because this

     brief has been prepared in a proportionally spaced typeface using Microsoft Word

    2007 in 14-point Times New Roman font in the body and footnotes of the brief.

    s/ Anne W. King___________

    Attorney for the Equal Employment

    Opportunity Commission

    Dated: April 22, 2015

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    ECF CERTIFICATE

    Undersigned counsel certifies that required privacy redactions have been

    made pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 25.2.13; the electronic submission is an exact copy of

    the paper document pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 25.2.1; and the document has been

    scanned for viruses with the most recent version of a commercial virus scanning

     program and is free of viruses.

    s/ Anne W. King___________

    Attorney for the Equal Employment

    Opportunity Commission

    Dated: April 22, 2015

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    Uni ted States Cour t of AppealsFIFTH CIRCUIT

    OFFICE OF THE CLERK

    LYLE W. CAYCE

    CLERK

    TEL. 504-310-7700

    600 S. MAESTRI PLACE

    NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130

    April 28, 2015

    Ms. Anne Warren KingU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionOffice of General Counsel/Appellate Services131 M Street, N.E.Washington, DC 20507

    No. 14-51311 Loretta Eure v. Sage Corporation

    USDC No. 5:12-CV-1119

    Dear Ms. King,

    The following pertains to your Amicus Curiae briefelectronically filed on April 22, 2015.

    You must submit the seven (7) paper copies of your brief requiredby 5TH CIR. R. 31.1 within five (5) days of the date of this noticepursuant to 5th Cir. ECF Filing Standard E.1.

    Sincerely,

    LYLE W. CAYCE, Clerk

    By: _________________________Nancy F. Dolly, Deputy Clerk504-310-7683

    cc:Ms. Demoya R. GordonMr. John Thomas HawkinsMr. Glenn Deutsch LevyMr. Peter C. RennMr. Joe Anthony RiveraMr. Kenneth Dale Upton Jr.Mr. Larry D. Warren

    Case: 14-51311 Document: 00513023155 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/22/2015