In the Courts - Christian Legal Society

Current Cases

Bethany Christian Services v. Corbin

For the first time since Bethany Christian Services began serving refugees in 1962 and became a contractor of the state of Michigan in 1981, the organization was denied refugee-resettlement services contracts because…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Free Speech, Workplace
Court: Western District of Michigan
Case Status: Pending
Center's Role: Counsel

Groff v. Dejoy

Gerald Groff began working for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in 2012. In 2013, USPS contracted with Amazon to deliver packages, including on Sundays. Groff’s religious beliefs prohibit working on Sunday, and…

Legal Issue(s): Conscience Protections, Workplace
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Success
Center's Role: Amicus

Tucker v. Faith Bible Chapel

Faith Christian Academy is a K-12 school in Colorado. Faith Christian provides a Christian environment, with Bible classes and weekly chapel services required for all students as part of the regular curriculum.

Legal Issue(s): Religious Education, Workplace
Court: Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
Case Status: Rehearing en banc denied
Center's Role: Amicus

Billard v. Charlotte Catholic High School

Lonnie Billard was a substitute teacher, and former full-time teacher, at Charlotte Catholic High School, which is operated for religious and educational purposes by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. To teach…

Legal Issue(s): Religious Education, Workplace
Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Case Status: Success
Center's Role: Amicus

Demkovich v. St. Andrew the Apostle Parish

St. Andrew the Apostle Church is a Roman Catholic Church that serves the largely Polish community of Calumet City, Illinois. Among the church’s many ministries is an outreach to LGBTQ Catholics seeking…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Workplace
Court: Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Case Status: Success
Center's Role: Amicus

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission v. Woods

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission was sued by an applicant for a lawyer position with its legal aid clinic who admitted that he did not agree with the Mission’s religious beliefs. The Mission…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Workplace
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Cert. denied
Center's Role: Amicus

Lisa Nelthropp Prevails after Unlawful Firing for her Faith

After Ms. Nelthropp and two co-workers mutually discussed their religious beliefs and worldviews at work over lunch, Ms. Nelthropp was fired from her job for “bringing her personal beliefs into the workplace.”…

Legal Issue(s): Free Speech, Workplace
Court: Maine Human Rights Commission & the EEOC
Case Status: Success
Center's Role: Counsel

Bostock v. Clayton County

On June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in the trio of Title VII cases (Bostock, Harris Funeral Homes, and Zarda). In a 6-3 decision with Justice Gorsuch…

Legal Issue(s): Workplace
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Loss
Center's Role: Amicus