Court sides with NY archdiocese in major religious liberty decision

[_Abyssinia]

New York City, N.Y., Jul 14, 2017 / 05:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A federal court ruled Friday that the Archdiocese of New York had the right not to hire a diocesan school principal in a First Amendment religious freedom decision.

“The court saw right through this blatantly anti-Catholic lawsuit, agreeing with the Supreme Court that the church, not the state, should pick religious leaders,” Eric Rassbach, deputy general counsel at Becket, which represented the archdiocese in court, stated July 14 in reaction to the decision.

The case before the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals involved St. Anthony’s school in Nanuet, N.Y., 35 miles north of New York City.

catholicnewsagency.com/news/court-sides-with-ny-archdiocese-in-major-religious-liberty-decision-20832/

 

[PluniaZ]

Thanks be to God!

 

[meltzerboy]

catholicnewsagency.com/news/court-sides-with-ny-archdiocese-in-major-religious-liberty-decision-20832/

According to the article, as I understand it, the case hinged on whether the “ministerial exception” was applicable. Apparently it was since the teacher performed several religious functions even though she was hired as a lay faculty member. I do not see the teacher as anti-Catholic in protesting the decision of the administration to let her go or her claim that the decision was based on sex discrimination rather than insubordination shown to the pastor. However, her lawyer in the case certainly seems to be anti-Catholic based on his words about the lack of reason inherent in the Catholic faith and its being antithetical to the principles of the Enlightenment on which our country was founded.

In general, I trust in the authority of the administration to make decisions regarding hiring and firing in private schools, including religious schools unless there is very definite evidence of unjust discrimination. (Public schools are another matter.)

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Legally this is exactly the outcome I would have expected. The courts just don’t want to “go there” when it comes to religious groups putting people in positions involving religious dimensions to their work. Glad it worked out in the Church’s favor.

 

[tawny]

Praise The Lord!