United States Sixth Circuit

In an action under the First Amendment and various employment statutes challenging defendant-Baptist Homes for Children's policy of firing and not hiring gay and lesbian employees, dismissal of the complaint is affirmed in part where the termination of plaintiff based on her sexual orientation did not constitute discrimination on account of religion. However, the ruling is reversed in part where plaintiffs sufficiently demonstrated standing as state taxpayers for their Establishment Clause challenge.

Appellate Information

• Argued 03/11/2009
• Decided 08/31/2009
• Published 08/31/2009

Judges

• Before: CLAY and GIBBONS, Circuit Judges; GREER, District Judge.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:Alexander Joseph Luchenitser, Americans United For Separation Of Church and State, Washington, D.C., for Appellants. Jonathan David Goldberg, Goldberg Simpson, LLC, Louisville, Kentucky, John O. Sheller, Stoll KeenonOgden PLLC, Louisville, Kentucky, for Appellees. ON BRIEF:Alexander Joseph Luchenitser, Ayesha N. Khan, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, D.C., David B. Bergman, Elizabeth Leise, Alicia A.W. Truman, Joshua P. Wilson, Arnold & Porter LLP, Washington, D.C., Kenneth Y. Choe, James D. Esseks, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, New York, David A. Friedman, William E. Sharp, American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky, Daniel Mach, American Civil Liberties Union Program On Freedom of Religion & Belief, Washington, D.C., for Appellants. Jonathan David Goldberg, Goldberg Simpson, LLC, Louisville, Kentucky, John O. Sheller, Jeffrey A. Calabrese, Stoll KeenonOgden PLLC, Louisville, Kentucky, Patrick T. Gillen, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Timothy J. Tracey, Center For Law & Religious Freedom, Springfield, Virginia, LaDonna Lynn Koebel, Josua C. Billings, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Frankfort, Kentucky, for Appellees. Steven W. Fitschen, The National Legal Foundation, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Edward L. White III, The American Center for Law & Justice, Ann Arbor, Michigan, for Amici Curiae.