Boudreaux v. Helena-West Helena School Dist., HELENA-WEST

• Decision Date: 27 May 1987
• Docket Number: HELENA-WEST,No. 86-2234,86-2234
• Citation: 819 F.2d 854
• Parties: 51 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. 1667, 43 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 37,111, 39 Ed. Law Rep. 1046 Sharon BOUDREAUX, Appellant, v.HELENA SCHOOL DISTRICT; G.H. Chorley, Individually & in his official capacity as Supt. of Helena-West Helena School District et al., Appellees.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit

Page 854

819 F.2d 854

51 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. 1667,

43 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 37,111, 39 Ed. Law Rep. 1046

Sharon BOUDREAUX, Appellant, v. HELENA-WEST HELENA SCHOOL DISTRICT; G.H. Chorley,

Individually & in his official capacity as Supt.

of Helena-West Helena School District et

al., Appellees.

No. 86-2234.

United States Court of Appeals,

Eighth Circuit.

Submitted May 4, 1987.

Decided May 27, 1987.

Sam Whitfield, Jr., Helena, Ark., for appellant.

David Solomon, Helena, Ark., for appellees.

Before McMILLIAN, JOHN R. GIBSON and WOLLMAN, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM.

Sharon Boudreaux appeals from a final judgment entered in the District Court ¹ for the Eastern District of Arkansas, dismissing her Title VII employment discrimination action. For reversal, Boudreaux argues the district court erred in (1) finding the school district had articulated a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for not hiring her, (2) finding she had failed to prove that the reason advanced by the school district was pretextual, and (3) finding the school district had developed objective, nondiscriminatory criteria in its recruitment and selection process. For the reasons discussed below, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

In June 1983, Sharon Boudreaux, a black woman, was one of several applicants for the position of Business Procedures teacher at the Helena-West Helena High School. Following interviews, the choice of candidates was narrowed to Boudreaux and Suzanne Rowland. The school district hired Rowland, a white woman, allegedly because she had more teaching experience in the subject area.

On February 8, 1984, Boudreaux filed a charge of racial discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On April 19, the EEOC dismissed her charge and issued a right to sue letter.

On June 19, 1984, Boudreaux, Edward Evans and Mary Jackson Whitfield brought a class action claiming race discrimination in employment against the Helena-West Helena School District, its superintendent, two school principals, and the individual members of the school board. On July 1, 1986, the plaintiffs dismissed their request for class certification. Trial proceeded as to Boudreaux's individual claim. At its conclusion, the district court held that Boudreaux had established a prima facie case of discrimination, but the school district had articulated a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for its refusal to hire her. Boudreaux v. Helena-West Helena School District, No. H-C-84-99, slip op. at 3 (E.D.Ark. July 14, 1986). The district court further found that Boudreaux had failed to prove that the reason advanced by the school district was pretextual. Id. This appeal followed. ²

Boudreaux argues the district court erred in finding that the Helena-West Helena School District articulated a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for choosing another applicant over her. In support of this argument, Boudreaux states she was more qualified for the position because she has a master's degree in vocational and business education and more than ten years of business and teaching experience while Rowland has only a bachelor's degree in business education and three years of teaching experience. Boudreaux also argues that she presented credible evidence that the school district's reason for not hiring her was pretextual by showing that although the racial makeup of the school district is approximately 55% white and 45% black, only 40% of the teachers at the secondary level are black. Boudreaux further alleges the school district's recruitment and selection process results in both overt and subtle discrimination because persons involved in hiring are afforded too much latitude and subjectivity.

The school district denies any discrimination and claims it satisfied its burden of production by showing Rowland was hired because she had more direct teaching experience. The school district further asserts that an intensive investigation in 1985 by the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education found the school district had...