No. 25-978

Adrianna Kondilis, et al. v. City of Chicago, Illinois

Lower Court: Seventh Circuit
Docketed: 2026-02-18
Status: Pending
Type: Paid
Tags: discovery due-process first-amendment pretext religious-discrimination title-vii
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity DueProcess FirstAmendment CriminalProcedure EmploymentDiscrimina
Latest Conference: N/A
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Whether the First, Second, Third, and Tenth Circuits are correct that courts must permit discovery when public employees allege the government's stated justification is a pretext for religious discrimination under Title VII, or whether the Seventh Circuit is correct that courts may accept the government's stated rationale at face value and dismiss such claims at the pleading stage without any inquiry into pretext, motive, or discriminatory application.

2. Whether Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905)—decided regarding a smallpox vaccine and five-dollar fine under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause—should be limited or overturned in favor of a tiers-of-scrutiny approach in assessing First Amendment religious discrimination claims, with strict scrutiny to apply to government pandemic regulation as a pandemic wanes.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether courts must permit discovery when public employees allege the government's stated justification is a pretext for religious discrimination under Title VII, or whether courts may dismiss such claims at the pleading stage without inquiry into pretext or motive

Docket Entries

2026-02-18
Waiver of City of Chicago of right to respond submitted.
2026-02-13
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 20, 2026)

Attorneys

Adrianna Kondilis, et al.
Cass Thomas CasperDISPARTI LAW GROUP, P.A., Petitioner
City of Chicago
Myriam Zreczny KasperCity of Chicago Department of Law, Respondent