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Seattle's Union Gospel Mission v. Matthew S. Woods
Paid petition · Supreme Court of Washington, No. 96132-8 · judgment March 4, 2021
Before the decision, roughly the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for counsel who has won certiorari before and a dissent in the court below (flagged in the petition).
Questions presented
Petitioner Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission is a nonprofit that exists to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mission employees—all of whom must share and live out its beliefs—do so by meeting the needs of the homeless and evangelizing to them. One of the Mission’s many ministries is Open Door Legal Services, a legal clinic that assists those in Mission recovery programs and other vulnerable community members. Respondent Matthew Woods applied for an Open Door position with the stated intent of changing the Mission’s religious beliefs and without satisfying the prerequisites of regular church attendance, a pastor’s recommendation, and an explanation of his relationship with Jesus. Woods sued when the Mission hired a coreligionist instead. A state trial court ruled for the Mission, noting that it is exempt from state non-discrimination law. But the Washington Supreme Court held that exemption violated the state constitution as-applied and declared the Mission’s First Amendment rights limited to the ministerial exception, creating a split with six Courts of Appeals. The questions presented are:
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Whether the First Amendment protects the Mission’s right to hire coreligionists.
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Whether denying the Mission a total exemption the state grants to secular, small businesses violates the Free Exercise Clause.
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Whether the Washington Supreme Court violated the Free Exercise Clause by showing at least a “slight suspicion” of hostility to religious beliefs in deleting a total exemption the legislature bestowed.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
John J. Bursch
Alliance Defending Freedom
For respondent
Jennifer Denise Diskin
QLaw Foundation of Washington
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 9 conferences
Amicus briefs
17 cert-stage
Argument & decision
Decided March 21, 2022.
Proceedings
- Mar 21 2022Petition DENIED. Statement of Justice Alito, with whom Justice Thomas joins, respecting the denial of certiorari. (Detached Opinion)
- Mar 14 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/18/2022.
- Feb 28 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/4/2022.
- Feb 23 2022Rescheduled.
- Feb 22 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/25/2022.
- Feb 16 2022Rescheduled.
- Feb 11 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/18/2022.
- Jan 19 2022Rescheduled.
- Jan 18 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/21/2022.
- Jan 13 2022Rescheduled.
- Jan 10 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/14/2022.
- Jan 04 2022Rescheduled.
- Jan 03 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/7/2022.
- Dec 07 2021Rescheduled.
- Dec 06 2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/10/2021.
- Nov 30 2021Rescheduled.
- Nov 16 2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/3/2021.
- Nov 15 2021Reply of petitioner Seattle's Union Gospel Mission filed. (Distributed)
- Nov 01 2021Brief of respondent Matthew S. Woods in opposition filed.
- Sep 08 2021Amicus brief of American Association of Christian Schools, et al. not accepted for filing. (Dupilicate submission) (September 08, 2021)
- Sep 02 2021Brief amici curiae of Gospel Rescue Mission Fellowship, et al. filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amicus curiae of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amici curiae of Montana, et al. filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amici curiae of Alabama, et al. filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amici curiae of Christian Legal Society, et al. filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amici curiae of General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, et al. filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amicus curiae of Grace Youth and Family Foundation filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amicus curiae of First Liberty Institute filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amici curiae of Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team of the Religious Freedom Institute, et al. filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amicus curiae of Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amicus curiae of Kevin C. Walsh filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amicus curiae of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference filed.
- Sep 02 2021Brief amici curiae of American Association of Christian Schools, et al. filed.
- Sep 01 2021Brief amicus curiae of Citygate Network filed.
- Aug 31 2021Brief amicus curiae of Westminster Theological Seminary filed.
- Aug 31 2021Brief amici curiae of 20 Current and Former Washington State Legislators filed.
- Aug 30 2021Brief amicus curiae of Samaritan's Purse filed.
- Aug 26 2021Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 1, 2021.
- Aug 24 2021Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, Matthew S. Woods
- Aug 24 2021Motion to extend the time to file a response from September 2, 2021 to November 1, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
- Aug 10 2021Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Seattle's Union Gospel Mission
- Aug 02 2021Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 2, 2021)