Pleasant Glade Assembly of God, Reverend Lloyd A. McCutchen, Rod Linzay, Holly Linzay, Sandra Smith, Becky Bickel…

Summary

The Texas Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and dismissed the case, holding that Pleasant Glade Assembly of God is not judicially estopped from asserting a Free Exercise defense and that the church’s religious practice of laying hands is protected from liability for intangible emotional damages because adjudicating such claims would entangle the court in religious doctrine. The dissenting opinions argue that the majority’s dismissal improperly shields intentional torts committed under the guise of religion.