Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

**What Happened** A teacher at a Lutheran school, Cheryl Perich, was fired after she threatened to sue the school for disability discrimination. Perich taught both regular subjects and religion, and had some religious training. When she tried to return to work after a disability leave, the school had already replaced her. After she mentioned involving lawyers, the school fired her, saying her threat to sue violated their religious beliefs about resolving conflicts internally. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission tried to enforce federal anti-discrimination laws against the school. **What the Court Decided** The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the school. The Court said religious organizations have a constitutional right to choose their own ministers and religious teachers without government interference. This "ministerial exception" means federal employment discrimination laws don't apply when religious groups hire or fire clergy or teachers who perform religious functions. **What This Means for Workers** Workers at religious organizations who are considered ministers or religious teachers have fewer legal protections against workplace discrimination. If your job involves significant religious duties at a religious organization, you may not be able to sue for discrimination, even if the treatment seems unfair. However, this exception only applies to religious roles, not all employees at religious organizations.