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CV NEWS FEED // A federal appeals court has allowed two lawsuits to continue that are challenging Michigan legislation that prohibits religious institutions from refusing to hire employees whose values are inconsistent with the institutions’ religious beliefs.
Sacred Heart Catholic Parish and Christian Healthcare Centers (CHC), which are both based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, filed the lawsuits almost two years ago. CatholicVote previously reported that the two institutions appealed to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2023 for protection of their religious freedom rights.
Sacred Heart and CHC sued to challenge a 2023 law that bans employers from refusing to hire someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity under threat of committing illegal sex-based discrimination. The institutions argued that being forced to hire someone whose beliefs or lifestyles are in direct opposition to their own religious beliefs is a violation of the institutions’ religious freedom.
The 6th Circuit’s ruling on September 20 sent the two cases to a federal district court, according to a news release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the nonprofit law firm representing the two institutions.
The 6th Circuit wrote in its opinion that both Sacred Heart and CHC had established standing to challenge the law, reversing a previous decision from a district court. Based on the higher court’s findings, the lower court will now decide whether the state can be prohibited from enforcing the law against Sacred Heart and CHC while the two lawsuits proceed, ADF explained.
ADF Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart, who argued before the court on behalf of CHC, welcomed the 6th Circuit’s ruling in the news release.
“The Constitution is clear: Religious organizations have the freedom to operate and serve their communities according to their beliefs,” he stated later, adding: “The 6th Circuit was right to allow these cases to proceed. Michigan officials should respect religious organizations’ constitutionally protected freedom to follow the very faith that has motivated them to serve others.”
