00-3613 Sanghvi v. St. Catherine's Hospital, Inc.

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“Triana’s interrogatory is evidence of racial discrimination, since it suggests that Triana believed that Dr. Sanghvi could have difficulty forming patient relationships with white women because of his race. However, all of the other facts, which are basically undisputed, point to the conclusion that Dr. Sanghvi’s ethnicity played no role in the defendant’s decision to sell the practice assets to WWC. Triana made the initial offer to sell to Dr. Sanghvi in the days following June 11, prior to asking the potentially discriminatory query. After asking the question, Triana made a formal offer to Dr. Sanghvi on June 20. The terms of this initial offer were exactly the same as the defendant’s opening position with WWC: $360,000, with no financing by the hospital. Triana then began negotiating in apparent good faith with the plaintiff. However, Dr. Sanghvi was unwilling or unable during June or early July to meet St. Catherine’s requirement that the purchase price be paid in full. Even despite this fact, on the evening of June 24, Triana seemed favorably inclined to accepting an offer by the plaintiff which called for financing. Furthermore, Dr. Sanghvi was informed on July 1 that if a deal with WWC could not be worked out, the defendant would sell the assets to him on the terms laid out in his June 25 letter. All of this evidence shows that the defendant was perfectly willing to sell Dr. Sanghvi Dr. Bonaventura’s practice on the same terms as it would to any other buyer.”

Affirmed.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Springmann, Mag. J., Flaum, J.