Today, House Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Representative Ben Cline (R-VA), Republican Leader of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, sent a comment letter to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Janet Dhillon regarding EEOC’s proposed updated guidance on religious discrimination.
In the letter, the Members write:“Religious liberty is fundamental to our republic and enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Committee Republicans will continue to oppose proposed legislation and government policies that may infringe on this precious freedom. We appreciate EEOC’s efforts to update its guidance on religious discrimination, and we encourage the agency to review and consider carefully the comments it receives from the public.”
Background: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of religion and also explicitly allows religious organizations to make religiously-based employment decisions. On November 17, EEOC published for public comment an update to its guidance for employers, employees, practitioners, and EEOC enforcement staff on religious discrimination. The agency has not updated this guidance since 2008. The proposed update incorporates U.S. Supreme Court and lower court decisions since 2008 that have affected interpretations of religious discrimination.
To read the full letter to Chair Dhillon, click here.
