In a recent decision, Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor in the Northern District of Texas recognized that federal law does not require churches and religious employers to hire employees who violate the organization’s religious beliefs concerning sexual conduct. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) must grant exemptions from Title VII employment discrimination regulations under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and First Amendment, especially regarding hiring and employment practices involving homosexual, bisexual, and transgender employees. Plaintiffs Bear Creek Bible Church, a non-denominational church in Keller, and Braidwood Management Group, which operates several health-related for-profit businesses in Katy, sued the EEOC over its enforcement of Title VII against organizations like theirs. The plaintiffs also sought certification as a class action. The case was originally filed in 2018 against the EEOC guidance that defined sex discrimination to include sexual orientation or sexual identity. It was stayed awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bostock in July 2020. “This is a monumental victory for religious liberty rights for religious employers across the country, not just churches. Employers with strongly held beliefs are not forced to sacrifice those beliefs to conduct business,” America First Legal (AFL) general counsel, Gene Hamilton, who represents the plaintiffs, […]
