Union Gospel Mission of Yakima v. Brown

Yakima Union Gospel Mission has served the homeless with the love, compassion, and kindness of Jesus Christ since 1936. It provides shelter, meals, addiction recovery, and medical care to anyone who walks through its doors. Every mission employee – from the CEO to the cook, the thrift store worker to the IT technician – is a Christian, called to bear witness to the transforming power of Christ through discipleship, fellowship, and prayer with one another. Before it’s a shelter or a soup kitchen, the mission is a Christian community. In 2021, however, the Washington Supreme Court gutted a 72-year-old statute protecting religious ministries, rewriting it to force them to hire people who reject their faith.

Case Timeline

• March 2021: A Washington Supreme Court ruling effectively gutted the WLAD’s exemption for religious employers.
• March 2023: ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of Yakima Union Gospel Mission seeking to protect its right to hire employees who share its beliefs.
• November 2023: After a federal district court dismissed the case, ADF attorneys appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
• July 2024: ADF attorneys presented oral argument before the 9th Circuit.
• August 2024: The 9th Circuit reversed the lower court’s decision and held that the Mission can challenge Washington’s law.
• October 2024: ADF attorneys participated in a hearing at the district court on the Mission’s request for an injunction.
• November 2024: The federal district court ruled that it is likely unconstitutional for Washington state officials to enforce the law against the Mission while the lawsuit proceeds.
• June 2025: ADF attorneys returned to the 9th Circuit to present oral argument in the case.
• January 2026: In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel for the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of the Yakima Union Gospel Mission.
• June 2026: The full 9th Circuit vacated the panel’s decision and decided to rehear the case en banc.