SCOTUS Declines Religious Liberty Case, But It's Not Over

On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of a religious organization claiming it had the right to refuse to hire individuals who did not share its religious beliefs. In denying the case on technical grounds, Justice Samuel Alito indicated that if it or a similar case came before the court in the future, the justices could likely find in favor of such a right for religious employers. The case of Seattle's Union Gospel Mission v. Matthew Woods centers on an employment discrimination claim against a religious nonprofit in Washington state under Washington's law against discrimination. The mission argued it was exempt from the law because of the law's express exemption excluding "any religious or sectarian organization not organized for private profit" from its employer definitions.