Supreme Court Sides With Catholic Charities in Tax Exemption Case

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Catholic Charities chapter in Wisconsin that was originally denied a tax exemption.

The ruling came down Thursday by a unanimous vote, according to a report in USA Today.

The justices determined that Wisconsin did not comply with “the First Amendment’s protection for religion and discriminated against the religious organization in Wisconsin.”

“There may be hard calls to make in policing that rule, but this is not one,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote.

The case hinged on Wisconsin forcing Catholic Charities to participate in the state’s unemployment benefits system. The state’s rationale was the organization worked in the secular realm even though it based in religion.

The state said the chapter’s job training, placement and coaching did not contain religious instruction. 

The employees and the clients do not have to be Catholic and the organization works separately from the Catholic diocese.

“The purpose of the exemption is to keep the government from violating the First Amendment by getting too involved in a church’s employment decisions,” per the outlet. “Because an employee is not eligible for unemployment benefits if the person was fired for misconduct, Wisconsin doesn’t want to have to decide the legitimacy of a firing that was based on matters of religious faith and doctrine.”

Catholic Charities said it was being discriminated against because the charitable arm is incorporated separately from the diocese and because it offers its services without bringing religion into the mix.