by Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post
The Evangelical humanitarian organization World Vision was within its rights to withdraw a customer service job offer from a woman in a lesbian marriage expecting a baby, a federal appeals court has ruled.
In a ruling last Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling that found World Vision discriminated against an applicant based on her sex, sexual orientation and marital status under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Washington Law Against Discrimination.
In World Vision, Inc. v. McMahon, the three-judge panel concluded that customer service representatives perform “vital religious duties” at the core of the group’s mission. The decision found that the position qualified for a ministerial exception to employment discrimination laws.
World Vision’s “core mission” is to bear witness to Jesus Christ through acts of service, including support for children, people affected by conflict, and the poor, by partnering with churches, donors and others through prayer and ministry, the court said.
Circuit Judge Richard Tallman wrote in the majority opinion that the ministerial exception applies to such roles because they are the organization’s “voice, face, and heart.”
Aubry McMahon sued World Vision in 2021 after the group rescinded her offer for a remote donor and customer service representative trainee position.