Minnesota Supreme Court weighs archdiocese’s right to enforce Catholic teaching in ‘transgender’ employee case

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments Sept. 1 on whether a former Catholic school employee who identifies as “transgender” may revive discrimination claims challenging the Catholic school’s authority to require employees to follow Catholic teaching on biological sex. 

The case stems from the Academy of Holy Angels’ decision not to renew the contract of Reyzl Grace MoChridhe, a male who was hired to work as a media specialist and librarian at the Catholic high school in Richfield, Minnesota, for the 2021-2022 school year. MoChridhe told the school’s principal that he intended to “transition” and return the following year presenting as a woman. 

After learning of MoChridhe’s plans, the school gave him the archdiocese’s “Guiding Principles for Catholic Schools and Religious Education Concerning Human Sexuality and Sexual Identity” policy, which states that God created human beings male and female, that a person’s sexual identity should correspond to his or her sex, and that Catholic schools must operate consistently with those teachings. 

According to court documents, MoChridhe told the principal he could not abide by the principles, and the school subsequently declined to renew his contract and hired a replacement. 

MoChridhe sued the academy and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2024, alleging discrimination based on sex and “gender identity” under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The lawsuit also accused the archdiocese of aiding and abetting the alleged discrimination and negligently causing discriminatory treatment.

A Hennepin County judge dismissed the claims against the archdiocese, and the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed that decision in December 2025, Zeale News reported. 

The state Supreme Court is now considering whether the lower courts properly dismissed the claims against the archdiocese or whether MoChridhe should have been allowed to obtain more evidence from the defendants before the courts ruled. 

During oral arguments, MoChridhe’s attorneys argued that religious institutions do not have blanket authority to discriminate against employees in nonministerial positions. They contended that the lower courts dismissed the claims too early without first determining how closely MoChridhe’s position was connected to the school’s religious mission.

MoChridhe alleged in the complaint that his duties included managing the school’s library and supporting students and staff but did not include leading prayers, teaching religion, or practicing the Catholic faith. MoChridhe is Jewish.

Attorneys for the academy and archdiocese countered that forcing a Catholic school to retain an employee who openly rejects its standards would interfere with the Church’s ability to operate its schools according to Catholic teaching.

“The complaint in this case seeks to penalize a Catholic archdiocese and a school for maintaining undisputedly sincere religious standards for employment,” Luke Goodrich, an attorney representing the archdiocese, said during oral arguments. “It intrudes on an internal church decision that affects the faith and mission of the church.”

The Minnesota court did not indicate when it would release a decision.