Opinion ID: 852981
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Factual Premise

Text: Notwithstanding subsequent legislative action, we must apply the statute as it existed in 1993. Brazauskas' complaint alleges that the Bishop and Father Martelli prevented her from obtaining employment at Notre Dame. [3] She bases her claim primarily on a letter Father Martelli wrote more than six months before she applied for the PCL job and on influence allegedly exerted by the Bishop that prompted Father Malloy to deny Brazauskas the position. Father Martelli's writing was a response to two letters he received from one of Brazauskas' supporters, Notre Dame Theology Department Assistant Chairman Kern Trembath. In the first letter, Dr. Trembath accused Father Martelli of scandalizing the Church by firing Church employees, saying, the fact that you are allowed to remain a priest is simply and strictly a measure of the worldwide shortage of priests. (Appellant's App. at 1082.) He described Father Martelli as a bad priest, and ... not a cultural American. (Id.) Dr. Trembath and his wife followed up with a second letter a week later, threatening legal action on their own behalf and demanding [c]omplete resolution of Beverly Brazauskas' issue against you to the satisfaction of her and her attorney. (Id. at 1083.) In early November, Father Martelli sent copies of these letters to Father Malloy, along with his own letter saying that the Trembath letters include charges and accusations so alarming in nature that I would be remiss not to bring them to your attention. (Id. at 1081.) Martelli's letter mentioned Brazauskas only to explain that her termination had precipitated this verbal assault, and did not criticize her or her actions. (Id.) Father Martelli stated that he was writing for your information and not with the intent of causing more trouble for anyone. (Id.) He copied the correspondence to Bishop D'Arcy, among others. Brazauskas does not explain how such a letter could support a reasonable inference that by making others aware of Trembath's accusations Father Martelli prevented her from getting the PCL position. Her allegations against the Bishop are on similarly shaky factual ground. Both Bishop D'Arcy and Father Malloy deny that they ever discussed the PCL position, much less Brazauskas' candidacy. (Appellant's App. at 139-40, 422-24.) Brazauskas says she can prove otherwise, through circumstantial evidence such as records of telephone calls between the Bishop and Father Malloy's office. (See Appellant's Br. at 9-10.) The evidence she offers is at most marginally sufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact, but for reasons explained below her claim would fail in any event.