POSC402 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Establishment Clause, Summary Judgment, Narcolepsy
7 Oct 2018
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Two native americans who worked as counselors for a private drug rehabilitation organization, ingested peyote -- a powerful hallucinogen -- as part of their religious ceremonies as members of the native american church. As a result of this conduct, the rehabilitation organization fired the counselors. The counselors filed a claim for unemployment compensation. The government denied them benefits because the reason for their dismissal was considered work-related "misconduct. " The counselors lost their battle in state court. But the u. s. supreme court vacated the oregon supreme. Court"s judgment against the disgruntled employees, and returned the case to the. Oregon courts to determine whether or not sacramental use of illegal drugs violated. Oregon"s state drug laws (485 u. s. 660 (1988)). Court concluded that while oregon drug law prohibited the consumption of illegal drugs for sacramental religious uses, this prohibition violated the free exercise clause. The case returned to the u. s. supreme court in this new posture.
