Tag: Meltebeke v. BOLI

July 15, 2014
by John Kaempf

DEFENSES AGAINST CLAIMS BY FIRED TEACHERS

Religious schools and churches periodically terminate or discipline a teacher or other employee who violated tenets of the religion at issue, such as premarital cohabitation. Employers taking such actions have a complete defense to discrimination claims arising from such decisions based on the religion clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the corresponding provisions of the Oregon Constitution. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides, in part, that “Congress shall make…