Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Amos

Summary

The Supreme Court considered whether applying Title VII's religious-employer exemption under 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-1 to the secular nonprofit activities of religious organizations violated the Establishment Clause. The Court held that the exemption was constitutional and reversed the judgment of the United States District Court for the District of Utah. The decision emphasized that the exemption alleviated governmental interference with religious organizations' ability to define and carry out their missions.

Holdings

1. Section 702 does not violate the Establishment Clause when applied to the nonprofit activities of religious employers. The exemption serves the permissible purpose of alleviating significant governmental interference with religious organizations' ability to define and carry out their religious missions, and any advancement of religion is attributable to the religious organization rather than the Government.
2. As applied to the nonprofit activities of religious employers, § 702 is rationally related to the legitimate purpose of alleviating significant governmental interference with religious organizations' ability to define and carry out their religious missions.
3. Section 702 does not impermissibly entangle church and state; instead, it effectuates a more complete separation by avoiding intrusive judicial inquiry into religious beliefs and the religious character of activities.

Questions Presented

1. Whether applying § 702 of Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-1, to the secular nonprofit activities of religious organizations violates the Establishment Clause.
2. Whether § 702, as applied to nonprofit activities of religious employers, violates equal protection by giving religious employers greater freedom to discriminate on the basis of religion than secular employers.
3. Whether the exemption impermissibly entangles church and state by delegating governmental power or endorsing religious discrimination.

Disposition

reversed_and_remanded