Thomas v. Review Board Of The Indiana Employment Security Division

450 U.S. 707 (1981)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Thomas (P) lost his job when he refused to participate in what he deemed to be the production of armaments in violation of his religion as a Jehovah's Witness. Indiana refused to grant him unemployment benefits because he left his job without good cause. This ruling was upheld by the Indiana Supreme Court in that P quit for personal reasons; a personal philosophical choice rather than a religious choice does not rise to the level of First Amendment claim. The court also held that granting unemployment claims to persons who quit voluntarily for religious reasons but not for those who leave their jobs for personal but nonreligious reasons would violate the Establishment Clause.