Question Presented (AI Summary)
Whether the Court should disapprove the Hardison test for refusing Title VII religious accommodations
Question Presented (OCR Extract)
QUESTIONS PRESENTED Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 generally prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual “because of such individual’s * * * religion.” 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e-2(a)(1), (2). The statute defines “religion” to include “all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief, unless an employer demonstrates that he is unable to reasonably accommodate to an employee’s or prospective employee’s religious observance or practice without undue hardship on the conduct of the employer’s business.” Jd. § 2000e(j). In Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison, 432 U.S. 63 (1977), this Court stated that an employer suffers an “andue hardship” in accommodating an employee’s religious exercise whenever doing so would require the employer “to bear more than a de minimis cost.” Jd. at 84. The questions presented are: 1.Whether this Court should disapprove the test for refusing Title VII religious accommodations stated in Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison, 432 U.S. 68 (1977). 2.Whether an employer may demonstrate “undue hardship on the conduct of the employer’s business” under Title VII merely by showing that the requested accommodation burdens the employee’s co-workers rather than the business itself.
Docket Entries
2023-06-29
Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Alito, J., delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-174_k536.pdf'>opinion</a> for a unanimous Court. Sotomayor, J., filed a concurring opinion, in which Jackson, J., joined.
2023-04-18
Argued. For petitioner: Aaron Streett, Houston, Tex. For respondent: Elizabeth B. Prelogar, Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C.
2023-04-07
Reply of petitioner Gerald E. Groff filed. (Distributed)
2023-04-07
Letter filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amicus curiae of The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amici curiae of National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amici curiae of Center For Inquiry and American Atheists, Inc. filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amici curiae of Washington et al. filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amici curiae of Local Government Legal Center, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amicus curiae of Airlines for America filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amici curiae of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amicus curiae of American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-30
Brief amicus curiae of The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed. (Distributed)
2023-03-23
Brief of respondent Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service filed. (April 7, 2023) (Distributed)
2023-03-23
Brief of respondent Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service filed.(Corrected version submitted)
2023-03-06
Brief amici curiae of National Employment Lawyers Association, et al. in support of neither party filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Robert P. Roesser filed. (Docket entry corrected 3/6/23)
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of American Constitutional Rights Union filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada, The Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, The North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, The National Council of Young Israel filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Americans for Fair Treatment filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Zionist Organization of America filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of Former EEOC General Counsel and Title VII Religious Accommodation Expert filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Muslim Public Affairs Council filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, et al. filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Liberty Counsel filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Ted Cruz, et al. filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of Asma T. Uddin, et al. filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of Thomas More Society and The Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Airline Employees for Health Freedom filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of Christian Legal Society, et al. filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of West Virginia and 21 Other States filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of Religious Liberty Scholars and Employment Law Scholars filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of Citizens United, Citizens United Foundation, and The Presidential Coalition filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (“COLPA”) and Other Jewish Organizations filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Robertson Center for Constitutional Law filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of Over 400 Physicians, Surgeons, Nurses, and Medical Professionals Who Support Religious Liberty filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Joseph B. Holland, Jr. filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of American Hindu Coalition filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of Founders’ First Freedom, Inc. filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amici curiae of The Sikh Coalition, et al.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of American Center for Law and Justice filed.
2023-02-28
Brief amicus curiae of John Kluge filed.
2023-02-27
Brief amici curiae of Alabama Center for Law and Liberty and Constitutional Attorneys filed.
2023-02-27
Brief amicus curiae of Catholicvote.org Education Fund filed.
2023-02-23
Brief amicus curiae of Council on American-Islamic Relations filed.
2023-02-23
Brief amici curiae of Jeffrey Podell and the Rieders Foundation filed.
2023-02-21
Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
2023-02-21
Brief of petitioner Gerald E. Groff filed.
2023-02-15
Record received from the U.S.C.A.-3d Circuit containing electronic record from both District Court and Court of Appeals.
2023-02-08
Record requested from the U.S.C.A.-3d Circuit.
2023-01-31
SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
2023-01-13
Petition GRANTED.
2023-01-09
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/13/2023.
2022-12-14
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/6/2023.
2022-12-13
Reply of petitioner Gerald E. Groff filed. (Distributed)
2022-11-28
Brief of respondent Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service in opposition filed.
2022-11-14
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including November 28, 2022.
2022-11-10
Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 25, 2022 to November 28, 2022, submitted to The Clerk.
2022-10-12
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including November 25, 2022.
2022-10-11
Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 26, 2022 to November 25, 2022, submitted to The Clerk.
2022-09-26
Brief amicus curiae of John Kluge filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amici curiae of Members of the United States Congress filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amicus curiae of American Center for Law and Justice filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amicus curiae of The Rutherford Institute filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amici curiae of General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amici curiae of Thomas More Society and The Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amici curiae of Robert P. Roesser & Christian Legal Society filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amici curiae of Former EEOC General Counsel and Title VII Religious Accommodation Expert filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amici curiae of Religious Liberty Scholars and Employment Law Scholars filed.
2022-09-26
Brief amici curiae of West Virginia, et al. filed.
2022-09-23
Brief amici curiae of National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs, et al. filed.
2022-09-23
Brief amici curiae of Asma T. Uddin and Steven T. Collis filed.
2022-09-22
Brief amici curiae of The Sikh Coalition, et al. filed.
2022-09-22
Brief amicus curiae of Alabama Center for Law and Liberty filed.
2022-09-19
Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service
2022-09-12
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including October 26, 2022.
2022-09-09
Motion to extend the time to file a response from September 26, 2022 to October 26, 2022, submitted to The Clerk.
2022-08-30
Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Gerald E. Groff
2022-08-23
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 26, 2022)
Attorneys
Airline Employees for Health Freedom
Alabama Center for Law and Liberty
American Center for Law and Justice
American Constitutional Rights Union
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
American Postal Workers Union
Americans for Fair Treatment
Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.
Amici States of Washington et al.
Asma T. Uddin and Steven T. Collis
Catholicvote.org Education Fund
Center For Inquiry and American Atheists, Inc.
Christian Legal Society, Karamah, Association of Christian Schools International, Rutherford Institute, Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance
Citizens United, Citizens United Foundation, and The Presidential Coalition
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Former EEOC General Counsel and Title VII Religious Accommodation Expert
Founders’ First Freedom, Inc.
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
Jeffrey Podell and the Rieders Foundation
Local Government Legal Center, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association
Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law
Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service
Members of the United States Congress
Muslim Public Affairs Council
National Employment Lawyers Association & National Institute For Worker's Rights
National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (“COLPA”) and Other Jewish Organizations
National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, et al.
Over 400 Physicians, Surgeons, Nurses, and Medical Professionals Who Support Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty Scholars and Employment Law Scholars
Robertson Center for Constitutional Law
State of West Virginia and 16 Other States
State of West Virginia and 21 Other States
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints et al.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada, The Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, The North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, The National Council of Young Israel
The Sikh Coalition, Muslim Associates, and The Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
Thomas More Society and The Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty
Zionist Organization of America