WPC 4Vj 0(yw@ 0l 0DU 0J 0T 0^7 0h 0r 0|o 0 0q 1u 0dv UB % U6" B)X DC AM U* B;Xv~qv D3 0@ AO5 0DJ D/ BU!3|x($ DEDDӀ((3$ !      0  (#$  0  2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23    ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX<  9p`(Courier New% Line 7 d 7Border 1dd-!C << G<  9p`(Arial d  !  #d#  ##   YYY FILED#X October2,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.#AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   BA Op Geneva  BA Op Geneva $$$$'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! .         \RA'\7XXdd7L"%!;+'h|`  `Lߛ@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ EASTERNSECTION MARKMcCAIN,    )C/ANO.03A019603CV00099      ) PlaintiffAppellant, )BLOUNTLAW      )v.      )HON.W.DALEYOUNG,      )JUDGE,AIRPORTHONDAandBOB  )RUTHERFORD,    )AFFIRMED      )AND DefendantsAppellees. )REMANDEDKEVINW.SHEPHERD,Maryville,forPlaintiffAppellant.BEECHERA.BARTLETT,JR.,andADRIENNEL.ANDERSON,KRAMER,RAYSON,LEAKE,RODGERS&MORGAN,Knoxville,forDefendantsAppellees.@ OPINION @         Franks.J.  Inthisactionaskingdamagesforallegedretaliatorydischarge,theTrialCourtgrantedemployersummaryjudgment,andplaintiffhasappealed.Weaffirm.  PlaintiffwashiredbyAirportHondaasausedcarsalesmaninFebruaryof1994.HisimmediatesupervisorwasdefendantBobRutherford.Plaintifftestifiedinhisdepositionthathediscoveredthatfellowemployeeswereforgingcustomersnamestocontractsforservicestheydidnotrequest.HereportedthistothegeneralmanagerforAirportHonda,andtoJohnStidham,anassistantusedcarmanager.Approximatelysixweeksafterplaintiffreportedtheforgeries,hewasterminatedbyRutherford.  Plaintiffinsiststhereisadisputedissueofmaterialfactandthegrantingofsummaryjudgmentwasinerror.  Atrialcourtshouldgrantsummaryjudgmentonlyifthemovantdemonstratestherearenogenuineissuesofmaterialfactandthatthemovingpartyisentitledtojudgmentasamatteroflaw.T.R.C.P.Rule56.03.Thecourtmusttakethestrongestlegitimateviewoftheevidenceinfavorofthenonmovingparty,allowallreasonableinferencesinfavorofthatparty,anddiscardallcountervailingevidence.Byrdv.Hall,847S.W.2d208(Tenn.1993).  TherequisiteelementsofaretaliatorydischargearesetforthinAndersonv.StandardRegisterCo.:0 0 (1)Theplaintiffwasanemployeeofthedefendantatthetimeoftheinjury;(2)theplaintiffmadeaclaimagainstthedefendantforworkerscompensationbenefits;(3)thedefendantterminatedtheplaintiffsemployment;and(4)theclaimforworkerscompensationbenefitswasasubstantialfactorintheemployersmotivationtoterminatetheemployeesemployment.857S.W.2d555,558(Tenn.1993).  Inthiscase,theTrialCourtconcludedtheplaintifffailedtoshowthefourthelement,acausalconnectionbetweenthereportingoftheallegedforgeriesandhisdismissal.AlthoughtheelementsinAndersoninvolveaworkerscompensationcase,theyareinaccordwiththerequirementsthathavebeenenunciatedforothertypesofcommonlawretaliatorydischargesuits.See,e.g.,Reynoldsv.OzarkMotorLines,Inc.,887S.W.2d822,825(Tenn.1994).  Theplaintiffbearstheburdenofshowingthecausalrelationship,Anderson.Inthiscase,theonlyevidencelinkingthedismissalandthe whistleblowing wasplaintiffsreportingtheallegedforgerytoasupervisorandhisterminationfromtheemploymentsixweekslater.  Evidenceofcausationrequiresmorethanthefactsshowingemployment,theexerciseofrights,andasubsequentdischarge.Thomasonv.BetterBiltAluminumProducts,Inc.,831S.W.2d291,293(Tenn.App.1992).Itrequiresdirectevidenceorcompellingcircumstantialevidence.Id.AlsoseeMoskalv.FirstTennesseeBank,810S.W.2d509(Tenn.App.1991).Theplaintiffsmere belieforunderstanding ofwhyhewasdismissed,isnotsufficienttocreateagenuineissueofmaterialfact.Newsomv.TextronAerostructures,924S.W.2d87(Tenn.App.1995).TheTennesseeSupremeCourthasrejectedtheideathatashortlengthoftimebetweentheincidentandthedismissalconstitutesaprimafacieshowingofretaliation.Conatserv.ClarksvilleCocaCola,920S.W.2d646(Tenn.1995)(dismissalthreedaysafterreturningtoworkfrominjuryrecuperationwasinsufficienttoshowcausalconnection).  WhiletheConatsercourtquotedatreatisestating proximityintimewithoutevidenceofsatisfactoryjobperformancedoesnotmakeaprimafaciecase, someevidenceofplaintiffssatisfactoryjobperformanceisnotcompellingcircumstantialevidenceofthecausalconnection.Accordingly,weconcludetheTrialCourtdidnoterringrantingsummaryjudgmenttodefendant.  PlaintiffurgesthattheTrialCourtshouldhavegrantedhismotionforacontinuance.Themotionwasmadeonthedateofthehearingforsummaryjudgment.Theplaintiffarguesthemotionshouldhavebeengranted,becauseuntilthemotionforsummaryjudgmentwasfiled,defendanthadnotdelivereddiscoverymaterialsrequested.  Thetrialcourthasbroaddiscretionindeterminingwhethertograntarequestforcontinuance.BarberandMcMurry,Inc.V.TopFliteDevelopmentCorporation,Inc.,720S.W.2d469,471(Tenn.App.1986).Inordertodemonstrateanabuseofdiscretion,apartymustshowsomeprejudiceorsurprisewhicharisesoutofthetrialcourtsfailuretograntacontinuance.CommissionerofDepartmentofTransportationv.Hall,635S.W.2d110(Tenn.1982).Mostofthelatefileddiscoverydealtwithprovingtheforgery,anallegationwhichwastobeassumedtrueforthepurposesofthesummaryjudgmenthearing.Theexhibitswhichwererelevanttothehearingwereavailableforreviewbytheappellantforseveralweeks.TherewasnoprejudicefromtheTrialCourtsfailuretograntacontinuance.Accordingly,wefindnoabuseofdiscretion.  Defendantshaveraisedanissuewhichwefindtobewithoutmeritandthereisnoneedtoaddresstheissue.  ThejudgmentoftheTrialCourtisaffirmed,thecostoftheappealisassessedtoappellant,andthecauseremanded.       ________________________      HerschelP.Franks,J.CONCUR:___________________________HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.___________________________CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.