YAKIMA, Wash.-The Yakima Union Gospel Mission filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals on Nov. 8, asking the court to protect its freedom to hire like-minded individuals of faith.
A previous YUGM lawsuit alleging that Washington state law violated the First Amendment rights of the faith-based nonprofit by preventing them from hiring candidates that adhered to the same Christian beliefs, was dismissed in District Court in September of 2023.
The YUGM is being represented by attorneys with the Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal organization.
“Religious organizations are free to hire employees who are aligned with and live out their religious beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker, director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries.
According to an ADF press release on the case, the YUGM has received applications from people who openly disagree with, or are hostile to, its religious beliefs on marriage and sexuality since the state began enforcement of the Washington Law Against Discrimination.
The brief filed by the ADF on Nov. 8, Union Gospel Mission of Yakima v. Ferguson, alleges that Washington has been actively and unlawfully enforcing WLAD against religious organizations in accordance with the state high court’s interpretation of the law.
“Yakima Union Gospel Mission faces substantial penalties under Washington state law for simply engaging in its constitutionally protected freedom to hire fellow believers who share the mission’s calling to spread the gospel and care for vulnerable people in the Yakima community.
The YUGM will serve anyone according to ADF’s press release, however, it furthers its religious purpose by employing likeminded believers who agree with and live out the mission’s Christian beliefs and practices, including abstaining from any sexual conduct outside of marriage between a man and a woman.
“We are urging the 9th Circuit to allow the mission to seek protection in federal court so that it can continue its valuable services while continuing to adhere to the very beliefs that motivate its outreach,” said ADF Senior Counsel Tucker.
