Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division

Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division

SCOTUSCase
Litigants=Thomas v. Review Bd., Ind. Empl. Sec. Div.
ArgueDate=October 7
ArgueYear=1980
DecideDate=October 6
DecideYear=1981
FullName=THOMAS v. REVIEW BOARD OF THE INDIANA EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DIVISION ET AL.
CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA.
USVol=450
USPage=707
Citation=
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Holding="The State's denial of unemployment compensation benefits to petitioner violated his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion..." [ [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=450&page=707 450 U.S. 707] Full text of the opinion courtesy of Findlaw.com.]
SCOTUS=1975-1981
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"Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division", 450 U.S. 707 (1981), [ [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=450&page=707 450 U.S. 707] Full text of the opinion courtesy of Findlaw.com.] was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Indiana's denial of unemployment compensation benefits to petitioner violated his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion under "Sherbert v. Verner".

Facts of the case

Thomas, a Jehovah's Witness, was initially hired to work in his employer's roll foundry, which fabricated sheet steel for a variety of industrial uses, but when the foundry was closed he was transferred to a department that fabricated turrets for military tanks. Since all of the employer's remaining departments to which transfer might have been sought were engaged directly in the production of weapons, petitioner asked to be laid off. When that request was denied, he quit, asserting that his religious beliefs prevented him from participating in the production of weapons. He applied for unemployment compensation benefits under the Indiana Employment Security Act.

Prior history

At an administrative hearing, Thomas testified that he believed that contributing to the production of arms violated his religion, although he could, in good conscience, engage indirectly in the production of materials that might be used ultimately to fabricate arms. The hearing referee found that petitioner had terminated his employment because of his religious convictions, but held that petitioner was not entitled to benefits because his voluntary termination was not based upon a "good cause [arising] in connection with [his] work," as required by the Indiana statute.

The Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division affirmed, but the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed, holding that the Indiana statute, as applied, improperly burdened petitioner's right to the free exercise of his religion. The Indiana Supreme Court vacated the Court of Appeals' decision and denied petitioner benefits, holding that he had quit voluntarily for personal reasons, his belief being more "personal philosophical choice" than religious belief. The court also concluded that in any event a termination motivated by religion is not for "good cause" objectively related to the work, as required by the Indiana statute, and that denying benefits created only an indirect burden on petitioner's free exercise right, which burden was justified by legitimate state interests.

Decision of the Court

Chief Justice Warren Burger delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Justices BRENNAN, STEWART, WHITE, MARSHALL, POWELL, and STEVENS joined, and in Parts I, II, and III of which Justice Harry Blackmun joined. Justice Blackmun filed a statement concurring in part and concurring in the result.

Dissenting opinions

Justice William Rehnquist filed a dissenting opinion.

Effects of the decision

Critical response

Subsequent history

References

ee also

*List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 450

External links


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