RICHLAND, Wash.-The Yakima Union Gospel Mission was granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Washington Law Against Discrimination concerning the nonprofits hiring practices.
The injunction was granted during a hearing at the U.S. Courthouse in Richland on Oct. 11.
The YUGM, a private, nonprofit religious organization that operates a homeless shelter and thrift stores, challenged the WLAD, arguing it violated the nonprofits First Amendment right to hire employees who fit within their Christian beliefs.
According to court documents, the YUGM expects all employees to adhere to the same religious beliefs as management and “requires all employees to embrace and follow its beliefs on marriage and sexuality and thus prohibits them from engaging in sexually immoral conduct.”
In granting the preliminary injunction, the court determined that the mission “demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of its Free Exercise of religion claim.”
In court documents the mission argued that if it “is forced to hire those who do not share its religious views, or those who do not adhere to those views, it may eventually be extinguished from public life.”
The injunction means the WLAD may not be enforced against the mission for preferring and possibly hiring coreligionists for non-ministerial positions.
How the YUGM operates and who they serve will not change after the injunction.
The mission will continue to serve “everybody equally,” according to court documents, however, it does allow the nonprofit to hire staff based on the religious beliefs of management.
