Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

The Supreme Court to Take Up Case on Church Employment Disputes

September 21, 2011

On Oct. 5, 2011, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that could help determine how much latitude religious organizations have in making employment decisions about clergy and others who perform religious duties. The case centers on a legal doctrine known as the "ministerial exception."

The Supreme Court has never expressly ruled on the doctrine, but judges in lower federal courts have used it to exempt religious organizations from anti-discrimination laws and other statutes that regulate how employers treat their workers.

The case the high court will take up involves the Hosana-Tabor grade school in Redford, Mich., which was operated by a congregation affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) before the school closed in 2009.

Read a full analysis of the case exploring its background and the issues it involves at pewforum.org