Church Law & Tax Report

A Texas court ruled that the members of a church that voted to dissolve could sue their pastor for fraud in connection with the disposition of the church's property.

A Florida court ruled that a church board properly removed a pastor without a congregational vote.

A Georgia court ruled that the first amendment guaranty of religious freedom prevented it from resolving a lawsuit brought by a minister challenging the legality of his removal by his church.

A Missouri court ruled that it was prevented by the first amendment guaranty of religious freedom from resolving a lawsuit brought by ousted church officers challenging the legal validity of their removal.

A New Jersey court ruled that a church may be liable for injuries sustained by a neighborhood child while playing on church premises.

A Minnesota court ruled that a school district acted properly in dismissing rather than temporarily suspending an elementary school custodian for inappropriate behavior with children.

A Missouri court ruled that a public school board acted properly in dismissing a teacher for immoral conduct rendering him unfit to teach.

A South Carolina court ruled that a church was not liable for injuries sustained by a person when he was attacked on church property.

An Oklahoma court ruled that a release signed by a skydiving student prevented him from suing a skydiving facility following an accident in which he was severely injured.

A federal court in Iowa ruled that a woman who had been seduced by a priest could not sue her church and diocese for violating the federal Violence Against Women Act.

A Washington state court ruled that the statute of limitations prevented an adult male from suing his church and a denominational agency for injuries he suffered as a child when he was molested by his pastor.

A Massachusetts court ruled that a diocese probably was not liable for the sexual molestation of a child by a priest more than twenty years ago.

A Florida court ruled that it was barred by the first amendment from resolving a woman's lawsuit claiming that she had been the victim of a priest's sexual misconduct.

A Wisconsin court ruled that the statute of limitations barred an adult from suing a church and diocese for injuries he allegedly sustained as a result of a priest's acts of child molestation.

A Kentucky court ruled that an adult who had been sexually molested as a minor by a teacher at a parochial school could sue the diocese that operated the school for negligent hiring, supervision, and retention

A court in the District of Columbia ruled that three adults were barred by the statute of limitations from suing an archdiocese for injuries they suffered as a result of being molested by a priest when they were minors.

A federal court in Connecticut ruled that the statute of limitations did not necessarily prevent an adult from suing a diocese for injuries he allegedly suffered as a minor when he was molested by a priest.

A federal court in Rhode Island ruled that the first amendment did not prevent it from resolving a lawsuit brought by victims of clergy sexual misconduct against church officials.

An Indiana court ruled that a church-owned building was exempt from property taxation even though it was not currently being used for exempt purposes.

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled that members of an unincorporated church can sue their church for injuries they suffer on church property or in the course of church activities.