Priest’s Status as Minister Barred NY Law Race Harassment Claim

The Diocese of Buffalo won dismissal of a lawsuit by a Black priest who challenged a state civil rights agency’s dismissal of his race harassment claim.

The ruling by the Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division involved an open issue of law: whether hostile work environment claims are barred by the First Amendment’s “ministerial exception.” The exception generally prohibits liability against religious employers for discriminating against employees who serve them as ministers.

Federal courts have reached conflicting decisions on whether the exception extends to harassment claims or is just limited to other forms of job discrimination, the June 30 ...