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A former procurement manager sued her employer in federal court for retaliation. She alleges that she was fired two weeks after reporting that a supervisor steered contracts to a relative. The employer moved for summary judgment, citing the manager's poor quarterly review, a spreadsheet showing missed purchasing targets, and deposition testimony that the final decisionmaker had previously warned her about performance. The employer argues that the manager cannot prove retaliation because the review and spreadsheet provide a lawful reason for termination.
The manager responds with emails showing that the supervisor called her report "career-ending" the day after she made it, testimony from two employees that the final decisionmaker met with the supervisor before firing her, and evidence that another manager with worse targets was not fired. The employer argues that the employee testimony should be discounted because the witnesses are biased and that the court should credit the spreadsheet because it is objective.
How should the court rule on summary judgment? Discuss the Rule 56 standard, materiality, genuine disputes, reasonable inferences, and the court's treatment of credibility at this stage.