They are fighting back.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has initiated a lawsuit against the state of Maryland, challenging a recent state court ruling that the church claims infringes upon its ability to hire individuals who share its religious beliefs. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland last week and addresses a reinterpretation of the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA) by the Maryland Supreme Court, which allegedly narrows the religious exemption under the law.
The church’s complaint asserts that its constitutional right to employ only those who align with its faith and religious mission is fundamental. It emphasizes that this right applies to all employees without requiring proof that any individual “directly” contributes to the church’s core mission. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, headquartered in Silver Spring, mandates that its employees be “baptized, tithe-paying members in regular standing” of the church and adhere to specific moral standards, including abstaining from premarital sex, alcohol, homosexuality, and immodest attire.
The case centers around the Maryland Supreme Court’s ruling in Doe v. Catholic Relief Services, which stated that the religious exemption in MFEPA limits claims of discrimination based on religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity against religious organizations by employees engaged in duties that significantly contribute to the organization’s core mission. According to the lawsuit, this interpretation contradicts the church’s hiring policy, which requires all employees to be active members of the church, irrespective of their job titles or roles.
The complaint expresses concerns that adhering to the church’s current hiring practices might expose it to legal liability due to the recent changes in the law. It notes that the new interpretation of MFEPA has not yet led to a comprehensive history of enforcement, but officials have indicated that they may seek to apply this new understanding of the religious exemption against the church.
Represented by Becket, a law firm specializing in religious liberty cases and known for its success before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has named several Maryland public officials in the lawsuit. These include Attorney General Anthony Brown and Cleveland L. Horton, the Acting Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, among other members of the Civil Rights Commission.