On March 5, 2021, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled in
DeWeese-Boyd v. Gordon College, et. al. that an associate professor at a private, Christian liberal arts college did not constitute a ministerial employee and could pursue claims against the college under various Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws. The decision has far-reaching implications for religious employers in Massachusetts, as the SJC significantly narrowed the application of the so-called ministerial exception to Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws and clarified that not all educators at religious institutions qualify as ministers under the law.
In
DeWeese-Boyd, the plaintiff, a tenured Associate Professor at Gordon College (the “College”), alleged that the College discriminated against her on the basis of her association with LGBTQ+ persons, and retaliated against her for speaking out against the College’s policies and practices related to individuals who identif
On March 5, 2021, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC)
ruled in
DeWeese-Boyd v. Gordon College, et.
al. that an associate professor at a private, Christian
liberal arts college did not constitute a ministerial employee and
could pursue claims against the college under various Massachusetts
anti-discrimination laws. The decision has far-reaching
implications for religious employers in Massachusetts, as the SJC
significantly narrowed the application of the so-called ministerial
exception to Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws and clarified
that not all educators at religious institutions qualify as
ministers under the law.
In
DeWeese-Boyd, the plaintiff, a tenured
Associate Professor at Gordon College (the College ),
alleged that the College discriminated against her on the basis of