Lauth v. Covance, Inc.

Dist. Ct. did not err in granting defendant-employer’s motion for summary judgment in action alleging that plaintiff-employee was terminated from his job on account of his age and in retaliation for having filed EEOC charge. Record showed that defendant was not satisfied with plaintiff’s job performance and had consistently noted in series of job performance evaluations plaintiff’s shortcoming in area of communications with his co-workers and supervisors, as well as his lack of improvement in said area. Moreover, plaintiff was subject of series of complaints by his co-workers shortly before his termination. Fact that plaintiff claimed that assessments regarding his communications skills, as well as complaints made by co-workers were without merit was insufficient to create issue for jury resolution, where plaintiff failed to present evidence that would call into question defendant’s belief that it had legitimate basis to terminate him. Ct. also rejected plaintiff’s contention that defendant manufactured complaints in effort to mask its retaliatory motive.