Yakima Union Gospel Mission (Yakima, Washington) filed a complaint in federal district court last week, asking the court to block the state from violating its First Amendment right to exclusively hire employees who share its statement of faith and agree to live out its religious beliefs, including those that apply to sexuality and marriage. The mission has received applications from individuals who disagree with the stated Judeo-Christian beliefs but has avoided hiring anyone who does not agree to comply, regardless of what role they would fill, based on the fact that everyone’s role at the organization contributes to maintaining a Christian community for the mission's guests.
ADF Attorney Jacob Reed, who represents the mission, says that while the lawsuit involves a Washington state law, it has national implications, because “every religious organization is now threatened with liability for … hiring people who agree with their religious beliefs.” ADF successfully argued a similar case for Wyoming Rescue Mission (Casper, Wyoming) in 2022.
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