A judge has ruled that Gentle and Lowly author and pastor Dane Ortlund fired a female church employee in retaliation after she accused him of gender discrimination at work.
Ortlund, who serves as senior pastor at Naperville Presbyterian Church just outside Chicago, is required to pay $93,000 to Emily Hyland, the church’s former operations director, for lost wages, legal fees, and emotional distress.
Hyland was fired from her role at Naperville, which she held for seven years, in 2021. She had been a member of the church for 15 years.
While the ruling found Ortlund’s behaviour retaliatory, Judge Azeema Akram also ruled that Hyland did not prove successfully that the church had discriminated against her.
In a statement from Naperville in response to the ruling, the church denies retaliation and claims Hyland was fired for poor job performance.
“The church disagrees that its actions were retaliatory, due, among other reasons, to multiple attempts offered over an extended period of time to help Ms. Hyland see and address her performance issues,” the statement said.
It also noted that despite the ruling, 23 of the 24 complaints filed by Hyland against the church were dismissed.
“Our elders are meeting to determine what next steps make sense in service of the truth with respect to the one remaining charge,” the statement said. “In the meantime, we have been praying and will continue to pray for Ms. Hyland’s blessing, and that our church can return to devoting its time and energy to the work of the gospel. Finally, the elders affirm their support for Senior Pastor Dane Ortlund and commend him for his godly leadership, especially during this season. He has treated Ms. Hyland with dignity and respect, acted in consultation with other elders, and has sought the heart and mind of Christ above all.”
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