Robert E. Sanchez v. CITY OF FRANKLIN, TN; JAMES G. JOHNSON, individually and in his official capacity

The Honorable Karl S. Forester, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of*
Kentucky, sitting by designation.
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FULL-TEXT PUBLICATION
File Name: 08a0264n.06
Filed: May 15, 2008
No. 07-5902
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
ROBERT E. SANCHEZ,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
CITY OF FRANKLIN, TN;
JAMES G. JOHNSON,
individually and in his official capacity
Defendants-Appellants.
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ON APPEAL FROM THE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT
COURT FOR THE MIDDLE
DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
O P I N I O N
BEFORE: COLE and GRIFFIN, Circuit Judges; and FORESTER, District Judge.*
PER CURIAM. Plaintiff-Appellant Robert E. Sanchez appeals a district court’s order
granting summary judgment to Defendant-Appellee City of Franklin, Tennessee (“City), on his
retaliatory-discharge claim brought under the Tennessee Public Protection Act, Tenn. Code Ann. §
50-1-304, (“TPPA”). The district court concluded that Sanchez failed to provide evidence from
which a reasonable juror could conclude that he was discharged from his position. Because
discharge, as opposed to resignation, is one of the necessary elements in order to prevail on a

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retaliatory-discharge claim under the TPPA, see Wooley v. Madison County, 209 F. Supp. 2d 836,
844 (W.D. Tenn. 2002), the district court granted the City’s motion for summary judgment.
Applying a de novo standard of review, as we must, Williams v. Mehra, 186 F.3d 685, 689
(6th Cir. 1999) (en banc), we conclude that the district court’s well-reasoned opinion supports the
grant of summary judgment to the City, and that the issuance of a detailed written opinion by this
Court would be reiterative. We therefore affirm the judgment issued by the Honorable Aleta A.
Trauger on June 28, 2007 on the basis of the reasoning set forth therein.

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