Discrimination Laws Don’t Apply to Religious “Ministers”
In the realm of employment law, the “ministerial exception” prohibits the application of federal anti-discrimination laws to claims concerning the employment relationship between a religious institution and its ministers. Exactly who qualifies as a minister under the ministerial exception is being determined by the courts on a case-by-case basis. Recently, the Fifth Circuit, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, concluded that a music director at a catholic church was a minister for purposes of the ministerial exception. Because the ministerial exception applied, the music director’s lawsuit was dismissed. Continue Reading →