{"attribution":{"source":"legal.exploreworldai.com","canonical":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/judgment-text?id=us:ca3-25-2630-2026-08-13","cite_as":"NovaCopilot, legal.exploreworldai.com (https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/judgment-text?id=us:ca3-25-2630-2026-08-13)","license":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/revision","version":"legal-2026-10-11","fingerprint":"ewai:us:e0b409","proof":"sha256:b0df51d532d7f526a93fc90ff7fddff34b61f6e56f8169d71c36be4679979d27","jurisdiction":"us","lang":"en","publisher":"NovaCopilot by ExploreWorld Legal","terms":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/om"},"brand_source":"Source: NovaCopilot","item":{"schema_version":"1.0.0","id":"us:ca3-25-2630-2026-08-13","jurisdiction":"us","lang":"en","brand_source":"Source: NovaCopilot","brand":{"product":"NovaCopilot","platform":"ExploreWorldAI","infrastructure":"ExploreWorld Legal","infrastructure_url":"legal.exploreworldai.com","legal_entity":"Valkiv Ventures AB","permanent_url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/novacopilot","source":"Source: NovaCopilot","powered_by":"Powered by NovaCopilot","license":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/licensvillkor"},"sections":[{"title":"Front matter","paragraphs":["para_1","para_2","para_3","para_4","para_5","para_6","para_7","para_8","para_9","para_10","para_11","para_12","para_13","para_14","para_15","para_16","para_17","para_18","para_19","para_20","para_21","para_22","para_23","para_24","para_25","para_26","para_27","para_28","para_29","para_30","para_31","para_32","para_33","para_34","para_35","para_36","para_37","para_38","para_39","para_40","para_41","para_42","para_43","para_44","para_45","para_46","para_47","para_48","para_49","para_50","para_51","para_52","para_53","para_54","para_55","para_56","para_57","para_58","para_59","para_60","para_61","para_62","para_63","para_64","para_65","para_66","para_67","para_68","para_69","para_70","para_71","para_72","para_73","para_74","para_75","para_76","para_77","para_78","para_79","para_80","para_81","para_82","para_83","para_84","para_85","para_86","para_87","para_88","para_89","para_90","para_91","para_92","para_93","para_94","para_95","para_96","para_97","para_98","para_99","para_100","para_101","para_102","para_103","para_104","para_105","para_106","para_107","para_108","para_109","para_110","para_111","para_112","para_113","para_114","para_115","para_116","para_117","para_118","para_119","para_120","para_121","para_122","para_123","para_124","para_125","para_126","para_127","para_128","para_129","para_130","para_131","para_132","para_133","para_134","para_135","para_136","para_137","para_138","para_139","para_140","para_141","para_142","para_143","para_144","para_145","para_146","para_147","para_148","para_149","para_150","para_151","para_152","para_153","para_154","para_155","para_156","para_157","para_158","para_159","para_160","para_161","para_162","para_163","para_164","para_165","para_166","para_167","para_168","para_169","para_170","para_171","para_172","para_173","para_174","para_175","para_176","para_177","para_178","para_179","para_180","para_181","para_182","para_183","para_184","para_185","para_186","para_187","para_188","para_189","para_190","para_191","para_192","para_193","para_194","para_195","para_196","para_197","para_198","para_199","para_200","para_201","para_202","para_203","para_204","para_205","para_206","para_207","para_208","para_209","para_210","para_211","para_212","para_213","para_214","para_215","para_216","para_217","para_218","para_219","para_220","para_221","para_222","para_223","para_224","para_225","para_226","para_227","para_228","para_229","para_230","para_231","para_232","para_233","para_234","para_235","para_236","para_237","para_238","para_239","para_240","para_241","