William Smith is an ordained Christian minister who is opposed to abortion on religious grounds. He also worked for the North Central Area Rural Transportation System as a bus driver. At the time he was hired, he listed on the education section of his application that he had taken college-level courses in Christian divinity and that he was an “ordained minister.” There was no further discussion between Smith and the North Central Area Rural Transportation System about this aspect of his life. Smith did not drive a fixed route; instead, Smith’s bus acted more like a taxi, picking up riders in the nonurban areas around Mesa, Arizona, at the instruction of a central dispatcher, and delivering them to specified locations. In January 2021, Smith was dispatched to pick up several women and take them to a Planned Parenthood clinic. Smith was 7 minutes away from the pickup location at the time he received the dispatch call. After receiving the dispatch call, Smith called his supervisor to inform her that “in good conscience, I cannot take someone to have an abortion” and that, in taking women to Planned Parenthood, he was concerned that he might be transporting a client to undergo an abortion. Because the closest other bus was approximately 50 minutes from the location where the women were to be picked up, Smith’s supervisor responded that either he could pick up the women and take them to Planned Parenthood or he could resign. Smith did not want to quit his job, but he refused to drive the women to the clinic. As a result, he was told to drive his bus back to the office. When he arrived there, he was fired. Smith subsequently filed a lawsuit against the North Central Area Rural Transportation System, alleging that the North Central Area Rural Transportation System violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to accommodate his religious beliefs. What must Smith prove in order to prevail in his lawsuit? Based on the facts presented above, do you believe that the North Central Area Rural Transportation System violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they fired Smith? Why or why not? What additional facts might help you in making a more informed determination?
William Smith is an ordained Christian minister who is opposed to abortion on religious grounds. He also worked for the North Central Area Rural Transportation System as a bus driver. At the time he was hired, he listed on the education section of his application that he had taken college-level courses in Christian divinity and that he was an “ordained minister.” There was no further discussion between Smith and the North Central Area Rural Transportation System about this aspect of his life.
Smith did not drive a fixed route; instead, Smith’s bus acted more like a taxi, picking up riders in the nonurban areas around Mesa, Arizona, at the instruction of a central dispatcher, and delivering them to specified locations. In January 2021, Smith was dispatched to pick up several women and take them to a Planned Parenthood clinic. Smith was 7 minutes away from the pickup location at the time he received the dispatch call. After receiving the dispatch call, Smith called his supervisor to inform her that “in good conscience, I cannot take someone to have an abortion” and that, in taking women to Planned Parenthood, he was concerned that he might be transporting a client to undergo an abortion.
Because the closest other bus was approximately 50 minutes from the location where the women were to be picked up, Smith’s supervisor responded that either he could pick up the women and take them to Planned Parenthood or he could resign. Smith did not want to quit his job, but he refused to drive the women to the clinic. As a result, he was told to drive his bus back to the office. When he arrived there, he was fired.
Smith subsequently filed a lawsuit against the North Central Area Rural Transportation System, alleging that the North Central Area Rural Transportation System violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to accommodate his religious beliefs.
- What must Smith prove in order to prevail in his lawsuit?
- Based on the facts presented above, do you believe that the North Central Area Rural Transportation System violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they fired Smith? Why or why not?
- What additional facts might help you in making a more informed determination?
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