What standard of proof must courts apply in evaluating summary judgment motions in employment-discrimination cases?

QUESTION PRESENTED In evaluating motions for summary judgment under employment discrimination laws, such as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, must a court examine all the evidence together to determine whether a reasonable jury could find discrimination by a preponderance of the evidence (as required by the Seventh Circuit), or must the court apply a special heightened standard of proof that separately evaluates different pieces of evidence based on the “stage” of the inquiry or on whether the evidence is “direct” or “circumstantial” (as required by the Eleventh Circuit, among others)? ii RELATED CASES e Melvin v. Federal Express Corporation, No. 1:17-cv-00789-CC, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Judgment entered May 1, 2019. e Melvin v. Federal Express Corporation, No. 1911872, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Judgment entered May 21, 2020. Petition for en banc rehearing denied September 10, 2020.