In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that churches and religious organizations are exempt from employee discrimination laws when hiring or firing their own employees and leaders. Many are heralding this decision as key in reinforcing the separation between church and state, while others worry that this will allow these organizations far too much power. The initial complaint that motivated Hosanna-Tabor Church v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stemmed from a teacher at an elementary school who felt she was being fired for pursuing a disability claim. James Roach is a lawyer at the Vercruysse Murray & Calzone and attorney for Cheryl Perich, the fired school teacher. Rabbi Irwin Kula, president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, also joins the program. Jeffrey Rosen is professor of law at George Washington University.
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