Bloomberg Law
July 9, 2021, 8:07 PM UTCUpdated: July 9, 2021, 10:23 PM UTC

‘Ministers’ Shielded From Harassment Claims, 7th Cir. Says (1)

Dan Papscun
Dan Papscun
Reporter

A divided Seventh Circuit broadened a religious employer defense to encompass hostile work environment claims brought by employees who qualify as “ministers,” deepening a circuit split that eventually could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a 7-3 ruling Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit overturned a three-judge panel’s August 2020 decision that revived harassment claims brought by Sandor Demkovich, a gay music director who sued the Archdiocese of Chicago and the parish where he previously worked.

That prior panel ruling said while religious employers could raise the “ministerial exception” as a defense in discrimination cases involving ...

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