Meaux

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

In this employment discrimination case, Plaintiff Orville Meaux sues Defendant Northwest Airlines, Inc. for race discrimination. Defendant has filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that Plaintiffs claims are not supported by admissible evidence. Defendant asserts that the disciplinary measures taken against Plaintiff were supported by legitimate non-discriminatory reasons. Plaintiff opposes the motion. Having considered all of the papers filed by the parties the Court grants Defendant’s motion in part and denies it in part.

BACKGROUND

In 1977, Plaintiff, an African-American male, began employment as a flight attendant with Hughes Airwest in Minnesota. In 1980, Hughes Airwest was bought by Republic Airlines, which was later purchased by Northwest in 1986. While working for Republic in the 1980s, Plaintiff was disciplined several times. In 1986, Plaintiff reported to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights that his discipline was the result of Republic’s racially discriminatory practice. The Department of Human Rights determined that “probable cause exist[ed] to credit the allegation that an…