David Petersen, et al., Petitioners v. Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue

This petition from the Ninth Circuit asks how much an employer must prove under Title VII, the federal job-discrimination law, to deny a religious accommodation as an undue hardship (a serious burden on the employer). It centers on whether medical evidence that an accommodation would raise the risk of spreading a deadly virus during a pandemic is enough, or whether the employer must show the hardship would actually happen.

The case is still at the certiorari (the Court's decision to hear the case) stage, and no oral argument is scheduled. The petition says the Court should clarify whether employers need a reasonable basis for predicting hardship or proof that hardship would actually occur.

The answer could affect workers seeking religious exemptions and employers trying to protect patients and staff during a public-health crisis. For example, it could shape whether a fire or medical employer may deny an accommodation based on predicted transmission risk before any actual outbreak or other harm occurs.

The petition asks what employers must prove to deny a Title VII religious accommodation for undue hardship. It focuses on medical evidence about virus transmission risk during a pandemic.

Workers seeking religious exemptions and employers responsible for patient or workplace safety could be affected. A stricter proof rule could change how pandemic-era accommodation requests are judged.

The Court first must decide whether to grant certiorari (agree to hear the case). If it does, watch for briefing and an oral-argument date.