Organist’s Establishment Clause Argument Fails to Invalidate Unemployment Benefits Exemption
April 28, 2014Mr. Spicer, an organist formerly employed by the Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, challenged on constitutional grounds the statutory exemption of unemployment benefits for ex-employees of religious organizations. The Court of Appeals rejected Spicer’s arguments, holding that the religious exemptions in the Texas unemployment laws do not violate Establishment Clause because, among other things, these laws demonstrate neither sponsorship of nor hostility towards religion.
