Opinion ID: 1693587
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Remaining Negligence claims.

Text: ¶ 37. Julie also asserted claims for negligent misrepresentation, negligent infliction of emotional distress, clergy malpractice, and negligent supervision and retention. The trial court granted summary judgment on each of these claims as to all defendants. Julie concedes that clergy malpractice claims have been rejected across the country; however, she argues that courts have recognized the remaining negligence claims without violating the Free Exercise Clause or the Establishment Clause. ¶ 38. Illinois has soundly rejected a cause of action for clergy malpractice and, in doing so, analyzed other state court cases uniformly rejecting a cause of action for clergy malpractice: The following state supreme courts have held that there is no cause of action for clergy malpractice: Handley v. Richards, 518 So.2d 682 (Ala.1987); Moses v. Diocese, 863 P.2d 310 (Colo.1993), cert. denied, 511 U.S. 1137, 114 S.Ct. 2153, 128 L.Ed.2d 880 (1994); Destefano v. Grabrian, 763 P.2d 275 (Colo.1988); Byrd v. Faber, 57 Ohio St.3d 56, 565 N.E.2d 584 (1991); Strock v. Pressnell, 38 Ohio St.3d 207, 527 N.E.2d 1235 (1988); Schieffer v. Catholic Archdiocese, 244 Neb. 715, 508 N.W.2d 907 (1993). Two other state supreme courts have defeated clergy malpractice actions on other grounds without determining the propriety of causes of action for clergy malpractice: Doe v. Roman Catholic Diocese, 862 S.W.2d 338 (Mo.1993), and Bladen v. First Presbyterian Church, 857 P.2d 789 (Okla.1993). Other state courts refusing to recognize clergy malpractice claims include Nally v. Grace Community Church of the Valley, 240 Cal.Rptr. 215 (Cal.App.1987), rev'd on other grounds, 47 Cal.3d 278, 253 Cal.Rptr. 97, 763 P.2d 948 (1988), cert. denied, 490 U.S. 1007, 109 S.Ct. 1644, 104 L.Ed.2d 159 (1989); Fontaine v. Roman Catholic Church, 625 So.2d 548 (La.Ct.App.1993); Jones by Jones v. Trane, 153 Misc.2d 822, 591 N.Y.S.2d 927 (1992); and E.J.M. v. Archdiocese, 424 Pa.Super. 449, 622 A.2d 1388 (1993). Dausch v. Rykse, 52 F.3d 1425, 1432 n. 4 (7th Cir.1994) (Ripple, J., concurring in part & dissenting in part). This unanimity is based on the difficulty that would be encountered in evaluating such a claim without entangling the civil courts in extensive investigation and evaluation of religious tenets. Id. (relying upon Thomas v. Review Bd., 450 U.S. 707, 716, 101 S.Ct. 1425, 1431, 67 L.Ed.2d 624 (1981) and Serbian E. Orthodox Diocese v. Milivojevich, 426 U.S. at 724-25, 96 S.Ct. at 2387-88). ¶ 39. The same may be said for all of the remaining negligence claims. To prevail on a negligence claim, the plaintiff must establish by a preponderance of the evidence each of the elements of negligence: duty, breach, causation and injury. Miss. Dep't of Transp. v. Cargile, 847 So.2d 258, 262 ¶ 11 (Miss.2003) (citing Leflore County v. Givens, 754 So.2d 1223, 1230 (Miss.2000)) (citing Lovett v. Bradford, 676 So.2d 893, 896 (Miss.1996)). It is in the establishment of the duty of McBride, the Church, and the Diocese that would excessively entangle this Court into the investigation and evaluation of religious tenets. Therefore, we find that the trial judge was eminently correct in granting summary judgment dismissing the remaining claims against all defendants.