#1 out of 9
business13m ago
Court rules religious employers cannot hide behind First Amendment on wages
- California Court of Appeal says the ministerial exception does not shield wage claims from religious employers.
- The Ehrenkranz case involved unpaid wages for cleaning bathrooms and preparing food for paying visitors.
- The decision follows a companion case, Lorenzo v. San Francisco Zen Center, with the California Supreme Court set to weigh in.
- The Zen Center had argued resolving the wage dispute would not require answering religious questions.
- The court affirmed that two managers should not necessarily bear separate appeal bonds.
- The ruling emphasizes that First Amendment protections have limits in wage claims.
- The Ehrenkranz case timeline shows initial wage award, appeal, and reinterpretation under ministerial exception.
- The Zen Center operates multiple temples and hosts corporate conferences for Google and Facebook.
- Ehrenkranz filed his wage claim in August 2020; the initial award was $81,170.23.
- The case centers on whether religious employers can dodge wage claims without addressing religious questions.
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