para_242","para_243","para_244","para_245","para_246","para_247","para_248","para_249","para_250","para_251","para_252","para_253","para_254","para_255","para_256","para_257","para_258","para_259","para_260","para_261","para_262","para_263","para_264","para_265","para_266","para_267","para_268","para_269","para_270","para_271","para_272","para_273","para_274","para_275","para_276","para_277","para_278","para_279","para_280","para_281","para_282","para_283","para_284","para_285","para_286","para_287","para_288","para_289","para_290"],"kind":"front_matter"}],"paragraphs":[{"text":"UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT","paragraph_id":"para_1"},{"text":"No. 25-2630","paragraph_id":"para_2"},{"text":"GERSEN GABRIEL,","paragraph_id":"para_3"},{"text":"Appellant","paragraph_id":"para_4"},{"text":"v.","paragraph_id":"para_5"},{"text":"DSM BIOMEDICAL, INC.","paragraph_id":"para_6"},{"text":"_____________________________","paragraph_id":"para_7"},{"text":"On Appeal from the U.S. District Court, E.D. Pa.","paragraph_id":"para_8"},{"text":"Judge Timothy J. Savage, No. 2:24-cv-04546","paragraph_id":"para_9"},{"text":"Before: BIBAS, CHUNG, and AMBRO, Circuit Judges","paragraph_id":"para_10"},{"text":"Submitted: June 23, 2026; Filed: August 13, 2026","paragraph_id":"para_11"},{"text":"_____________________________","paragraph_id":"para_12"},{"text":"OPINION OF THE COURT","paragraph_id":"para_13"},{"text":"BIBAS, Circuit Judge. Title VII bans discrimination and","paragraph_id":"para_14"},{"text":"retaliation, not stressful offices or difficult bosses. A black","paragraph_id":"para_15"},{"text":"factory manager claims that a white executive discriminated","paragraph_id":"para_16"},{"text":"against him by doing an extra safety audit, keeping his factory","paragraph_id":"para_17"},{"text":"on a list of sites with safety problems, and being rude. But there","paragraph_id":"para_18"},{"text":"is no evidence that any of these actions was motivated by race","paragraph_id":"para_19"},{"text":"or even affected the terms of his employment. No law or employ-","paragraph_id":"para_20"},{"text":"ment term forbids having an intense or stressful workplace, and","paragraph_id":"para_21"},{"text":"the actions fall short of creating a hostile work environment. Nor","paragraph_id":"para_22"},{"text":"is there any evidence of retaliation; the only reasonable infer-","paragraph_id":"para_23"},{"text":"ence is that the employee was later suspended for texting two","paragraph_id":"para_24"},{"text":"2","paragraph_id":"para_25"},{"text":"(perceived) threats to an employee group chat. We will thus AF-","paragraph_id":"para_26","court_paragraph":2},{"text":"FIRM the District Court’s summary judgment for the employer.","paragraph_id":"para_27"},{"text":"I. GABRIEL TAKES OFFENSE AT A RUDE EXECUTIVE","paragraph_id":"para_28"},{"text":"DSM is a European conglomerate with many divisions,","paragraph_id":"para_29"},{"text":"including one for Health, Nutrition, and Care. One unit of that","paragraph_id":"para_30"},{"text":"Health Division is DSM Biomedical. DSM routinely audits","paragraph_id":"para_31"},{"text":"safety across its various sites (every three years for corporate","paragraph_id":"para_32"},{"text":"operational audits, plus every year to year-and-a-half for peer-to-","paragraph_id":"para_33"},{"text":"peer audits). It also keeps a list of the top ten sites company-wide","paragraph_id":"para_34"},{"text":"that need safety improvements, using that list to monitor them","paragraph_id":"para_35"},{"text":"and help them improve. The corporate Safety, Health, and Envi-","paragraph_id":"para_36"},{"text":"ronment Department develops and proposes that top-ten list","paragraph_id":"para_37"},{"text":"based on the number of injuries, injury rate, seriousness of inci-","paragraph_id":"para_38"},{"text":"dents, and