Retaliation decision underscores importance of termination discussions

A couple of weeks ago, the 6th Circuit held that where an adverse employment action occurs very close in time after an employer learns of a protected activity, such temporal proximity between events is significant enough to constitute evidence of a causal connection for the purposes of satisfying a prima facie case of retaliation (see 6th Circuit holds that temporaral proximity alone is sufficient to show a causal nexus in retaliation cases). Today, that same court, in Imwalle v. Reliance Medical Products, illustrates the converse of Mickey v. Zeidler Tool & Die, what additional evidence will prove a nexus when temporal proximity alone is not enough. It also highlights the importance of carefully watching one's words in termination meetings, and how saying the wrong thing can come back to haunt you.

Imwalle concerns a corporate president who was terminated from his long-tenured position 3 months after he filed an age and national origin discrimination charge with the EEOC. During the termination meeting, the COO told Imwalle: "I know that you know that Haag-Streit (HS) never committed discrimination in the past, at present, and will not in the future. I therefore canot [sic] understand why you raise such a claim. We are not discriminatory, just not."

The Court relied heavily on that statement in affirming the jury's verdict in Imwalle's favor on his retaliation claim:

[T]he fact that Ott made this statement about Imwalle's discrimination complaints at such a critical moment raises questions about Haag-Streit's true motivation for firing Imwalle.

On the one hand, the statement can be taken at face value, made solely for the purpose of assuring Imwalle that his firing had nothing to do with the alleged discrimination on the part of Haag-Streit because such discrimination purportedly did not exist. But another plausible explanation for Ott's statement is that Imwalle's discrimination claim had caused both frustration and resentment on the part of Haag-Streit, and that Ott's statement was designed to mislead Imwalle and discourage him from suing. Ott obviously felt strongly enough about the accusations of discrimination to prepare a written statement and read it as the first order of business at the meeting he called to let Imwalle go.

Furthermore, the timing of the statement, literally moments before Imwalle was notified that he was no longer President of Reliance or of HSH US and that his employment agreement was being terminated, clearly shows that Imwalle’s complaint of discrimination was at the forefront of Ott's mind.

While it's difficult to know what the COO's true motivation was, it's easy to understand how a jury could interpret the phrase, "I cannot understand why you raise such a claim," uttered while terminating Imwalle, as retaliatory. If the COO's intent was retaliation, then he did an awful job of hiding it. If, however, his intent was innocent, he should have chosen his words much more carefully. Use his mistake as a valuable lesson -- be careful what you say in a termination meeting, and even more careful what is written down. The words can, and will, be used, twisted, and construed against you.