SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Chris Orr, the former principal of Christian Brothers High School who was fired in 2019, said the school’s claim that he was a minister, a claim made in defense of Orr’s civil rights lawsuit against the school, is “shameful.”
“At the end of the day, I’m a good dude, but I’m not a minister...and I’ve never served as a minister. I’m a principal, an educator, a teacher, and a role model. All the things young people need me to be. But I’m not a minister and Christian Brothers knows that," Orr said.
ABC10 previously reported that the 22-page lawsuit alleges school leaders unlawfully retaliated, discriminated against, and terminated Orr. The suit also alleges that the school made student admissions and financial aid decisions based on race.
Orr said his lawsuit was dismissed by a judge Wednesday but not because Christian Brothers didn’t do anything wrong.
“Retaliation, discrimination, and harassment were never even explored because Christian Brothers submitted the ministerial exception,” Orr said.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, Christian Brothers spokesperson Kristen McCarthy said the school planned to defend its reputation in court and denied all allegations of discrimination and retaliation.
"Christian Brothers High School is pleased that the lawsuit has been adjudicated in favor of the school in the United States District Court Eastern District of California," McCarthy said in an email to ABC10 Thursday.
“We are grateful to have this lawsuit behind us and will continue our 145-year tradition of excellent, Lasallian Catholic education in Sacramento,” school President Crystal LeRoy said
In legal documents obtained by ABC10, Christian Brothers' attorneys argued that Orr was a minister "within the meaning of the First Amendment," pointing to the Supreme Court's decision in Morrissey-Berru. In that case, it was determined that employees who occupy leadership roles within a religious organization are ministers.
"Most important and '[w]hat matters, at bottom, is what an employee does. And implicit in [the Court’s] decision in Hosanna-Tabor was a recognition that educating young people in their faith, inculcating its teachings, and training them to live their faith are responsibilities that lie at the very core of the mission of a private religious school,” the motion says.
The document goes on to say that "the ministerial exception … categorically bars certain anti-discrimination suits by religious leaders against their religious employers.”
Orr’s attorney, Johnny Griffin, said they’re disappointed with the court’s ruling, and disagree with a “number of factual and legal conclusions.”
“We disagree with the court's conclusion that Mr. Orr is a ‘minister’ and that therefore Christian Brothers cannot be subjected to the scrutiny of the courts,” Griffin said. “Mr. Orr is committed to having his day in court so that a jury can reach the substance of his claims of racial discrimination and harassment against Christian Brothers.”
Griffin said he’s filing an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal “as the next step in the process of getting in front of a jury."
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