safety culture at each site. When one of the sites on","paragraph_id":"para_39"},{"text":"the list falls within the Health Division, the Health Division Pres-","paragraph_id":"para_40"},{"text":"ident can veto the choice. But in practice, he always followed the","paragraph_id":"para_41"},{"text":"Safety Department’s recommendations about which sites to add","paragraph_id":"para_42"},{"text":"or remove. In 2019, a DSM Biomedical factory in Pennsylvania","paragraph_id":"para_43"},{"text":"was put on that list because of recurring safety problems; the","paragraph_id":"para_44"},{"text":"Factory stayed on it through 2025.","paragraph_id":"para_45"},{"text":"In 2020, after the Factory was listed for extra safety help,","paragraph_id":"para_46"},{"text":"Gersen Gabriel started work as DSM Biomedical’s Senior Direc-","paragraph_id":"para_47"},{"text":"tor of Operations. He managed the Factory and was responsible","paragraph_id":"para_48"},{"text":"for safety there. His supervisor, friend, and mentor was DSM","paragraph_id":"para_49"},{"text":"Biomedical’s President.","paragraph_id":"para_50"},{"text":"The Factory had a routine corporate operational audit in 2021","paragraph_id":"para_51"},{"text":"and a routine peer-to-peer audit in 2022. At the start of 2023,","paragraph_id":"para_52"},{"text":"DSM’s CEO was concerned that the Factory had suffered two","paragraph_id":"para_53"},{"text":"reportable injuries in a single month and both had been reported","paragraph_id":"para_54"},{"text":"3","paragraph_id":"para_55"},{"text":"late. So he asked for another, unannounced audit in 2023, ahead","paragraph_id":"para_56","court_paragraph":3},{"text":"of the usual cycle. The Head of the Safety Department agreed","paragraph_id":"para_57"},{"text":"and supplied an auditor from his own team. Though the audit","paragraph_id":"para_58"},{"text":"praised the Factory’s progress, it flagged several safety problems.","paragraph_id":"para_59"},{"text":"Gabriel, a black man, felt targeted by the Head of Safety, a","paragraph_id":"para_60"},{"text":"white man. In mid-2022, the two met in person for the first and","paragraph_id":"para_61"},{"text":"only time. Their meeting was “awkward.” JA 115. Gabriel says","paragraph_id":"para_62"},{"text":"the Head of Safety gave him a “weird” look, but at the time did","paragraph_id":"para_63"},{"text":"not think it was related to his race. Id. In hindsight, Gabriel now","paragraph_id":"para_64"},{"text":"thinks that interaction was related to his race, believing that the","paragraph_id":"para_65"},{"text":"Head of Safety had been surprised to learn that a black man was","paragraph_id":"para_66"},{"text":"in charge. He reevaluated that meeting based in part on later con-","paragraph_id":"para_67"},{"text":"versations with two other black employees and frustration that","paragraph_id":"para_68"},{"text":"the Factory remained on the top-ten list. He also considered two","paragraph_id":"para_69"},{"text":"incidents (one at the start of 2023, one a year later) when the","paragraph_id":"para_70"},{"text":"Head of Safety had mistakenly criticized the Factory for failing","paragraph_id":"para_71"},{"text":"to follow a safety policy.","paragraph_id":"para_72"},{"text":"At the start of 2024, after the second incident, DSM Biomed-","paragraph_id":"para_73"},{"text":"ical’s President asked human resources to investigate “bias","paragraph_id":"para_74"},{"text":"against [the Factory] and in particular against Gersen [Gabriel]","paragraph_id":"para_75"},{"text":"himself.” Supp. App. 264. During that investigation, the Presi-","paragraph_id":"para_76"},{"text":"dent accused the Head of Safety of racial bias against black em-","paragraph_id":"para_77"},{"text":"ployees. The investigation found that the Head of Safety had","paragraph_id":"para_78"},{"text":"been rude and intimidating and was