Case: David Petersen, et al. v. Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue, No. 25-1210
Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2026-04-23
Status: Pending
Question Presented: Whether an employer can defeat a Title VII religious accommodation claim by establishing merely that it had a reasonable basis for believing that a requested accommodation would inflict an undue hardship on the employer or whether the employer must establish that the requested accommodation would have actually imposed an undue hardship.
On April 16, 2026, petitioners filed a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the Court to resolve the evidentiary standard employers must satisfy to deny a religious accommodation under Title VII. Counsel of record is Lisa S. Blatt.
The case arises from the Ninth Circuit and asks whether an employer must show that a requested accommodation would actually impose an undue hardship, or whether a reasonable basis for believing hardship would result is sufficient to defeat the claim.
If the Court grants certiorari, the decision will clarify how much evidentiary work employers must do before refusing a religious accommodation request. A response from Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue is due May 26, 2026.