Member/Partner Amanda Richards obtained summary judgment in favor of her client in a complex case against a church. The Plaintiff, a former member of the church, filed claims of defamation, invasion of privacy and breach of fiduciary duty claims against a pastor at the church.
Back in 2018, Richards, who defended the church, filed her first summary judgment which was granted on all claims except for a breach of fiduciary duty claim against the pastor for allegedly disclosing confidential information within the church community.
After additional discovery, Richards filed another Motion for Summary Judgment in October of 2019 arguing that the First Amendment Ecclesiastical shield protected the church against litigation involving communications made within the church community. On December 23, 2019 the Iowa District Court in and for Scott County agreed and granted judgment in favor of the Defendant, dismissing the case in its entirety.