guilty of a few “micro-","paragraph_id":"para_79"},{"text":"aggressions or un-conscious bias comments” but no “blatant","paragraph_id":"para_80"},{"text":"racial discrimination.” JA 237.","paragraph_id":"para_81"},{"text":"DSM worried that these incidents could tempt Gabriel to","paragraph_id":"para_82"},{"text":"leave. And it valued his work. So that spring, after DSM Bio-","paragraph_id":"para_83"},{"text":"medical’s President announced that he was leaving for a new","paragraph_id":"para_84"},{"text":"4","paragraph_id":"para_85"},{"text":"employer, DSM offered Gabriel a $400,000 retention bonus. But","paragraph_id":"para_86","court_paragraph":4},{"text":"Gabriel did not sign, believing that the bonus depended on his","paragraph_id":"para_87"},{"text":"reconciling with the Head of Safety. He soon decided to leave","paragraph_id":"para_88"},{"text":"DSM.","paragraph_id":"para_89"},{"text":"Matters came to a head in mid-June 2024. Gabriel got a for-","paragraph_id":"para_90"},{"text":"mal job offer from the company that DSM Biomedical’s Presi-","paragraph_id":"para_91"},{"text":"dent had just joined. Three days later, Gabriel filed an EEOC","paragraph_id":"para_92"},{"text":"discrimination charge against DSM. He was slated to lead an","paragraph_id":"para_93"},{"text":"important call with a major customer the following week. But","paragraph_id":"para_94"},{"text":"he clashed with DSM Biomedical’s new interim President","paragraph_id":"para_95"},{"text":"over that call, leading the interim President to complain to","paragraph_id":"para_96"},{"text":"human resources about Gabriel’s conduct.","paragraph_id":"para_97"},{"text":"Gabriel did not take that complaint well. Feeling betrayed,","paragraph_id":"para_98"},{"text":"he texted the DSM Biomedical leadership a link to a song called","paragraph_id":"para_99"},{"text":"“Rat in mi Kitchen.” Looking up the lyrics, the interim Presi-","paragraph_id":"para_100"},{"text":"dent understood them as threatening violence against the","paragraph_id":"para_101"},{"text":"“rat,” or betrayer, and feared he was being targeted. The next","paragraph_id":"para_102"},{"text":"day, Gabriel texted the team a link to a video in which the","paragraph_id":"para_103"},{"text":"speaker declares “war” against anyone who has been “schem-","paragraph_id":"para_104"},{"text":"ing” against her.","paragraph_id":"para_105"},{"text":"When the Health Division President heard about the mes-","paragraph_id":"para_106"},{"text":"sages, he decided that Gabriel should no longer work for DSM","paragraph_id":"para_107"},{"text":"Biomedical. The same day as the second text, DSM Biomedical","paragraph_id":"para_108"},{"text":"suspended Gabriel with pay pending further investigation.","paragraph_id":"para_109"},{"text":"Though the investigation was a necessary formality, the Presi-","paragraph_id":"para_110"},{"text":"dent saw the messages as beyond the pale; he had no plans to let","paragraph_id":"para_111"},{"text":"Gabriel come back.","paragraph_id":"para_112"},{"text":"The same day that Gabriel was suspended, he accepted the","paragraph_id":"para_113"},{"text":"other job offer. He then filed this lawsuit against DSM","paragraph_id":"para_114"},{"text":"5","paragraph_id":"para_115"},{"text":"Biomedical under Title VII, alleging racial discrimination by the","paragraph_id":"para_116","court_paragraph":5},{"text":"Head of Safety and retaliation by DSM for filing his EEOC","paragraph_id":"para_117"},{"text":"charge. The District Court granted DSM summary judgment on","paragraph_id":"para_118"},{"text":"both claims. We review de novo, viewing the facts and drawing","paragraph_id":"para_119"},{"text":"reasonable inferences in favor of Gabriel. Tundo v. County of","paragraph_id":"para_120"},{"text":"Passaic, 923 F.3d 283, 286–87 (3d Cir. 2019).","paragraph_id":"para_121"},{"text":"II. GABRIEL