Fifth Circuit Rules in Religious Discrimination Case
// Dallas, Texas, United States // Attorney Keith Clouse (Press Release) // Keith Clouse
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in a religious discrimination case. Nobach v. Woodland Village Nursing Ctr., Inc., No. 13-60378 (5th Cir. Aug. 7, 2014), available at http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions%5Cpub%5C13/13-60378-CV0.pdf.
The plaintiff was a nursing home activities aide who was discharged because she refused to pray the Rosary with a patient. A jury found that the employer violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by unlawfully discharging the plaintiff for exercising her religious beliefs. The employer filed a motion for judgment as a matter of law, alleging that the plaintiff presented insufficient evidence. It was denied. The employer appealed.
The court examined whether the plaintiff produced sufficient evidence that the employer knew of her religious beliefs before it discharged her. The plaintiff testified that, after her termination and after she informed her boss that praying the Rosary was against her religion, her boss said that she didn’t care whether performing the Rosary was against the plaintiff’s religion. The plaintiff, however, presented no evidence that the employer knew of her bona fide religious beliefs until after she was actually discharged. The court determined that the district court erred by not granting the employer’s motion for judgment as a matter of law.
This article is presented by the Dallas employment lawyers at Clouse Dunn LLP. To speak to Mr. Clouse about religious accommodations, send an email to debra@clousedunn.com or call (214) 239-2705.
Contact Keith Clouse
KEITH A. CLOUSE
Clouse Dunn LLP
214.220.2722 214.220.3833 ( fax) keith@clousedunn.com
