LaVigne v. Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut

6 Am. Tribal Law 434, 1 M.T.C.R. 25
CourtMohegan Trial Court
DecidedMarch 3, 2005
DocketNo. CV-04-0114
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 6 Am. Tribal Law 434 (LaVigne v. Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mohegan Trial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
LaVigne v. Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, 6 Am. Tribal Law 434, 1 M.T.C.R. 25 (Mo. 2005).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND DEFENDANT’S OBJECTION THERETO

JANE W. FREEMAN, Associate Judge.

This case arises out of the termination of the Plaintiffs employment as a crew leader in the public works department of the Defendant, on January 14, 2004. The Plaintiff filed a Complaint on March 29, 2004, in which he alleged that: (1) the termination of his employment was in violation of the Mohegan Tribal Discriminatory Employment Practices Ordinance, M.T.0.2002-04 (“Ordinance”) (Complaint, ¶ 14); (2) the procedures used in connection with the termination of his employment violated his due process rights (Complaint, ¶¶ 17-23); and (3) the Defendant has slandered the Plaintiff by terminating his employment for sexual harassment (Complaint, ¶[¶ 25-26).

The Defendant’s Amended Answer and Defenses were filed on July 16, 2004. Thereafter, the Defendant filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, with supporting affidavits, a deposition transcript and Defendant’s Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment (“Defendant’s Memorandum”), which included the Defendant’s Statement of Undisputed Facts, Moh.R.P. § 47. The Defendant contends that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that it is entitled to summary judgment on the Plaintiffs Complaint. In response, the Plaintiff filed Plaintiffs Statement As To Whether Defendant’s Asserted Facts Are Admitted or Denied, Moh.R.P. § 47(a); Plaintiffs Statement of Material Facts Which The Plaintiff Contends There is A Genuine Issue to be Tried, Moh.R.P. § 47(b); and Plaintiffs Objection to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (“Plaintiffs Objection”). The Defendant then filed Defendant’s Reply to Plaintiff s Objection to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment.

I. Standards for Summary Judgment

The Defendant has moved for summary judgment pursuant to Moh.R.P. § 47, which provides in pertinent part as follows:

... each Party filing a Motion for Summary Judgment shall attach to the Motion a separate short and concise statement of the material facts, as to which the moving party contends there is no genuine issue to be tried and a memo-randa of law in support of the Motion

Moh.R.P. §47.

The balance of Moh.R.P. § 47 sets forth the supporting documents a movant is required to file with a summary judgment motion and the responsive documents a party opposing summary judgment is required to file; it does not, however, set forth the legal standard to be applied on a [437]*437summary judgment motion.1 Many courts in other jurisdictions have held that summary judgment shall be granted “if the pleadings, affidavits and other documentary proof show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Ryan Transportation, Inc. v. M & G Associates, 266 Conn. 520, 525, 832 A.2d 1180 (2003); Bartha v. Waterbury House Wrecking Co. Inc., 190 Conn. 8, 11, 459 A.2d 115 (1983); Wallace v. MTGA, 2 G.D.R. 45, — Am. Tribal Law-, 2004 WL 5660583 (2004).

The party seeking summary judgment has the burden of showing the absence of any genuine issue as to all material facts, which, under applicable principles of substantive law, entitle him to judgment as a matter of law. Suarez v. Dickmont Plastics Corporation, 229 Conn. 99, 105, 639 A.2d 507 (1994) (quotation omitted). A material fact is a fact that will make a difference in the result of the case. Yanow v. Teal Industries, Inc., 178 Conn. 262, 422 A.2d 311 (1979). “In deciding a motion for summary judgment, the trial court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.” Appleton v. Board of Education, 254 Conn. 205, 209, 757 A.2d 1059 (2000). Summary judgment “is appropriate only if a fair and reasonable person could conclude only one way.” Miller v. United Technologies Corp., 233 Conn. 732, 751, 660 A.2d 810 (1995).
Once the moving party has presented evidence in support of the Motion for Summary Judgment, the opposing party must present evidence that demonstrates the existence of some material, disputed factual issue. Daily v. New Britain Machine Co., 200 Conn. 562, 568, 512 A.2d 893 (1986). It is not enough for the opposing party merely to assert the existence of a disputed issue. Id., Maffucci v. Royal Park Ltd. Partnership, 243 Conn. 552, 554-55, 707 A.2d 15, (1998). The party opposing such a motion must provide an evidentiary foundation to demonstrate the existence of a genuine issue of material fact. Appleton v. Board of Education, supra, 254 Conn, at 209, 757 A.2d 1059.

Wallace v. MTGA, supra, 2 G.D.R. 45-46, -— Am. Tribal Law at-, 2004 WL 5660583.

Since the purpose of a summary judgment motion is to eliminate the delay and expense incident to a trial when there is no real issue to be tried, Dorazio v. M.B. Foster Electric Co., 157 Conn. 226, 228, 253 A.2d 22(1968), the legal standard herein-above set forth is consistent with that purpose. Therefore, a summary judgment motion filed under Moh.R.P. § 47 shall be granted by this Court if the pleadings, affidavits and other documentary proof show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law I n addition, the party moving for summary judgment under Moh.R.P § 47, has the burden of showing the absence of any genuine issue as to all material facts, and the opposing party must present evidence that demonstrates the existence of [438]*438some material, disputed factual issue. The parties may sustain this burden by supporting their statements of material facts to be filed under Moh.R.P § 47, with affidavits, sworn depositions, disclosures, written admissions and other documentary evidence setting forth specific: facts showing that there is no material issue for trial.

LI. Summary Judgment May Be Granted in Actions under M.T.O. 2002-04

The Plaintiff contends that his right “to have a hearing to challenge the allegations against him is clear in the ordinance” (Plaintiffs Objection, pp. 5-6). As authority, he cites § 108(A).1. and (C) of the Ordinance which provide for a “de novo review in the appropriate Mohegan Court” in actions brought under the Ordinance. The Plaintiffs apparent claim is that summary judgment; is neither appropriate nor available in actions brought under M.T.0.2002-04 and that the Court must hold a de novo hearing before rendering any judgment.

However, the intent of the provisions in § 108(A).l.

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Bluebook (online)
6 Am. Tribal Law 434, 1 M.T.C.R. 25, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lavigne-v-mohegan-tribe-of-indians-of-connecticut-moheganct-2005.