Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Samuel Alito A Seattle-based Christian group that refused to hire a bisexual attorney was denied a Supreme Court hearing on Monday, though two justices on the high court’s right flank were clearly receptive to the religious organization’s position. In a six-page statement , Justice Samuel Alito pushed for a more expansive view of the so-called “ ministerial exception ” to federal anti-discrimination law. Joined by Justice Clarence Thomas , Alito’s statement in Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission v. Matthew S. Woods represents one in a series from Alito on giving religious groups latitude from civil rights law. All of the justices appeared to agree the case is not yet ripe for review. The controversy behind the case began in 2017 when attorney Matthew Woods sued Union Gospel Mission (the “Mission”) in state court in Washington. Woods said the Christian group violated federal anti-discrimination law by refusing to hire him as a staff attorney with its Open Door Legal Services (ODLS) programs. ODLS is a free legal-aid clinic operated by the Mission — a nonprofit Christian ministry. The clinic is religious in nature and its staff conducts religious activities with its patrons, such as praying […]
