On June 14, 2023, BGL attorneys Lauren DiMartino and Anthony May presented a national webinar for the Federal Bar Association, entitled, “Bostock and The First Amendment: The Rights of LGBTQ+ Employees in the Religious Workplace” in honor of Pride Month. They were joined by co-presenter Bradley Girard, counsel for Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
In 2020, the Supreme Court in Bostock v. Clayton County determined that discrimination against gay and transgender employees is discrimination on the basis of sex—leaving open the question whether, and how, this issue might be addressed in a case involving religious employers. The webinar, which also served as a Continuing Legal Education credit for bar members, provided an overview of the federal law protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ employees, the defenses being raised by religious employers and the progress they are making in the courts, and insight into the way some state courts are addressing these same issues.
Defending and advancing the civil rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community is an important part of both Anthony’s and Lauren’s law practices. Anthony and Lauren currently represent the plaintiff in Doe v. Catholic Relief Services in a lawsuit against Catholic Relief Services (CRS). They obtained a federal district court victory on behalf of a married gay employee who challenged CRS’s withdrawal of health insurance benefits for his husband under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Pay Act, and are currently representing John Doe in the Supreme Court of Maryland on interpretations of the Maryland Equal Pay Act and the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act.
ABOUT LAUREN DIMARTINO
Lauren joined Brown, Goldstein & Levy to represent clients across various areas of civil rights law, including fair housing, education and disability rights, police misconduct, and workplace discrimination. Her practice also includes appeals, commercial litigation, and criminal defense. Read more about Lauren here.
ABOUT ANTHONY MAY
Anthony has represented clients in a variety of complex litigation matters including assisting employees with disabilities in obtaining accessible technology and accommodations in the workplace, representing individuals who have been wrongfully convicted, commercial litigation disputes, artificial intelligence, and fighting workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. Read more about Anthony here.