WKPZ Attorneys Frank Sommerville and Cory Halliburton recently won a lawsuit filed by a church member seeking confidential information from a Florida church under the Florida Not-for-Profit Corporation Act. The church member sought confidential emails and Board of Elder minutes that concerned certain personnel decisions.  The court ruled that the member was not entitled to any emails and that the church could redact from the Board of Elder minutes (1) discussions with the church's attorney, (2) discussions concerning spiritual issues and (3) discussions about personnel matters.

The church had offered the member the minutes with these redactions after it received her request. She rejected the church's offer and filed suit only to find that the court agreed with the church regarding the scope of her request.  Every state includes in its state nonprofit corporation act provisions certain member rights, including the member's access to certain records.  WKPZ attorneys routinely advise clients regarding this issue.