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Page Number: 50

14 

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE SCHOOL v. 
MORRISSEY-BERRU 
SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting 

in  Catholic  pedagogy  (or  even  religion).    Morrissey-Berru 
had no such credentials when the school hired her, as she 
held a bachelor’s degree in English language arts with a mi-
nor in secondary education.  App. 73–74.  Many years after 
Morrissey-Berru had begun teaching at the school, though,
the school did ask her to attend a catechist course on the 
history  of  the  Catholic  Church.  769  Fed.  Appx.  460,  461 
(CA9  2019)  (per curiam)  (opinion  below  in  No.  19–267); 
App. to Pet. for Cert. in No. 19–267, at 85a.  The record does 
not  disclose  whether  Morrissey-Berru  ever  completed  the
full  catechism-certification  program,  and  in  fact  suggests 
that she did not.  E.g., Excerpts of Record in No. 17–56624 
(CA9), pp. 41–42, 44–45, 67. 

Morrissey-Berru  taught  her  class  a  range  of  subjects:
reading, writing, math, grammar, vocabulary, science, so-
cial studies, and religion.  App. 75.  When teaching religion, 
Morrissey-Berru  followed  the  contents  of  a  preselected 
workbook.  App. 79–80.  Morrissey-Berru also “led her stu-
dents in daily prayer” and assisted with planning a monthly 
mass.  769  Fed.  Appx.,  at  461.  But  she  did  not  recall 
“lead[ing her] students in any devotional exercises.”  App. 
to Pet. for Cert. in No. 19–267, at 89a. 

In  2014,  when  Morrissey-Berru  was  in  her  sixties,  the 
school  did  not  renew  Morrissey-Berru’s  contract.    Id.,  at 
30a–31a.  Like St. James, Our Lady of Guadalupe School
has neither cited nor asserted a religious reason for the ter-
mination. 

B 
On  these  records,  the  Ninth  Circuit  correctly  concluded
that neither school had shown that the ministerial excep-
tion barred the teachers’ claims for disability and age dis-
crimination.  At the very least, these cases should have pro-
ceeded to trial.  Viewed in the light most favorable to the
teachers, the facts do not entitle the employers to summary
judgment.