Supreme Court Rules Christian Postman Does NOT Have to Work on Sunday in Victory for Religious Freedom
- Judges said employers must show “substantial hardship” in accommodating someone’s religious beliefs
- Devout Christian Gerald Groff resigned in 2019 in protest
- His case now returns to lower courts to be heard again
The US Postal Service illegally discriminated against an evangelical Christian by forcing him to work on Sunday, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday (June 29).
Postal worker Gerald Groff had sued his employer after they asked him to work on Sundays to deliver packages from retail giant Amazon.
But judges unanimously ruled that it was illegal to face USPS disciplinary action for failing to show up for work on the traditional day of rest for Christians.
Judge Samuel Alito said in a letter to the court on Thursday that employers must do more to accommodate the religious beliefs of their staff.
Gerald Groff, a former postal worker, resigned in 2019 in protest of Sunday service patterns and the disciplinary sanctions he received for refusing to work on the Sabbath
Courts “would have to decide whether a hardship would be substantial in the context of an employer’s business in the sane manner it would use in applying such a test,” he wrote.
It dilutes an earlier decision from a 1977 Supreme Court case, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, which held that employers can deny religious accommodations to employees if they impose more than minimal costs on the company.
Attorneys for Groff argued that his rights had been violated under the Civil Rights Act, a landmark 1964 piece of anti-discrimination law.
The ruling is the latest from America’s highest court, dominated by six conservatives against three libel, which highlights the growing role of religion in public life.
Last year, the judges were divided along ideological lines in ruling for a public high school football coach who wanted to pray on the field after games.
Judges ruled in favor of Groff, arguing that the lower courts had misunderstood the law
Florida Senator Mario Rubio hailed Thursday’s ruling as “ahgreat victory for religious freedom.
“Common sense is slowly returning,” he added.
GRoff worked as a postman in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 2012 to 2019 when he resigned in protest of Sunday services.
His job was to fill in when other employees were not available, including weekends and holidays.
A devout Christian, he never asked to work on Sundays until 2015 when USPS told him they needed him to deliver Amazon packages on that day.
His managers made other postal workers deliver packages on Sundays until July 2018, when he faced disciplinary sanctions for failing to show up for work.
Officials said Groff’s absence created a tense environment and contributed to morale problems.
It also meant that other carriers had to deliver more Sunday mail than they otherwise would.
Groff’s case will now return to lower courts for further litigation following the Supreme Court’s decision.
He said in a statement after the ruling that he was grateful that the court heard his case. “I hope this decision allows others to maintain their beliefs without fear of losing their jobs because of what they believe,” he said.