Employment discrimination law does not operate in a vacuum. Sometimes it collides with constitutional rights, and a case from Yakima, Washington shows how.
The background
The Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of race, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics. The law has a religious exemption, but in 2021 the Washington Supreme Court ruled in Woods v. Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission that the exemption does not protect a religious nonprofit’s hiring practices unless the employees are ministers.
The Union Gospel Mission of Yakima case
The Union Gospel Mission of Yakima, a Christian nonprofit that runs a homeless shelter and recovery programs, sued Washington officials in 2023. It argues that the First Amendment protects its right to hire people who share and live out its religious beliefs. After a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction in November 2024, the Ninth Circuit upheld it. The order bars the state from enforcing the WLAD against the mission only as to its preference for hiring people who share its faith. The rest of the law still applies, and the court cautioned that the ruling does not cover other religious-affiliated entities such as businesses and hospitals.
What workers should know
- Religious employers still cannot use religion as a pretext for unlawful discrimination on other grounds.
- Ministerial roles receive broader protection than other jobs.
- Wage and overtime laws apply to most employees of religious and nonprofit employers, including non-ministerial staff.
This is an evolving area, and the case is still moving through the courts. If you work for a religious organization and have questions about discrimination, retaliation or unpaid overtime, an employment lawyer can explain which protections apply to you.
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This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts, so talk to an employment lawyer about your situation.
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