Evan F. v. Hughson United Methodist Church

This is a negligent hiring case arising from the employment of a pastor who sexually molested a child parishioner. Evan F. and his sister, Eyrene R, appeal from summary judgments in favor of the Hughson United Methodist Church and the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. We reverse the summary judgment regarding Evan’s negligent hiring action against the Hughson Church. In all other respects, we affirm the judgments.

Background

The evidence presented in the motions for summary judgment and the responses thereto shows the following.

At the relevant times in this case, Hughson United Methodist Church (Hughson Church) was a local congregation that was a member of a larger organization called the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the'United Methodist Church (Conference). Conference was comprised of many districts, each of which had a district superintendent.

In 1985, the pastor at Hughson Church, Duane Murphy, twice orally copulated Evan. Evan had just turned 13 years old when these incidents occurred. About two weeks after he was first molested by Murphy, Evan began a series of at least four sex acts with his younger sister Eyrene.…