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A federal appeals court has ruled a pair of lawsuits against Michigan’s anti-discrimination law filed by groups claiming it infringes on their religious liberties can continue, reversing a decision made last year by a lower court to dismiss the lawsuits. In a 37-page opinion published Friday , a three-judge panel in the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals found Christian Healthcare Centers and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, a Catholic church in Grand Rapids, do have standing to challenge provisions of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) in federal court. The ruling reverses a 2023 opinion from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan dismissing the religious groups’ cases. Both organizations want to publish job postings that state prospective hires have to affirm their faith, including requiring employees to affirm they oppose same-sex marriage, sex outside of marriage and gender transition. In 2022, they separately sued the state over ELCRA, arguing the law infringes on their religious liberties because it bans employers from indicating a preference for protected characteristics, including religion, in job postings. U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering dismissed the lawsuits, along with one filed by St. Joseph Parish in St. Johns, last year, ruling […]