Supreme Court issues unanimous ruling for Christian hospitals

Name: WORLD
Price range: $

In a unanimous ruling hailed as a victory for religious liberty, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled in favor of three Christian hospital systems facing a lawsuit over pension plan funding. Employees of the hospitals claimed the institutions violated federal law by not fully funding their pension plans. The hospitals argued federal law has long recognized an exemption to the funding law for churches and faith-based institutions. In a majority opinion penned by Justice Elena Kagan, not considered a strong defender of religious organizations, the court upheld the exemption granted by Congress. Religious liberty advocates hailed the decision as enabling the faith-based institutions to continue their mission to serve the community without having to pay for expensive for-profit pension plans.

We Sift the news so you don’t have to.

Leigh Jones

Leigh is features editor for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate who spent six years as a newspaper reporter in Texas before joining WORLD News Group. Leigh also co-wrote Infinite Monster: Courage, Hope, and Resurrection in the Face of One of America's Largest Hurricanes. She resides with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.