U.S. Supreme Court upholds 'ministerial exception' firing at Tulsa Diocese
A week after recognizing for the first time that some employees of religious organizations aren't covered by federal anti-discrimination laws, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand an appeals court decision against a woman who was fired by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa.
WASHINGTON — A week after ruling that some workers for religious organizations aren't protected by federal employment laws, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal from a woman fired by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa.
Without comment, the justices upheld decisions by lower federal courts that the “ministerial exception” applied to the dismissal of Monica Skrzypczak, who was the director of religious formation for the diocese for 11 years.
Skrzypczak sued the diocese claiming age and gender discrimination, but a federal judge in Tulsa dismissed the claims because of the ministerial exception. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the judge's ruling.
In a 2010 opinion, the circuit court said the ministerial exception gives religious organizations the power to choose employees to spread its messages “free from the interference of civil employment laws.”
“Although the doctrine usually comes into play in employment suits between an ordained minister and her church, it extends to any employee who serves in a position that ‘is important to the spiritual and pastoral mission of the church,'” according to the court, which agreed that Skrzypczak was part of the spiritual and pastoral mission of the Tulsa Diocese.
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