Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
In brief
The Supreme Court sided with the Catholic school and barred a civil court from deciding Morrissey-Berru’s claim, then sent the case back to the Ninth Circuit.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 7-2 · July 8, 2020 · Opinion by Justice Thomas
- What it’s about
- The Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses block courts from deciding Agnes Morrissey-Berru’s age-discrimination claim against Our Lady of Guadalupe School because her teaching included important religious functions.
- Who it affects
- The ruling prevents a civil court from deciding Morrissey-Berru’s employment-discrimination claim under the ministerial exception (a First Amendment rule protecting religious organizations’ employment decisions).
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Court overturned the Ninth Circuit’s ruling and sent the case back to the lower court (reversed and remanded).
The case sits where religious freedom meets laws against workplace discrimination.
Question presented
Whether the Religion Clauses prevent civil courts from adjudicating employment discrimination claims brought by an employee against her religious employer, where the employee carried out important religious functions?
What the Court decided
Holding
The First Amendment’s Religion Clauses foreclose the adjudication of Morrissey-Berru’s and Biel’s employment-discrimination claims. 460
- Result
- Reversed
The vote
From the opinions
“The Court reaches this result even though the teachers taught primarily secular subjects, lacked substantial religious titles and training, and were not even required to be Catholic.”
What's next
The case goes back to the Ninth Circuit, which must apply the Supreme Court’s ruling that the claim cannot be decided in civil court.
Why it matters
The case returns to the Ninth Circuit for the next procedural step.
Documents
Docket activity
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More questions
- What did the Supreme Court decide in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru?
- It ruled that the First Amendment’s protections for religion bar a civil court from deciding Morrissey-Berru’s employment-discrimination claim. It overturned the Ninth Circuit’s ruling and sent the case back.
- What was the dispute in Morrissey-Berru’s case?
- She sued her Catholic school for employment discrimination. The school argued that her important religious work placed the claim outside civil-court review.
- Who disagreed with the Court’s decision?
- Justice Sotomayor wrote a dissent (a written disagreement), and Justice Ginsburg signed on. Justice Thomas agreed with the result but wrote separately, with Justice Gorsuch signing on to his opinion.
- What happens next after the Supreme Court’s ruling?
- The case goes back to the Ninth Circuit. That court must apply the ruling that the First Amendment bars a civil court from deciding the claim.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.