Illinois Agency Found ‘Substantial Evidence’ Dane Ortlund’s Naperville Presbyterian Church Engaged in ‘Retaliation’ Against Former Employee

The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) has found “substantial evidence” that Naperville Presbyterian Church, led by best-selling author and senior pastor Dane Ortlund, fired a former employee “in retaliation for having engaged in prior protected activity.”

Emily Hyland, the former director of operations for the church, was terminated nine days after complaining to two elders about what she considered gender discrimination against her by Ortlund. The elders shared her complaints with Ortlund, who met with her two days before her firing. She had worked at the church eight years.

Naperville Presbyterian in the Chicago-metro area is part of the Presbyterian Church in America. Ortlund became its pastor in 2020.

In state documents, the church stated Hyland was fired because of “her unwillingness to grow out of insubordination and lack of performance.”

Ortlund and another pastor apparently met with Hyland in January 2021 to discuss their concerns with her over her performance. She was terminated in March 2021.

She claimed no one at the church complained about her performance before Ortlund joined the church staff.

The church responded that there was no connection between her complaint about discrimination and her firing.

Hyland told Christianity Today she felt bullied and micromanaged by Ortlund and that after her firing she didn’t receive proper pastoral care even though she had been a long-time member of Naperville Presbyterian Church. She claimed the elder board never met with her and that staff was told not to talk to her.

Ortlund denied all accusations against him in the state documents, explaining it as a dispute over Hyland’s performance. He also said he was never angry or discriminatory toward her.

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While the investigation by IDHR did find substantial evidence that Hyland was fired in “retaliation,” it did not find evidence of gender discrimination or the existence of a hostile work environment.

According to an IDHR report for Fiscal Year 2021, retaliation is the leading basis for employment discrimination charges.

Employment lawyer Ed Sullivan told Christianity Today that even if the investigation doesn’t find discrimination, employers must not retaliate against an employee for making a report.

A former Naperville Presbyterian elder Dave Veerman said he regretted the way the situation was handled and wished he’d listened to Hyland’s perspective.

“I’ve known Emily as a very competent person,” Veerman told Christianity Today. But he added, “I never worked with her. I’m trying to be supportive of Dane, our new pastor. So we listened to everything; he gave this history of their relationship…I just took Dane’s word for everything.”

Hyland also filed a complaint against Ortlund with the local presbytery, which serves as a disciplinary agency for pastors in the area. The presbytery found no “strong presumption of guilt” against the character of Ortlund for the actions taken against Hyland.

Hyland can file suit against the church, allow IDHR to handle the issue, or enter mediation.

Ortlund is also author of “Gentle and Lowly,” a book about “Christ’s very heart for sinners.”

Main photo: Dane Orlund, pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church and author of Is Hell Real? / YouTube screenshot