HAS NOT SHOWN ADVERSE ACTION","paragraph_id":"para_122"},{"text":"OR A RACIAL MOTIVE","paragraph_id":"para_123"},{"text":"Under Title VII, to survive summary judgment, Gabriel bears","paragraph_id":"para_124"},{"text":"the burden of making out a prima facie case of racial discrimina-","paragraph_id":"para_125"},{"text":"tion. Qin v. Vertex, Inc., 100 F.4th 458, 473 (3d Cir. 2024). To do","paragraph_id":"para_126"},{"text":"that, he must show that “he suffered an adverse employment","paragraph_id":"para_127"},{"text":"action” in “circumstances that could give rise to an inference","paragraph_id":"para_128"},{"text":"of intentional discrimination” based on his race. Id. (cleaned up).","paragraph_id":"para_129"},{"text":"Though the adverse action need not cause “serious” harm,","paragraph_id":"para_130"},{"text":"Gabriel “must [still] show some harm [to] an identifiable","paragraph_id":"para_131"},{"text":"term or condition of [his] employment.” Muldrow v. City of St.","paragraph_id":"para_132"},{"text":"Louis, 601 U.S. 346, 355 (2024); accord 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-","paragraph_id":"para_133"},{"text":"2(a)(1).","paragraph_id":"para_134"},{"text":"Gabriel fails twice over. Though he alleges discriminatory","paragraph_id":"para_135"},{"text":"acts, none of them harmed an identifiable term of his job. And he","paragraph_id":"para_136"},{"text":"points to no evidence that any of them was motivated by his race.","paragraph_id":"para_137"},{"text":"A. None of the alleged discriminatory acts harmed a","paragraph_id":"para_138"},{"text":"term of employment","paragraph_id":"para_139"},{"text":"Gabriel points to four alleged acts of discrimination. But he","paragraph_id":"para_140"},{"text":"cannot show that any of them harmed an identifiable employ-","paragraph_id":"para_141"},{"text":"ment term. He notes DSM’s keeping the Factory on the top-ten","paragraph_id":"para_142"},{"text":"site list, the “barrage” of safety audits, the addition of another","paragraph_id":"para_143"},{"text":"6","paragraph_id":"para_144"},{"text":"supervisor to whom he reported, and the “intense pressure” he","paragraph_id":"para_145","court_paragraph":6},{"text":"suffered from the Head of Safety’s “bully[ing] [and] intimi-","paragraph_id":"para_146"},{"text":"dati[on].” Appellant’s Br. 19, 22 (cleaned up). He argues that","paragraph_id":"para_147"},{"text":"each of these actions caused him “some harm.” Appellant’s Br.","paragraph_id":"para_148"},{"text":"22. But he skips over Title VII’s separate requirement that they","paragraph_id":"para_149"},{"text":"harm an identifiable term or condition of his employment.","paragraph_id":"para_150"},{"text":"We see no link to an identifiable term. There is no evidence","paragraph_id":"para_151"},{"text":"that his job, salary, benefits, hours, perks, prestige, opportunities,","paragraph_id":"para_152"},{"text":"or the like were tied to getting the Factory off the top-ten list.","paragraph_id":"para_153"},{"text":"And no one with disciplinary authority over Gabriel even sug-","paragraph_id":"para_154"},{"text":"gested that he should face consequences because the Factory","paragraph_id":"para_155"},{"text":"stayed on the list. Nor was there any employment term against","paragraph_id":"para_156"},{"text":"having a third audit within two and a half years, and the record","paragraph_id":"para_157"},{"text":"does not reflect that the third audit had any impact upon any","paragraph_id":"para_158"},{"text":"employment term. Finally, even if making Gabriel report to the","paragraph_id":"para_159"},{"text":"Health Division’s Head of Operations in addition to his regular","paragraph_id":"para_160"},{"text":"supervisor inflicted “some harm” on the terms of Gabriel’s em-","paragraph_id":"para_161"},{"text":"ployment, his claim still fails at the next