South Carolina Judge Denies Episcopal Church's Counterclaims Expansion Request

South Carolina Circuit Judge Diane S. Goodstein released her decision yesterday that the Episcopal Church (TEC) and its local remnant, the Episcopal Church in South Carolina (ECSC) cannot expand their counterclaims against the Diocese of South Carolina to include almost two dozen parishioners who voluntarily serve as diocesan Trustees and members of the Diocese’s Standing Committee.

In her decision, Judge Goodstein wrote, “This court finds that the individual leaders whom Defendants seek to join as Counterclaim Plaintiffs are entitled to immunity” under state law. She also wrote that “adding the additional defendants would be futile.”

In the spring, TEC and ECSC had sought to broaden their lawsuit against the diocese to include dozens of diocesan volunteers, threatening to hold them financially liable. They filed to add these additional defendants to their lawsuit after attempting to move the entire matter to U.S. District Court, where a federal judge decided the issue would best be heard in South Carolina circuit court. Keep reading