Pfeil v. St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church

Appellants, LaVonne and Henry Pfeil, were longstanding members of St. Matthew Lutheran Church. St. Matthew’s pastors decided to excommunicate Appellants due to their “slander and gossip” of the church’s leadership and ministry. At special voters’ meeting, the congregation voted to affirm the excommunication decision. LaVonne subsequently brought a lawsuit on behalf of herself and Henry against St. Matthew and its pastors (collectively, Respondents), asserting claims for defamation and negligence. After resolving Henry’s claims on other grounds, the district court dismissed the case with prejudice, concluding that the First Amendment deprived the court of jurisdiction to adjudicate LaVonne’s claims. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that that the First Amendment prohibits holding an organization or individual liable for statements made in the course of a religious disciplinary proceeding when those statements are disseminated only to members of the church congregation or the organization’s membership or hierarchy. View "Pfeil v. St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church" on Justia Law