Rollins

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND DENYING DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

This matter came before the Court on the parties’ cross-motions for partial summary judgment on June 16, 2014. Having considered the parties’ arguments and the papers submitted, the Court now GRANTS Plaintiffs motion and DENIES Defendant’s motion for the reasons set forth below.

BACKGROUND

This case is about whether Defendant Dignity Health (“Dignity”) should conform its benefits plan (the “Plan”) to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. §§ 1001 et seq., or whether the Plan is exempt from ERISA because it is a “church plan,” as defined by the ERISA statute. Dignity previously moved to dismiss this suit, claiming that because it is an entity “controlled by or associated with a church,” its Plan is a “church plan” within the definition of the ERISA statute, and is thereby exempt from ERISA’s provisions. On December 12, 2013, this Court denied Dignity’s motion, holding that under the ERISA statute, a plan must be “established by a church” to be considered a church plan, and Dignity had not argued that it could meet that definition.…