by Jayla Ward & Jorge Gomez • 3 minutes
First Liberty is in a federal appeals court today arguing our Alaska Airlines case.
Please pray for Senior Counsel Stephanie Taub, who is arguing on behalf of our clients, Lacey Smith and Marli Brown.
Alaska Airlines wrongfully terminated the two former flight attendants for posting concerns on an internal company website about the “Equality Act” and its impact on women and people of faith. The company invited questions and welcomed diverse views, but then fired Marli and Lacey for their comments. We filed suit against Alaska Airlines in 2022.
Last year, a federal district court handed down an alarming ruling that deprived our clients of their chance to prove their case before a jury. The court ignored overwhelming evidence of religious discrimination to rule in favor of Alaska Airlines and the flight attendants’ union.
If that lower court opinion stands, it would empower employers to punish employees simply for expressing their religious beliefs. It would give businesses leeway to discriminate against employees who hold religious beliefs about the nature of male and female or the need to protect women’s spaces, if done under the guise of protecting other employees from hearing ideas that they find offensive.
We appealed the lower court decision, and today our clients have the opportunity to make their case in front of a panel of three judges at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
We ask you to pray for our clients. This has been a four-year long legal battle for Lacey and Marli. Each of their journeys is unique, but they have this in common: courage.
It takes courage to stand for what is right. It takes endurance and grit to take on your former employer, not knowing how long the process will take. Not knowing if you’re putting future job opportunities at risk. We ask you to pray for their strength, their families and their peace.
Please also pray for Judge Morgan Christen, Judge Kenneth Lee and Judge Daniel Bress as they deliberate. Pray for their wisdom as they hear our arguments and write the decision.
A favorable ruling in this case won’t just deliver freedom back to our clients. It could impact millions of Americans who are being singled out at work over their religious beliefs. The outcome has big implications for every person in the workplace.
Can Lacey & Marli Count on Your Continued Support?
First Liberty won a landmark victory in Groff v. DeJoy, our Faithful Carrier case involving postal worker Gerald Groff. That ruling was a massive shift in employment law that strengthened the right of employees across the country to receive religious accommodations.
Some companies don’t know of these changes and still have to catch up on what the law is. But many employers—like Alaska Airlines—are defying the law and continue discriminating against workers on the basis of religion.
With Lacey and Marli’s case, one thing is clear: the fight for religious freedom in the workplace is far from over.
A win at the 9th Circuit could send this case back to a jury. But if we don’t get a favorable ruling, the next step would be to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Either way, even after a decision, our fight for Marli and Lacey will not be over. We’re going to need your continued support. Lacey and Marli need to know they can count on you.
Fighting a case, whether in front of a jury or at the Supreme Court, requires tremendous resources, time and effort. And for our clients, that means many more months of litigation. They’ve shown courage and resilience from day one—and they’ll need you to be courageous and stick by their side through this last stretch.
This battle isn’t over yet. Your gift today can make a huge difference in getting Lacey and Marli’s case closer to victory. Please give to First Liberty.
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