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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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