Billard v. Charlotte Catholic High School

In Billard v. Charlotte Catholic High School, the Fourth Circuit ruled in favor of Charlotte Catholic High School (CCHS), Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte after CCHS fired "a longtime teacher of English and drama ... for his plans to marry his same-sex partner, when the teacher "sued for sex discrimination under Title VII."

A 2-1 majority on the court held that the "ministerial exception to Title VII" protected the school's decision. The appellate court reversed an order of summary judgment that was granted by the district court, and the appellate court instructed the district court enter judgment for CCHS.

The third judge separately concurred and dissented on the grounds that it would not have reached the issue of the ministerial exception.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty handled the case for the Appellants, including the school, while the ACLU Foundation handled the case for the teacher.