Catholic aid group violated gay employee's rights, judge says, after spouse's health benefits canceled
A Catholic aid organization was ordered Monday to pay $60,000 to a gay former employee after he filed a lawsuit alleging sexual discrimination.
The former employee, referred to as "John Doe" in the 2020 complaint, is a gay man in a same-sex marriage. He was hired as a program data analyst for the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in June 2016.
Doe's complaint states that he was told at his hiring that his husband would be covered under his employee health insurance plan. However, in November 2016, CRS informed Doe that same-sex spouses are not eligible for coverage. They said his spouse had been added by mistake and his health insurance coverage would be terminated by the end of the month.
Doe negotiated with superiors until October 2017, when his spouse was dropped from the plan. Doe alleges he was threatened with termination for pressing the issue.
Doe's complaint argued that CRS had discriminated against him based on sex, including sexual orientation, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA), Maryland Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (MEPEWA), and the Federal Equal Pay Act.
Monday's ruling addressed Doe's claims of discrimination under MFEPA.
CRS argued that as a religious organization, it falls under the Religious Entity Exemption included in the state anti-discrimination law.
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin cited the Maryland Supreme Court's conclusions that religious organizations are exempt from sexual orientation discrimination MFEPA claims when they are brought by employees who carry out a "core mission" of the organization.
Doe worked in five full-time positions during his tenure at CRS, none of which were "explicitly religious" in nature, the ruling says.
Judge Rubin determined Doe "did not, in any of his positions, directly further a CRS core mission" and ruled in his favor that CRS violated his rights under MFEPA and must pay him $60,000.
The legal victory is the first in Maryland applying the state Supreme Court's test under the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act's religious exemption, Doe's attorneys say.
"I'm very happy with Judge Rubin's ruling and am honored to be part of such a precedent-setting case that has helped clarify, for employers and employees alike, the legal protections Maryland law provides, especially for LGBTQ+ workers," Doe said in a statement.
"I truly hope that CRS will see this ruling as an opportunity to promote the human dignity of employees in same-sex marriages by providing them the same opportunities and benefits granted to their straight counterparts."
Doe received another legal win against the organization in 2022, after U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake ruled in Mr. Doe's favor under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Equal Pay Act, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Catholic Relief Services did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
CRS is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which serves as the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The group assists "impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person," its website says.
According to a report in the National Catholic Reporter, CRS has been forced to shut down programs and lay off staff this year due to President Donald Trump's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
CRS receives more USAID support than any other NGO, the Associated Press reported, and USAID funded about half of the CRS's $1.2 billion budget in 2023.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 11 that the State Department had concluded a six-week review and would cancel more than 80% of USAID programs. That translates to an elimination of roughly 5,200 of USAID's 6,200 programs.
CRS put out a statement in response, urging the Trump administration to reconsider, saying these cuts have threatened "millions of lives" abroad.
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