Opinion ID: 203801
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: standard of review

Text: We review the district court's grant of a summary judgment de novo. See Collazo v. Nicholson, 535 F.3d 41, 44 (1st Cir.2008). Nevertheless, `[w]e may affirm the district court's decision on any grounds supported by the record.' Id. (quoting Estades-Negroni v. Assocs. Corp. of N. Am., 377 F.3d 58, 62 (1st Cir.2004)). In reviewing a grant of summary judgment, this court constru[es] the record in the light most favorable to the nonmovant and resolv[es] all reasonable inferences in the party's favor. Rochester Ford Sales, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co., 287 F.3d 32, 38 (1st Cir.2002). Summary judgment is appropriate only if, viewing all factual disputes in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, there is no genuine issue of material fact that would prevent judgment for the moving party as a matter of law. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(c); Montfort-Rodriguez v. Rey-Hernandez, 504 F.3d 221, 224 (1st Cir.2007). A genuine issue exists where a reasonable jury could resolve the point in favor of the nonmoving party. Suarez v. Pueblo Int'l, Inc., 229 F.3d 49, 53 (1st Cir.2000). Once the moving party avers an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party's case, the non-moving party must offer definite, competent evidence to rebut the motion. Mesnick v. General Electric Co., 950 F.2d 816, 822 (1st Cir. 1991). However, `[c]redibility determinations, the weighing of the evidence, and the drawing of legitimate inferences from the facts are jury functions, not those of a judge.' Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 150, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000)(quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)); see also Lytle v. Household Mfg., Inc., 494 U.S. 545, 554-55, 110 S.Ct. 1331, 108 L.Ed.2d 504 (1990); Continental Ore Co. v. Union Carbide & Carbon Corp., 370 U.S. 690, 696 n. 6, 82 S.Ct. 1404, 8 L.Ed.2d 777 (1962). Even in cases where elusive concepts such as motive or intent are at issue, summary judgment may be appropriate if the nonmoving party rests merely upon conclusory allegations, improbable inferences, and unsupported speculation. Medina-Munoz v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 896 F.2d 5, 8 (1st Cir.1990)(citing Rossy v. Roche Prods., Inc., 880 F.2d 621, 624 (1st Cir.1989); Oliver v. Digital Equipment Corp., 846 F.2d 103, 109-10 (1st Cir. 1988)); see also Welch v. Ciampa, 542 F.3d 927, 935 (1st Cir.2008) (Although we give the nonmoving party the benefit of all reasonable inferences, a party cannot rest on `conclusory allegations, improbable inferences, [or] unsupported speculation' to defeat a motion for summary judgment.)(quoting McCarthy v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., 56 F.3d 313, 315 (1st Cir. 1995)). Furthermore, the non-moving party's burden cannot be satisfied with a declaration that without proper explanation contradicts his/her prior deposition testimony. See Torrech-Hernandez, 519 F.3d at 47.