step.","paragraph_id":"para_162"},{"text":"At bottom, Gabriel’s claim rests on the “emotional harm”","paragraph_id":"para_163"},{"text":"and “massive pressure” that he suffered working for a “bully.”","paragraph_id":"para_164"},{"text":"Appellant’s Br. 22 (cleaned up). But that standard confuses his","paragraph_id":"para_165"},{"text":"subjective harm with an objective condition of his employment.","paragraph_id":"para_166"},{"text":"We do not doubt that the stressful workplace made Gabriel sub-","paragraph_id":"para_167"},{"text":"jectively miserable. Nor do we doubt that, at some point, a work-","paragraph_id":"para_168"},{"text":"place may become objectively intolerable, which itself violates a","paragraph_id":"para_169"},{"text":"term of employment. But discrimination rises to that level only","paragraph_id":"para_170"},{"text":"if it is “severe or pervasive” enough to amount to a hostile work","paragraph_id":"para_171"},{"text":"environment. See Castleberry v. STI Grp., 863 F.3d 259, 264 (3d","paragraph_id":"para_172"},{"text":"Cir. 2017). An even higher standard applies to constructive dis-","paragraph_id":"para_173"},{"text":"charge. For that, a workplace must be objectively “so intolerable","paragraph_id":"para_174"},{"text":"7","paragraph_id":"para_175"},{"text":"that a reasonable person subject to them would resign.” Mandel","paragraph_id":"para_176","court_paragraph":7},{"text":"v. M & Q Packaging Corp., 706 F.3d 157, 169 (3d Cir. 2013)","paragraph_id":"para_177"},{"text":"(internal quotation marks omitted). In requiring only some harm","paragraph_id":"para_178"},{"text":"for an adverse-action claim, Muldrow did not silently gut the","paragraph_id":"para_179"},{"text":"high thresholds for claiming a hostile work environment or con-","paragraph_id":"para_180"},{"text":"structive discharge. Mere emotional harm and stress are not","paragraph_id":"para_181"},{"text":"enough.","paragraph_id":"para_182"},{"text":"Gabriel’s workplace, though stressful, did not meet Title","paragraph_id":"para_183"},{"text":"VII’s high bar for those types of claims. No incident was serious","paragraph_id":"para_184"},{"text":"enough to rise to the level of “severe”—not even close. Castle-","paragraph_id":"para_185"},{"text":"berry, 863 F.3d at 264. In Castleberry, for instance, a supervisor","paragraph_id":"para_186"},{"text":"threatened to fire employees and “[w]ithin the same breath” used","paragraph_id":"para_187"},{"text":"the n-word. Id. at 265. Here, by contrast, no one used any racial","paragraph_id":"para_188"},{"text":"slurs, made any racial comments, or otherwise harassed black","paragraph_id":"para_189"},{"text":"employees. The most Gabriel can point to is one awkward meet-","paragraph_id":"para_190"},{"text":"ing with the Head of Safety in mid-2022 that in hindsight he","paragraph_id":"para_191"},{"text":"came to see as connected to his race, a couple of mistaken accu-","paragraph_id":"para_192"},{"text":"sations of safety violations at the Factory, some abrasive remarks","paragraph_id":"para_193"},{"text":"to other black employees, and one extra audit in the summer of","paragraph_id":"para_194"},{"text":"2023 that was ordered by the CEO, not the Head of Safety. The","paragraph_id":"para_195"},{"text":"District Court got it right: “Sporadic instances of bullying or","paragraph_id":"para_196"},{"text":"microaggressions by [the Head of Safety] do not rise to the","paragraph_id":"para_197"},{"text":"level of a hostile work environment as a matter of law.” JA 20.","paragraph_id":"para_198"},{"text":"These incidents, spread across eighteen months, are also not","paragraph_id":"para_199"},{"text":"pervasive. So Gabriel did not suffer an objectively hostile","paragraph_id":"para_200"},{"text":"work environment, let alone constructive discharge.","paragraph_id":"para_201"},{"text":"Gabriel also raises a