Opinion ID: 2408492
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Intentional Failure to Supervise Clergy

Text: Recognizing the tort of intentional failure to supervise clergy, in contrast, does not offend the First Amendment. The right of free exercise does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply with a valid and neutral law of general applicability on the ground that the law proscribes (or prescribes) conduct that his religion prescribes (or proscribes). Employment Division, 494 U.S. at 879, 110 S.Ct. at 1600, approved in City of Boerne v. Flores, ___ U.S. ___, ___, ___, 117 S.Ct. 2157, 2161, 2171, 138 L.Ed.2d 624 (1997) [internal quotation marks omitted]. This rule clearly applies to generally applicable criminal law. Employment Division, 494 U.S. at 884, 110 S.Ct. at 1603. It also logically applies to intentional torts. Religious conduct intended or certain to cause harm need not be tolerated under the First Amendment. See Cantwell, 310 U.S. at 308, 60 S.Ct. at 905. Intent denotes that the actor desires to cause consequences of his act, or that he believes that the consequences are substantially certain to result from it. Restatement (Second) of Torts sec. 8A (1965). An actor intends conduct when he knows that the consequences are certain, or substantially certain, to result from his act. Id. at cmt. b. A cause of action for intentional failure to supervise clergy is stated if (1) a supervisor (or supervisors) exists (2) the supervisor (or supervisors) knew that harm was certain or substantially certain to result, (3) the supervisor (or supervisors) disregarded this known risk, (4) the supervisor's inaction caused damage, and (5) the other requirements of the Restatement (Second) of Torts, section 317 are met. This cause of action requires a supervisor. The First Amendment does not, however, allow a court to decide issues of church governmentwhether or not a cleric should have a supervisor. See Kedroff, 344 U.S. at 116, 73 S.Ct. at 154. Here, giving the allegations of the petition their broadest intendment, the Gibsons have alleged that the Diocese knew that harm was certain or substantially certain to result from its failure to supervise Brewer, and thus have stated a cause of action for intentional failure to supervise clergy. The trial court erred in dismissing this claim.