Howard Friedman, Religion Clause
Norbach v. Woodland Village Nursing Home Center, Inc., (SD MI, Sept. 4, 2012), is a Title VII religious accommodation lawsuit filed by a woman who was employed as an activity aide at a nursing home. She was fired for insubordination after she refused to pray the rosary with a Catholic resident suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. A Mississippi federal district court refused defendant’s motion for summary judgment finding that a number of material questions of fact remain to be determined. These include whether there were also other reasons for plaintiff’s termination, whether praying the rosary conflicts with her religious beliefs and whether the nursing home could make a reasonable accommodation of her beliefs without experiencing an undue hardship. [Thanks to CCH Employment Law Daily via Steven H. Sholk for the lead.]