As covered by Law360 and Bloomberg Law, Brown, Goldstein & Levy attorneys Anthony May, Eve Hill, and Lauren DiMartino – along with co-counsel from Gilbert Employment Law – secured a victory in an anti-discrimination lawsuit on behalf of married gay employee “John Doe.” U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin sided with Doe against Catholic Relief Service (CRS) for withdrawing health insurance benefits for his husband because he and his husband are both men. Doe worked as an information technology professional at CRS. On April 21, Judge Rubin found that CRS violated the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA), holding that CRS’s claim of an exemption to the law for religious groups didn’t apply to Doe’s jobs.
“The court thoughtfully weighed all of the circumstances and correctly concluded that while [Mr. Doe] was dedicated to assisting CRS provide humanitarian relief to vulnerable individuals around the world, his specific job duties did not permit CRS to compensate him lesser than his colleagues merely because of who he loves,” said Anthony to Law360.
The complaint, first filed in 2020, alleges that Doe came to work for CRS after the organization promised that its employee benefits covered all an employee’s dependents, including same-sex spouses. CRS later reneged on that promise and canceled his husband’s insurance coverage because they are LGBTQIA+.
In 2022, U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake ruled in Mr. Doe’s favor under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Federal Equal Pay Act, stating that religious organizations are not excused from anti-discrimination statutes.
After Doe won on the federal claims, Judge Blake certified three questions of law to the Supreme Court of Maryland regarding the scope and application of MFEPA’s religious entity exemption. Upon clarification from the Supreme Court, and after a three-day trial, Judge Rubin concluded that Doe did not directly further CRS’s core mission in any of the positions he held at the organization. As such, CRS could not rely on the religious exemption to allow it to discriminate against him in denying him spousal health benefits afforded to his colleagues in opposite-sex marriages. The court also concluded that because MFEPA is neutral and generally applicable, it does not violate CRS’s First Amendment free exercise rights.
The win is the first in the State to apply the Supreme Court of Maryland’s test under the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act’s religious exemption. The trial court’s ruling will provide guidance for future litigants to understand how the Supreme Court of Maryland and trial courts analyze MFEPA’s religious exemption on a case-by-case basis.
“I’m very happy with Judge Rubin’s ruling and am honored to be part of such a precedent-setting case that has helped clarify, for employers and employees alike, the legal protections Maryland law provides, especially for LGBTQ+ workers,” said Doe. “I truly hope that CRS will see this ruling as an opportunity to promote the human dignity of employees in same-sex marriages by providing them the same opportunities and benefits granted to their straight counterparts.”
ABOUT ANTHONY MAY
At BGL, Anthony has built a practice dedicated to representing clients in a variety of complex litigation matters including assisting employees with disabilities in obtaining accessible technology and accommodations in the workplace, representing individuals who have been wrongfully convicted, representing clients in commercial litigation disputes, and fighting workplace discrimination stemming from employers’ use of artificial intelligence as well as other forms of employment discrimination, such as discrimination based on sexual orientation. Anthony has earned some of the legal industry’s top accolades from publications and organizations including The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and Lawdragon. Learn more about Anthony here.
ABOUT EVE HILL
Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022, 2023, and 2024). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve also leads Inclusivity, BGL’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities. Learn more about Eve’s disability rights practice here.
ABOUT LAUREN DIMARTINO
Lauren DiMartino represents clients across various areas of civil rights law, including fair housing, education and disability rights, LGBTQ rights, government misconduct, and workplace discrimination. Her practice also includes appeals and commercial litigation. Much of Lauren’s legal experience has centered on education equity, constitutional law, anti-discrimination, and government misconduct. Learn more about Lauren here.
ABOUT BROWN, GOLDSTEIN & LEVY
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.
PLEASE FIND MEDIA COVERAGE BELOW
Religious Carveout Can’t Shield Aid Group From Gay Bias Suit | Law360 (April 22, 2025)
Catholic Relief Services Worker Wins Anti-Gay Bias Trial (1) | Bloomberg Law (April 22, 2025)