LORENZO v. SAN FRANCISCO ZEN CENTER (2026)

The request for judicial notice is denied.

The petition for review is granted.

The issue to be briefed and argued is limited to the following: Does the ministerial exception arising under the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution categorically preclude wage and hour claims by a minister against a religious organization without any inquiry into whether the claim touches upon any ecclesiastical concern?

Pending review, the opinion of the Court of Appeal, which is currently published at 116 Cal.App.5th 258, 339 Cal.Rptr.3d 13, may be cited, not only for its persuasive value, but also for the limited purpose of establishing the existence of a conflict in authority that would in turn allow trial courts to exercise discretion under Auto Equity Sales, Inc. v. Superior Court (1962) 57 Cal.2d 450, 456, 20 Cal.Rptr. 321, 369 P.2d 937, to choose between sides of any such conflict. (See Standing Order Exercising Authority Under California Rules of Court, Rule 8.1115(e)(3), Upon Grant of Review or Transfer of a Matter with an Underlying Published Court of Appeal Opinion, Administrative Order 2021-04-21; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(e)(3) and corresponding Comment, par. 2.)

The requests for an order directing depublication of the opinion are denied.

Votes: Guerrero, C. J., Corrigan, Liu, Kruger, Groban and Evans, JJ.