Justice Thomas Slams Supreme Court for Ignoring ‘Unfair’ Workplace Discrimination Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up the case of Ronald Hittle, a former fire chief from Stockton, California, who claims he was fired because of his Christian faith. The decision, announced on Monday, means lower court rulings that sided with the city will stand, effectively ending Hittle’s fight for reinstatement.

Hittle, who served as Stockton’s fire chief from 2005 until his dismissal in 2011, says he was wrongfully terminated after attending a leadership conference hosted by a church. When city officials found out about the faith-based event, they launched an investigation into his conduct.

The investigation concluded that his religious beliefs were interfering with his leadership responsibilities, leading to his termination. Hittle argued that this was a clear violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on religion. However, both the district court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against him, saying there wasn’t enough evidence that religious bias was the main reason for his firing.

Justice Thomas and Gorsuch Strongly Disagree

Not everyone on the Supreme Court agreed with the decision to reject Hittle’s case. Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch dissented, with Thomas calling out the legal system for making it too hard for employees to prove discrimination.

In his dissenting opinion, Thomas criticized the McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green framework, a legal standard established in 1973 that lays out a three-step process for proving workplace discrimination. According to Thomas, this process has led to confusion in lower courts and makes it nearly impossible for employees like Hittle to win discrimination cases.

“Despite seemingly good intentions, this judge-created doctrine has been widely criticized for its inefficiency and unfairness,” Thomas wrote, arguing that the Supreme Court should have taken the case to clarify the law.

What This Means for Religious Freedom in the Workplace

By declining to hear Hittle’s case, the Supreme Court is allowing the existing legal framework for workplace discrimination cases to remain unchanged. Under this system, employees must first prove they were treated unfairly based on a protected characteristic such as religion. Employers can then justify their actions with a “legitimate” reason, and it’s up to the employee to prove that reason was just a cover for discrimination.

Critics, including Justice Thomas, believe this process is deeply flawed and stacked against employees. Many legal experts argue that the standard makes it too easy for employers to claim they had a valid reason for firing someone, even if religious bias played a role.

First Liberty Institute, the legal organization representing Hittle, expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case. “We will continue to fight for all people of faith whose religious liberty is threatened,” said Kelly Shackelford, the group’s president and chief counsel.

What’s Next? Other Religious Freedom Cases on the Horizon

While Hittle’s case is now closed, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear other cases related to religious freedom in the coming months. These include:

• Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission – This case will determine whether Wisconsin’s definition of a religious organization for tax purposes is too narrow.
• Mahmoud v. Taylor – A case that could decide whether religious parents have the right to opt their children out of certain public school discussions.
• Oklahoma Charter School Board v. Drummond – A case exploring whether religious schools can qualify as charter schools and receive government funding.

These upcoming cases suggest the Supreme Court is still willing to weigh in on religious freedom issues, even though it declined to revisit the laws that determine how workplace discrimination cases are handled.

For now, Hittle’s legal battle is over, but his case has reignited debate over religious rights in the workplace an issue that’s not likely to go away anytime soon.