procedural objection. He objects that","paragraph_id":"para_202"},{"text":"the District Court should not have rejected his hostile-work-","paragraph_id":"para_203"},{"text":"environment and constructive-discharge theories sua sponte.","paragraph_id":"para_204"},{"text":"And indeed, DSM Biomedical did not address either theory","paragraph_id":"para_205"},{"text":"8","paragraph_id":"para_206"},{"text":"until its reply brief below. But Gabriel briefed both theories in","paragraph_id":"para_207","court_paragraph":8},{"text":"his response to DSM Biomedical’s motion for summary judg-","paragraph_id":"para_208"},{"text":"ment, relying on the same evidence of race-based discrimination","paragraph_id":"para_209"},{"text":"that he used for his other disparate-treatment theories, and he","paragraph_id":"para_210"},{"text":"discussed these theories at oral argument. He thus had enough","paragraph_id":"para_211"},{"text":"notice and opportunity to be heard. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(f)(2);","paragraph_id":"para_212"},{"text":"Gibson v. Mayor & Council of Wilmington, 355 F.3d 215, 223–","paragraph_id":"para_213"},{"text":"24 (3d Cir. 2004).","paragraph_id":"para_214"},{"text":"B. Plus, none of the alleged acts was racially motivated","paragraph_id":"para_215"},{"text":"Even if any of these actions did harm a term of employment,","paragraph_id":"para_216"},{"text":"Gabriel crashes into another bar: He points to no evidence that","paragraph_id":"para_217"},{"text":"any of them was motivated by his race. The first two audits were","paragraph_id":"para_218"},{"text":"regularly scheduled and not alleged to be racially motivated, and","paragraph_id":"para_219"},{"text":"the third was requested not by the allegedly biased Head of","paragraph_id":"para_220"},{"text":"Safety but rather the CEO. Gabriel’s reporting structure was","paragraph_id":"para_221"},{"text":"changed by the Health Division President, not the Head of","paragraph_id":"para_222"},{"text":"Safety. And when asked if that change was motivated by race,","paragraph_id":"para_223"},{"text":"Gabriel testified that he “d[id]n’t know.” Supp. App. 86–87. Plus,","paragraph_id":"para_224"},{"text":"the Factory was already on the top-ten safety list and stayed there","paragraph_id":"para_225"},{"text":"because of persistent safety concerns. Gabriel suggests another","paragraph_id":"para_226"},{"text":"explanation for why it stayed on the list—the Head of Safety’s","paragraph_id":"para_227"},{"text":"racial bias against him—but his evidence falls flat.","paragraph_id":"para_228"},{"text":"Gabriel’s entire evidence of racial motivation boils down to","paragraph_id":"para_229"},{"text":"a handful of abrasive interactions with the Head of Safety. But","paragraph_id":"para_230"},{"text":"none supports a reasonable inference of intentional discrimina-","paragraph_id":"para_231"},{"text":"tion. Gabriel admits that he did not attribute his one awkward","paragraph_id":"para_232"},{"text":"meeting with the Head of Safety to his race at the time; only in","paragraph_id":"para_233"},{"text":"hindsight did he reinterpret it as surprise that a black man was in","paragraph_id":"para_234"},{"text":"charge. And the handful of comments by the Head of Safety were","paragraph_id":"para_235"},{"text":"9","paragraph_id":"para_236"},{"text":"likewise insufficient to establish a prima facie case, like mistak-","paragraph_id":"para_237","court_paragraph":9},{"text":"enly accusing the Factory of safety violations or telling a","paragraph_id":"para_238"},{"text":"black woman in a meeting, “If you are going to attack anyone,","paragraph_id":"para_239"},{"text":"then attack me.” JA 235. The Head of Safety was known as rude","paragraph_id":"para_240"},{"text":"and abrasive in general, not just to black workers. Title VII does","paragraph_id":"para_241"},{"text":"not