An African American woman worked for an employer for seventeen years, rising to the position of Operations Manager. She consistently received satisfactory evaluations and was told by her supervisor that she had the potential to progress in the company, and do well in upper management. However, she was also placed on a developmental plan to improve some professional deficiencies, was criticized for weak communication skills, and had some attendance and punctuality issues. The woman applied for a promotion to senior operations manager but was not selected. The next year another senior operations manager position became available. Contrary to company policy, the position was not posted this time. Instead, it was simply announced that a white, female coworker had been promoted. The coworker was highly regarded by her peers, had very good performance evaluations, and had significant relevant experience. However, she did not have a four-year degree, even though the job requisition form stated that a four-year college degree was required for the position. The African American woman did have a four-year degree. The supervisor who made the hiring decision relied on a statement in the job description that substantial experience could substitute for the lack of a de3gree. Ultimately, the hiring decision was made by the supervisor based on her firsthand knowledge of the current operations managers. The supervisor testified that she “did not consider” the African American woman to be a candidate for the position. The African American employee sued, alleging race discrimination. (Springer v. Convergys Customer Management), 509 F. 3d 1344 (11^th Cir. 2007)