Wilson v. U.S. West Communications

Christine Wilson (plaintiff), a Roman Catholic who had worked at U.S. West Communications (defendant) nearly 20 years, began wearing an anti-abortion button showing a color photo of a fetus as part of a personal religious vow. The button caused major disruption; coworkers found it disturbing for reasons unrelated to religion, including struggles with infertility and infant loss, and some threatened to stop working. Her supervisors offered three options: wear it only in her cubicle, cover it at work, or wear a different anti-abortion button without the photo. Wilson refused, insisting she was a 'living witness' and offended coworkers should look away. She was ultimately fired for unexcused absences after being sent home. She sued for religious discrimination. The district court found a prima facie case but held U.S. West's cover-the-button offer was a reasonable accommodation and granted summary judgment; Wilson appealed.

Whether, under Title VII, an employer must reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs and practices unless doing so would cause the employer undue hardship.