Gay Employee Wins Suit Against CRS for Denial of Health Benefits for Husband

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the largest Catholic international aid organization in the U.S., has been ordered to pay $60,000 to a former gay employee who was denied health coverage for his husband.

The ex-employee, referred to as John Doe, was a program analyst at the organization from 2016 to 2024, according to The Daily Record. When he was hired, he was told that his husband would receive health insurance, and both received coverage for 16 months. 

In 2017, Doe received word that his husband was not supposed to be receiving healthcare benefits and all coverage would be stopped. When Doe decided to fight this decision, he was threatened with termination.

Doe sued CRS, arguing that they discriminated against his sexual orientation and violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA), Maryland Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (MEPEWA), and the Federal Equal Pay Act. CRS argued that it is exempt from state anti-discrimination laws due to its religious affiliation. 

Judge Julie Rubin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled that CRS did not have the right to withdraw health benefits. Rubin stated that under MFEPA, employees who carry out a “core mission” can be exempt from sexual orientation discrimination laws. However, Doe “did not, in any of his positions, directly further a CRS core mission,” thus violating his MFEPA rights. 

Doe’s victory is the “first in Maryland applying the state Supreme Court’s test under the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act’s religious exemption,” according to Fox News. However, this is Doe’s second personal victory. Back in 2022, when Doe initially brought the suit, Judge Catherine Blake found that CRS violated federal discrimination laws, although it was sent to the state Supreme Court for further review. 

The Baltimore Sun explained:

“Upon clarification from the Supreme Court, Judge Rubin concluded that Doe did not directly further a Catholic Relief Services’ core religious mission in any of the positions he held at the agency. As a result, Catholic Relief Services 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 Catholic Relief Services’ First Amendment free exercise rights, according to Doe’s attorneys.”

In response to the most recent decision, Doe stated: 

“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.”

“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.”

–Sarah Cassidy, New Ways Ministry, May 21, 2025