Church Law & Tax Report

An Ohio court ruled that the members of a nonprofit corporation could not vote by proxy at a special business meeting since proxy voting was not authorized in the corporation's articles of incorporation or bylaws.

A California court ruled that a church could be sued for "spoliation of evidence" because it destroyed a vehicle that had been involved in an accident.

A federal court ruled that publishers can place the contents of magazines and other periodicals in online electronic databases and on CD-ROMs without obtaining the permission of writers whose articles were included in those periodicals.

A federal appeals court ruled that Andrew Lloyd Webber may have engaged in copyright infringement of a religious song composed by Ray Repp, a composer of liturgical music.

A New Jersey court ruled that a church acted properly in dismissing its music director for criminal acts.

A federal appeals court ruled that the constitution was not violated when a public high school choir performed religious songs and conducted a few of its concerts in churches.

A New York court ruled that a school was liable on the basis of negligent supervision for the rape of a 12-year-old girl that occurred when she left a school outing without permission.

A Connecticut court ruled that a school was liable for the physical and sexual assaults inflicted on an elementary school student while riding on a school bus.

A Minnesota court ruled that a pastor who accidentally killed a church trustee while deer hunting was not acting within the scope of his employment and therefore the church could not be liable for his negligence.

A Colorado court addressed the liability of a church and denominational agency for a sexual relationship between a youth pastor and a girl in his youth group.

An Alabama court ruled that a school was not liable for a teacher's acts of child molestation since it conducted a thorough background check before hiring him and did not violate its written policies.

The New Jersey Supreme Court allowed a woman to sue her pastor and church as a result of a sexual relationship that was initiated by the pastor.

An Arkansas court ruled that a church and its surrounding grounds, including a parking lot, were exempt from property tax.

A federal appeals court ruled that a church's constitutional rights were not violated by a public school district rule prohibiting it from conducting religious worship on public school property.

A federal appeals court ruled that a city could not refuse to allow an evangelistic film on the life of Christ to be shown at a city-owned "senior citizen center."

A federal appeals court ruled that the exemption of churches from unemployment taxes does not violate the first amendment's nonestablishment of religion clause.