Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
United States Supreme Court
140 S. Ct. 2049 (2020)
- Written by Sara Adams, JD
Facts
Agnes Morrissey-Berru (plaintiff) was a general teacher at Our Lady of Guadalupe School (OLGS) (defendant), a Catholic elementary school. Kristen Biel (plaintiff) was a general teacher at another Catholic elementary school, St. James School (defendant). The mission of both schools was to foster a Catholic faith-based educational community, which was stated in teacher employment contracts and in faculty handbooks. Both Morrissey-Berru and Biel taught religion on a daily basis as part of their teaching responsibilities. Morrissey-Berru and Biel also participated in school worship activities, prayed with students, and followed a Catholicism-based curriculum. Teacher performance evaluations included criteria related to religion and faith. The teaching contracts of Morrissey-Berru and Biel were not renewed. Morrissey-Berru filed an age-discrimination lawsuit in federal district court against OLGS, and the case was dismissed by summary judgment. Morrissey-Berru appealed, and the court of appeals reversed. OLGS appealed to the United States Supreme Court. Biel filed a disability-discrimination lawsuit in federal district court against St. James School, and her case was also dismissed by summary judgment. Biel appealed, and the court of appeals again reversed. St. James also appealed to the United States Supreme Court. Morrissey-Berru’s case and Biel’s case were consolidated on appeal.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Alito, J.)
Concurrence (Thomas, J.)
Dissent (Sotomayor, J.)
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