News

Supreme Court Argument in Faithful Carrier Case Coming Up on April 18

by Jorge Gomez • 5 min read

First Liberty will be at the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 18. We’ll be arguing our Faithful Carrier case involving Gerald Groff, the postal worker who was wrongfully forced to quit his job because of his religious beliefs.

Gerald sincerely believes in honoring the Lord’s Day. The U.S. Postal Service, however, refused to grant him a religious accommodation, in direct violation of federal civil rights law. What’s more, the USPS disciplined, created hostile working conditions, and subjected Gerald to harsh treatment over his religious beliefs for two years. Facing a choice between his job and his faith, he had no choice but to resign.

We’re representing Gerald alongside our volunteer attorneys at Baker Botts, as well as our friends at the Church State Council and the Independence Law Center.

Our team will be on the steps of the Court that day for a special First Liberty Live! episode. We’ll preview what you can expect to see in the courtroom and then livestream the audio of the argument. Make sure to visit https://firstlibertylive.com/ so you can listen in.

We’re only a few days away from argument at the nation’s highest court and we’re asking you to please continue praying for Gerald.

If you’ve closely followed this case, you know this has been a difficult battle. After fighting in court for years, this is a final opportunity to restore his rights and freedoms under the law. Getting to this critical point hasn’t been easy—and now it’s up to us to give Gerald the spiritual support he needs as his case is being argued.

As we make our final preparations, please also keep praying for:

• First Liberty’s legal team and everyone on staff devoting extra time to prepare for the argument. Especially, we ask you to please pray for First Liberty President, CEO and Chief Counsel Kelly Shackelford, along with multiple members of our staff, who will be at the Supreme Court on the day of argument.
• Aaron Street, our volunteer attorney who will be arguing before the justices. Aaron is no stranger to arguing a case at the highest level. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court and various federal and state appellate courts across the country. He has particularly extensive experience in the Fifth Circuit and D.C. Circuit, with 35 arguments across those two circuits alone. Your prayers will supply Aaron with spiritual support, so that his decades of preparation and experience can shine through when defending Gerald.
• All nine Supreme Court Justices. Please join us in praying for each of the justices, so they will have an open mind as they listen to our arguments. No matter their philosophy on the law and the Constitution, we’re praying they all agree that no American should be forced to choose between their job and their faith.
• Co-counsel Alan Reinach of the Church State Council and Randall Wenger of the Independence Law Center. These elite attorneys have invested countless hours to bring Gerald’s case this far. This upcoming argument is the result of their many years of effort and hard legal work. Their expertise and contributions on this case are invaluable. In case you missed it, watch a special interview with Alan and Randy below, discussing what goes into prepping for the highest court in the land.

Finally, we want to thank you for all your prayers, encouragement and support. Thank you for standing strong alongside Gerald and First Liberty. We could not have gotten to this critical point without you.

There’s a lot at stake with the Faithful Carrier case. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our nation’s highest court to reexamine a poorly reasoned case from the 1970s that tips the balance in favor of corporations and the government over the religious rights of employees. The legal issues could not only impact Gerald, but also every religious person and their legal protections in the workplace.

With Supreme Court argument just a few days away, this is a special opportunity for you to impact the future of religious liberty in America. Your support can make a huge difference in this final stretch. Please donate today and help us secure a victory for Gerald.