California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with 20 other attorneys general, has submitted an amicus brief in the case of McMahon v. World Vision, Inc., advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace. The legal dispute began when World Vision withdrew a job offer to Aubry McMahon after learning she was in a same-sex marriage. The coalition is urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to uphold a lower court's decision favoring McMahon and emphasizes the importance of employment discrimination laws.
Attorney General Bonta stated, "No one should be denied employment simply because of who they are or who they love," and expressed hope that the Ninth Circuit would reaffirm protections against workplace discrimination.
McMahon filed a lawsuit under Title VII and Washington State law, citing sex, sexual-orientation, and marital status discrimination after her job offer as a customer service representative was rescinded by World Vision. The organization claims exemption from Title VII and state law protections based on First Amendment rights and ministerial exception; however, a district court ruled in favor of McMahon. Despite this ruling, World Vision has appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court.
While California acknowledges First Amendment rights concerning marriage views, it argues that World Vision's interpretation exceeds existing precedents and could hinder efforts to combat employment discrimination nationwide.
The coalition's amicus brief asserts that eliminating sex discrimination is crucial for government interests and contends that expressive association does not apply to employer-employee relationships in this context. It warns that accepting the defendants' arguments could undermine employment discrimination laws significantly.
Joining Attorney General Bonta in filing the brief are attorneys general from Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington State Wisconsin ,and District of Columbia.