The Supreme Court upheld the right for workers to ask for religious accommodations in their review of the case involving a Christian mailman. According to CBN News, in Groff v. DeJoy, mailman Gerald Groff refused to work on Sundays because of his Christian faith and his observance of the Sabbath. Despite the Biden administration’s attempt to argue that Groff’s refusal to work Sundays burdened the United States Postal Service (USPS), the court agreed unanimously in favor of Groff and the protection of religious accommodations.
The court determined that businesses must show that a worker’s request for a religious accommodation results in “substantial increased costs” to the business, which in Groff’s case was not found. The Biden administration tried making the case that Groff’s refusal to work on Sundays caused other postal workers to work longer hours and two carriers quitting their jobs, but their argument did not convince the court to rule in their favor.
Groff worked as a mail carrier in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 2012 until his resignation in 2019. Groff explained that his request for a religious accommodation was initially accepted, but things changed eventually and Groff was threatened with disciplinary action which led him to leave the USPS. Groff then chose to sue the USPS and was represented by attorneys from the First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit and religious rights law firm.
President, CEO, and Chief Counsel for First Liberty Kelly Shackelford called the Court’s decision a “landmark victory.” Shackelford said “No American should be forced to choose between their faith and their job,” adding that “the Court’s decision today restores religious freedom to every American in the workplace. This decision will positively help millions and millions of Americans – those who work now and their children and grandchildren.”
Groff expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court for upholding religious rights. He stated, “I hope this decision allows others to be able to maintain their convictions without living in fear of losing their jobs because of what they believe.”