Court Sides With Christian Mission in Dispute Over Hiring According to Religious Beliefs

The suit, which a district court dismissed in 2024, can now move forward in the mission’s bid to hire employees aligned with its beliefs.
Court Sides With Christian Mission in Dispute Over Hiring According to Religious Beliefs
A dorm area at the Orange County Rescue Mission's "Double R Ranch" facility in Silverado Canyon, Calif., on July 23, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
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A federal appeals court Tuesday allowed the Union Gospel Mission of Yakima, Washington, to proceed with its challenge to state restrictions on hiring according to religious belief.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously affirmed that the religious charity can press its First Amendment claims against state officials after a lower court’s dismissal last year, clearing the way for the ministry to continue its constitutional challenge in federal court.

Mark A. Kellner
Mark A. Kellner
Author
Mark A. Kellner is a freelance journalist. He covered the 2024 elections in Nevada for the New York Post and was previously the faith & family reporter for The Washington Times.