Lawsuit 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.
BALTIMORE – U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin sided with “John Doe,” a married gay employee, in his lawsuit 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, 2025, 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. Doe is represented by attorneys Anthony May, Eve Hill, and Lauren DiMartino of Brown, Goldstein & Levy and Shannon Leary and AJ Hill of Gilbert Employment Law.
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 a CRS core religious mission in any of the positions he held at CRS, and that, therefore, CRS could not rely on the religious exemption to allow it to discriminate against him. The court also concluded that because MFEPA is neutral and generally applicable, it does not violate CRS’s First Amendment free exercise rights.
Doe v. CRS is the first case to apply the Supreme Court of Maryland’s clarification on the religious exemption under MFEPA. It will provide a precedent 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 John 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.”
“We are thrilled with the outcome and the Court’s careful consideration of the facts of this case,” said Brown, Goldstein & Levy partner Anthony May, who represents Mr. Doe. “The Court thoughtfully weighed all of the circumstances and correctly concluded that while he 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. We are delighted that our client has received the justice he deserves.”
“Though this has been a long road for our client, we’re grateful the Court has granted him the justice and dignity that both he and his spouse deserve,” said AJ Hill, Senior Associate at Gilbert Employment Law. “Denying our client’s spouse health coverage purely based on sexual orientation was a callous violation of their civil rights. We are relieved that the Court ruled the religious exemption cannot be used by employers as a blanket tool for employers to escape liability for denying employees their rights.”
About Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, DC. 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. For additional information, please visit https://browngold.com/
About Gilbert Employment Law, P.C
Gilbert Employment Law, P.C., is the worker’s voice in litigation involving employee rights violations. Gilbert’s attorneys are highly skilled in representing federal employees before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and other federal administrative agencies. Gilbert Employment Law, P.C., has also represented employees in county and state courts, as well as U.S. District and Appeals Courts. For additional information, please visit https://www.gelawyer.com/