Court Says Ministerial Exception Does Not Apply In Suit Against Archdiocese

In Dayner v. Archdiocese of Hartford, 2009 Conn. Super. LEXIS 606 (CT Super., March 11, 2009), a Connecticut trial court rejected a 1st Amendment free exercise challenge to its jurisdiction in a suit brought by a former principal of a Catholic girl's school against the Archdiocese and a priest. Plaintiff alleged that her firing as principal involved a breach of implied contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith, promissory estoppel, wrongful termination and negligent infliction of emotional distress as to the Archdiocese and tortious interference with business expectancies as to the priest, Father Bzdyra. The court held that the "ministerial exception" that precludes a court from adjudicating employment disputes between religious institutions and their religious leaders does not apply here because "the court will not be required to consider matters of religious belief or practice in deciding these claims."