Petrell v. Shaw

We transferred this case from the Appeals Court on our own motion to determine whether a judge in the Superior Court erred in granting summary judgment for the defendants, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts (diocese) and three of its bishops, where the plaintiff, Carolyn V. Petrell, filed an action making various claims against them in connection with her involvement in a sexual relationship with August A. Rakoczy, the then rector of her parish, Christ Church Parish of Plymouth, Inc. (Christ Church). Because we conclude that the material facts, when viewed in the light most favorable to…