Garrick v. Moody Bible Institute
Description: Moody Bible Institute is seeking to protect its constitutional freedom to make employment decisions as a religious school after it dismissed a faculty member over a difference in religious beliefs.
Religious schools ask full 7th Circuit to protect their constitutional freedoms
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed Monday at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Garrick v. Moody Bible Institute in support of the legally and constitutionally protected freedom of religious institutions to make employment decisions in accordance with their beliefs:
“America is made up of a diverse religious landscape, and our laws protect the freedom of all Americans to practice their beliefs. This is true of both individuals and religious institutions. The fact that the lawsuit filed against Moody Bible Institute stems from a difference of religious beliefs means that the government has no legitimate role here. We urge the full 7th Circuit to hear this case, uphold Supreme Court precedent, and affirm the importance of protecting religious schools’ freedom to make employment decisions in accordance with their faith.”
In the case, Moody Bible Institute has asked the full 7th Circuit to hear its case after a split 2-1 panel of judges ruled to dismiss it. ADF attorneys filed the brief on behalf of the American Association of Christian Schools, Association of Christian Schools International, Association of Classical Christian Schools, Cardinal Newman Society, International Alliance for Christian Education, and Judson University.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT John Bursch
John Bursch is senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy with Alliance Defending Freedom. Bursch has argued 12 U.S. Supreme Court cases and more than 30 state supreme court cases since 2011, and a recent study concluded that among all frequent Supreme Court advocates who did not work for the federal government, he had the 3rd highest success rate for persuading justices to adopt his legal position. Bursch served as solicitor general for the state of Michigan from 2011-2013. He has argued multiple Michigan Supreme Court cases in eight of the last ten terms and has successfully litigated hundreds of matters nationwide, including six with at least $1 billion at stake. As part of his private firm, Bursch Law PLLC, he has represented Fortune 500 companies, foreign and domestic governments, top public officials, and industry associations in high-profile cases, primarily on appeal. He received his J.D. magna cum laude in 1997 from the University of Minnesota Law School and is admitted to practice in numerous federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.