Favorable Injunction in Youth 71Five Ministries v. Williams

A potentially interesting religious freedom and employment case is percolating at the Ninth Circuit. The Court granted an injunction due to an expected ruling in the plaintiff’s (an Oregon ministry) favor.

This is a case where the State of Oregon denied funding on the grounds that the ministry only hires followers of its faith. Oregon invoked a nondiscrimination statute. The plaintiff provided evidence of numerous examples where the State of Oregon awarded grants to organizations that violated Oregon’s statute by discriminating on the basis of race or gender. So, the Court sees this case as likely a free-exercise case, where Oregon only enforces the law for religious organizations.

Of course, Oregon and this ministry have not had their case seen before the Court yet. However, the explicit nature of the injunction provides a hopeful sign for Youth 71Five Ministries.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of We were winning when I was there.