Opinion ID: 2326251
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Counts IV, V, X, XIV and XV

Text: We hold that the claims asserted in Counts IV, V, X, XIV and XV would necessarily involve judicial inquiry into church governance, and such an inquiry is prohibited by the First Amendment. The uniform line of cases that are consistent with this holding include Black v. Snyder, supra . In that case, while holding that the plaintiff was entitled to proceed on her sexual harassment claim, the Minnesota Court of Appeals explained why she was not entitled to proceed on her breach of contract, reprisal, retaliation, and defamation claims: Black's breach of contract, retaliation, and statutory whistle blower claims relate specifically to factors of her appointment as an associate pastor and discharge. These claims are fundamentally connected to issues of church doctrine and governance and would require court review of the church's motives for discharging Black. Black's defamation claim is based on the church's stated reason for her discharge as inability to conduct her ministry efficiently. This claim would require a similar review of the church's reasons for discharging Black, an essentially ecclesiastical concern. Black's discharge by congregational vote, rather than by the synod itself, does not undermine the doctrinal connection. The congregational vote was conducted according to church procedure established in its constitution. Although deference is traditionally afforded to decisions of a hierarchical church's highest authority, the prohibition against litigating matters at the core of a church's religious practice requires dismissal of Black's discharge-related claims. 471 N.W.2d at 720. A trial on the merits of the claim asserted in Count IV would necessarily involve an inquiry into the various employment actions taken by the Church, and would therefore encroach on the ability of a church to manage its internal affairs. EEOC v. Catholic Univ. of Am., 83 F.3d 455, 460 (D.C.Cir.1996). A trial on the merits of the claim asserted in Count V would necessarily involve an inquiry into various employment actions taken by the Church, as well as an inquiry into matters of church governance. A trial on the merits of the claim asserted in Count X would necessarily involve an inquiry into the Church's employment decisions, and [t]he [ministerial] exception precludes any inquiry whatsoever into the reasons behind a church's ministerial employment decision. EEOC v. Roman Catholic Diocese, 213 F.3d 795, 801 (4th Cir.2000). A trial on the merits of the claims asserted in Counts XIV and XV would necessarily involve an inquiry into matters of church governance and discipline.