Case Conclusion Date: January 18, 2007
Practice Area: Employment / Labor
Outcome: Summary Judgment Dismissal
Description: In a second suit against the same defendants, plaintiff sued her church-employer, a regional governing body and the denomination. Laurie represented the latter two defendants. Laurie first moved for partial summary judgment on plaintiff’s public policy and negligent supervision claims. Granting the motion, the court found that there is no cause of action for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy against a non-employer and found that the ministerial exception to the First Amendment prevented the court’s interference on the negligent supervision claim. Laurie then moved to dismiss the newly asserted state sexual harassment claim arguing the issue was res judicata as plaintiff had earlier raised a Title VII sexual harassment claim in an earlier suit (which was dismissed). The court granted this motion resulting in a dismissal of the regional and national governing bodies.