James Huntsman v. Corporation of the President

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

JAMES HUNTSMAN, No. 21-56056

Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. 2:21-cv-02504- v. SVW-SK

CORPORATION OF THE

PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF OPINION

JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY

SAINTS,

Defendant-Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California Stephen V. Wilson, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted En Banc September 25, 2024 San Francisco, California

Filed January 31, 2025

Before: Mary H. Murguia, Chief Judge, and Milan D. Smith, Jr., Jacqueline H. Nguyen, John B. Owens, Michelle T. Friedland, Daniel A. Bress, Patrick J. Bumatay, Lawrence VanDyke, Jennifer Sung, Gabriel P. Sanchez and Ana de Alba, Circuit Judges. Opinion by Judge Friedland; Concurrence by Judge Bress; Concurrence by Judge Bumatay

SUMMARY*

Fraud / First Amendment

The en banc court affirmed the district court’s order granting summary judgment to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“the Church”) in an action brought by James Huntsman, a former member of the Church,…