In re Archdiocese of Milwaukee

515 B.R. 579, 2014 WL 3865242, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 3336
United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Wisconsin·Decided August 6, 2014·No. No. 11-20059-svk·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION ON DEBTOR’S OBJECTION TO CLAIM FILED BY MARYIN THOMAS KNIGHTON

SUSAN V. KELLEY, Bankruptcy Judge.

The issue is whether the proof of claim of Marvin Thomas Knighton (“Mr. Knigh-ton”) should be disallowed as barred by either the First Amendment or the statute of limitations. The Court has authority to enter a final order on this dispute pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B).

Statement of Facts

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee (the “Debtor”) filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on January 4, 2011. Mr. Knighton timely filed Proof of Claim No. 119 in the amount of $475,745 (the “Claim”), alleging that he is owed back-pay resulting from his wrongful termination as a Catholic priest. The Claim specified that $414,903 was for “Gross Compensation,” $21,866 was for “Retirement Savings Supplement,” and $38,976 was for “Professional Expenses.”

On February 12, 2014, the Debtor filed an objection to the Claim, urging disallowance under 11 U.S.C. § 502(b)(1) because the Claim is “unenforceable against the debtor ... under any agreement or applicable law.” (Debtor’s Obj. to Proof of Claim 119 ¶8.) Specifically, the Debtor’s objection is based on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in McCarthy v. Fuller, 714 F.3d 971 (7th Cir.2013), and the applicable statute of limitations. (Id.)

Mr. Knighton responded to the Claim objection in correspondence filed on March 17, 2014. He alleged that the Debtor wrongfully terminated him from the priestly ministry and refused to compensate him. (Docket No. 2589, at 1-2; Aff. Marvin Thomas Knighton Ex. C.) Even though Mr. Knighton was found not guilty of second degree sexual assault of a child in a jury trial in Milwaukee County, he was terminated as a Catholic cleric following two canonical trials. (Aff. Marvin Thomas Knighton Ex. D, Ex. C.) Mr. Knighton suggests that he was the victim of defamation, slander, libel, “Refusal of employment,” racial discrimination, and a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974. (Docket No. 2589, at 3-4.) Finally, Mr. Knighton notes that the Debtor did not abide by Canon Law, and “simply chose to do it their way.” (Id. at 4.)

After a preliminary hearing, the Debtor moved for summary judgment, claiming that even if all Mr. Knighton’s factual allegations are presumed true, his Claim cannot be allowed as a matter of law. The Debtor’s supporting brief argues that Mr. Knighton’s claims are barred by both the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the applicable statute of limitations. (Debtor’s Br. Supp. Mot. Summ. J. (hereinafter “Debtor’s Brief’) 2.)

Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment is governed by Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, made applicable by Rule 7056 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and should be granted if the Debtor can establish that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the Debtor is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. [581]*581R.Civ.P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Material facts are facts that “might affect the outcome of the suit.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The Court should grant the Debtor’s summary judgment motion if Mr. Knighton failed to establish an essential element of his claim on which he bears the burden of proof at trial. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548. “The non-moving party, however, cannot rest on the pleadings alone, but instead must identify specific facts to establish that there is a genuine triable issue.” Bilow v. Much Shelist Freed Denenberg Ament & Rubenstein, P.C., 277 F.3d 882, 893 (7th Cir.2001). “[CJonclusory statements, not grounded in specific facts, are not sufficient to avoid summary judgment.” Lucas v. Chicago Transit Auth., 367 F.3d 714, 726 (7th Cir.2004).

Analysis

Mr. Knighton claims that the Debtor, a religious organization, wrongfully terminated him from the Catholic ministry as well as violated his state and federal rights. It is undisputed that Mr. Knighton served as a cleric in the Catholic Church in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, and that the Debtor removed Mr. Knighton from ministry following a canonical trial. In determining whether to allow the Claim, the Court must consider the scope of the rule precluding federal courts from interfering with a religious organization’s ability to choose its own ministers. And, assuming that the First Amendment does not bar the allowance of Mr. Knighton’s Claim, the Court must apply the statute of limitations to determine if the Claim is time-barred.

The First Amendment

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution begins, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof_” U.S. Const, amend. I. The Debtor principally relies on the ministerial exception as an affirmative defense to Mr. Knighton’s otherwise cognizable claim. Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & Sch. v. EEOC, — U.S. -, 132 S.Ct. 694, 705, 181 L.Ed.2d 650 (2012) (“[T]he Courts of Appeals have uniformly recognized the existence of a ‘ministerial exception,’ grounded in the First Amendment, that precludes application of [employment discrimination laws] to claims concerning the employment relationship between a religious institution and its ministers.”). In Hosanna-Tabor, the Supreme Court found such an exception when a minister sued her former employer under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission and Cheryl Perich brought suit against Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, claiming unlawful retaliation. Hosanna-Tabor moved for summary judgment, and the district court granted the motion because the suit was barred by the ministerial exception. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the district court decision and remanded the case, directing the district court to reach the merits on the retaliation claim. The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals.

In analyzing the historical underpinnings of the First Amendment, the Court explained, “The Establishment Clause prevents the Government from appointing ministers, and the Free Exercise Clause prevents it from interfering with the freedom of religious groups to select their own.” Id. at 703.

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In re Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 515 B.R. 579, 2014 WL 3865242, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 3336 (Wis. 2014).

515 B.R. 579 (In re Archdiocese of Milwaukee) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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