Hester v. Barnett

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that to adjudicate claim that divulging confidential communications to church members breached fiduciary duty would force court to judge “the competence, training, methods and content of the pastoral function”
• stating decision that claims not barred by First Amendment rested on fact that Hesters were not members of the religion
• observing clergy malpractice would force courts to judge “competence, training, methods, and content of the pastoral function” in deciding whether cleric breached his or her duty of care
• if the plaintiffs were members of the church and congregation, “they presumptively consented to religiously motivated discipline practiced in good faith”
• if the plaintiffs were members of the church and congregation, \they presumptively consented to religiously motivated discipline practiced in good faith\
• pastor’s defamation of nonmembers would “fester into a substantial threat ‘to public safety, peace or order,’ ” if legal recourse were denied to the offended party

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).