Opinion ID: 28916
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The court must draw all reasonable inferences

Text: Williams filed a complaint with the Equal in favor of the non-moving party. Id. at 255. Employment Opportunity Commission, which did not pursue the investigation but issued a At the same time, not all disputes or all inright-to-sue letter. Williams then sued Martin, ferences are reasonable, and the court is not asserting claims for retaliatory discharge under obliged to accept mere assertions. Thus, once (1) title VII, (2) 42 U.S.C. § 1981, (3) the the moving party initially has shown “that FMLA, and (4) LA. REV. STAT. ANN. there is an absence of evidence to support the § 23.332. The district court entered a non-moving party’s cause,” Celotex Corp. v. protective order during pre-trial discovery to Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 325 (1986), the nonrestrict discovery of Martin’s employee moving party must produce “specific facts” personnel files to records related to showing a genuine factual issue for trial. FED. absenteeism and FMLA leave. At the pre-trial R. CIV. P. 56(e); Matsushita Elec. Indus. conference, the court confined the questions Corp. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, for trial to the FMLA claim only. 587 (1986). The non-moving party cannot rest on mere conclusional allegations and de- The parties then filed cross-motions for nials, speculation, improbable inferences, unsummary judgment. Just three days before the substantiated assertions, and legalistic court granted Martin’s motion for summary arguments, none of which will substitute for judgment on the FMLA claim, Williams moved specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial. to strike certain exhibits attached to Martin’s TIG Ins., 276 F.3d at 759. motion for summary judgment and for sanctions for discovery violations. The court IV. granted Martin’s motion for summary A. judgment and dismissed, as moot, the motion Congress adopted the FMLA “to meet the to strike and for sanctions. needs of families in a manner that accommodates the legitimate interests of