ban mere rudeness or protect against abrasive bosses. The","paragraph_id":"para_242"},{"text":"District Court properly found no evidence that any of the alleged","paragraph_id":"para_243"},{"text":"disparate treatment (including the allegedly hostile work envi-","paragraph_id":"para_244"},{"text":"ronment) was motivated by race. Summary judgment was proper","paragraph_id":"para_245"},{"text":"on that claim.","paragraph_id":"para_246"},{"text":"III. GABRIEL’S RETALIATION CLAIM FAILS TOO","paragraph_id":"para_247"},{"text":"Gabriel’s Title VII retaliation claim fares no better. We spot","paragraph_id":"para_248"},{"text":"him his prima facie case. See Daniels v. Sch. Dist. of Phila., 776","paragraph_id":"para_249"},{"text":"F.3d 181, 193 (3d Cir. 2015). His EEOC charge is indeed pro-","paragraph_id":"para_250"},{"text":"tected activity. See id. And we assume that, after Muldrow, his","paragraph_id":"para_251"},{"text":"paid suspension pending investigation can count as an adverse","paragraph_id":"para_252"},{"text":"action. We also assume that his suspension ten days after filing","paragraph_id":"para_253"},{"text":"his charge is unusually suggestive of retaliation. Lichtenstein v.","paragraph_id":"para_254"},{"text":"Univ. of Pitt. Med. Ctr., 691 F.3d 294, 307 (3d Cir. 2012) (treating","paragraph_id":"para_255"},{"text":"seven days as in the ballpark); Shellenberger v. Summit Bancorp,","paragraph_id":"para_256"},{"text":"Inc., 318 F.3d 183, 189 (3d Cir. 2003) (suggesting that ten days","paragraph_id":"para_257"},{"text":"could suffice).","paragraph_id":"para_258"},{"text":"In response, though, DSM Biomedical offers a legitimate,","paragraph_id":"para_259"},{"text":"nondiscriminatory reason for suspending Gabriel: his (per-","paragraph_id":"para_260"},{"text":"ceived) threats. He twice sent messages to a group chat that one","paragraph_id":"para_261"},{"text":"member, whom he was clashing with, viewed as threatening.","paragraph_id":"para_262"},{"text":"Threats, intimidation, and defying supervisory authority all vio-","paragraph_id":"para_263"},{"text":"late DSM’s code of conduct and are grounds for firing. Gabriel","paragraph_id":"para_264"},{"text":"does not deny that. His only rejoinder is that the Health Division","paragraph_id":"para_265"},{"text":"10","paragraph_id":"para_266"},{"text":"President and suspension letter acknowledged the EEOC charge.","paragraph_id":"para_267","court_paragraph":10},{"text":"But that is too little for a jury to “reasonably … disbelieve”","paragraph_id":"para_268"},{"text":"DSM’s explanation and “reasonably … believe that [retaliation]","paragraph_id":"para_269"},{"text":"was more likely than not” a factor in suspending him. Lynn v.","paragraph_id":"para_270"},{"text":"Bank of N.Y. Mellon, 180 F.4th 133, 145 n.10 (3d. Cir. 2026)","paragraph_id":"para_271"},{"text":"(quoting Fuentes v. Perskie, 32 F.3d 759, 764 (3d Cir. 1994)). So","paragraph_id":"para_272"},{"text":"summary judgment was proper on Gabriel’s retaliation claim","paragraph_id":"para_273"},{"text":"too.","paragraph_id":"para_274"},{"text":"* * * * *","paragraph_id":"para_275"},{"text":"Working at DSM Biomedical was doubtless stressful, and","paragraph_id":"para_276"},{"text":"the Head of Safety was evidently abrasive and hard to work","paragraph_id":"para_277"},{"text":"with. But neither fact shows race discrimination. And DSM","paragraph_id":"para_278"},{"text":"properly suspended Gabriel for texting an employee group chat","paragraph_id":"para_279"},{"text":"two messages that looked like threats. So we will AFFIRM sum-","paragraph_id":"para_280"},{"text":"mary judgment for DSM.","paragraph_id":"para_281"},{"text":"Counsel for Appellant","paragraph_id":"para_282"},{"text":"Evan L. Frank","paragraph_id":"para_283"},{"text":"ALAN L. 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