JOHN DOE ET AL. v. BELLEVUE BAPTIST CHURCH - Articles

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JOHN DOE ET AL. v. BELLEVUE BAPTIST CHURCH

Posted by: Tanja Trezise on Nov 7, 2023

Court: TN Court of Appeals

Attorneys 1: Gary K. Smith and Karen M. Campbell, Memphis, Tennessee, for the appellants, John Doe and Jane Doe.

Attorneys 2: William R. Johnson, Brentwood, Tennessee, for the appellee, Bellevue Baptist Church.

Judge(s): GOLDIN

The parents of a child brought suit to personally recover for negligent infliction of emotional distress in relation to sexual abuse of their child that had been perpetrated by the defendant church’s former paid volunteer coordinator. The church filed a motion to dismiss the parents’ claims and argued that the parents’ attempt to recover for negligent infliction of emotional distress was not legally cognizable because the parents did not perceive any injury-producing event. The trial court countenanced this position and entered an order dismissing the parents’ claims. The parents then filed a motion seeking relief from the dismissal order and, alternatively, to amend their complaint. The trial court ultimately denied the parents’ motion, following which the present appeal ensued. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

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