There are a number of legal defenses that churches can raise if a civil lawsuit is filed against them. These defenses include (1) negative defenses, where a claim can be defeated by disproving [...]
Child abuse in all its forms — physical, sexual, or mental abuse or neglect — is a crime in California, with additional criminal penalties if a victim is a minor (18 and younger) at [...]
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the consolidated case of Our Lady of Guadalupe School Morrissey-Berru St. James School v. Biel clarified and broadened the “ministerial exception” that [...]
On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act barring sex discrimination in the workplace also protects LGBTQ employees [...]
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, churches in California have once again been prohibited from holding indoor services. Some churches have openly defied this latest order by continuing to [...]
The Paycheck Protection Program Loan Flexibility Act of 2020, signed into law on June 5, 2020, amends the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to give borrowers more freedom in how and [...]
As Californians begin to return to the workplace, many employers are rightly concerned about the actions they should take if an employee tests positive for or displays symptoms of COVID-19. Here [...]
Since churches are exempt from unemployment taxes, church employees have historically not been eligible for unemployment benefits. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on [...]
Under federal law, it is the duty of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to issue guidance regarding constitutionally protected religious activity in public schools. In 2003, the ED [...]
On May 15, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application with detailed instructions for borrowers on how to apply for [...]