Christian Entity Keeps Hiring Block Against State LGBTQ+ Law (1)

Washington state can’t enforce its LGBTQ+ bias protections against a Christian ministry while the organization’s preemptive lawsuit over its policy to only hire individuals who share its beliefs plays out, a unanimous Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday.

Union Gospel Mission of Yakima showed it’s likely to prevail on its church-autonomy claims, the three-judge panel said, affirming a lower court’s preliminary injunction. The First Amendment’s religion clauses together form the church-autonomy doctrine, work to bar “state meddling in the religious matters of religious organizations,” and shield more than just employment decisions involving ministers, the panel said.

Plaintiff Union Gospel says being ...