California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The brief supports Washington State’s request for a rehearing en banc following a Ninth Circuit panel decision that weakened a state law prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “Anti-discrimination laws, like those in Washington, allow states to protect their residents from serious mental, physical, and financial harm. These laws can and have protected employees and job seekers without violating or devaluing Americans’ Constitutional right to practice religion. We will continue to uphold and safeguard legal protections against employment discrimination, both in California and nationwide.”
The case centers on Yakima Union Gospel Mission (Union Gospel), which filed suit in March 2023 against the Washington State Attorney General and the Washington State Human Rights Commission. Union Gospel argued that the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), which bars employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, infringed on its First Amendment rights by preventing it from hiring only people who share its religious beliefs for non-ministerial roles. A district court granted Union Gospel’s request for a preliminary injunction, allowing it to maintain its faith-based hiring practices. The Ninth Circuit affirmed this ruling in January 2026. In response, Washington State has requested an en banc rehearing.
In their amicus brief supporting this motion, Attorney General Bonta and his colleagues argue that there is no legal precedent extending religious institutions’ right to hire based on faith beyond ministerial positions. They also note that employment discrimination causes significant mental, physical, and economic harm both to individuals and the broader marketplace. According to the coalition, the Ninth Circuit’s decision undermines states’ ability to enforce anti-discrimination laws intended to protect residents from such harms.
Rob Bonta leads the California Attorney General’s office according to official information. The office serves as California’s chief law enforcement authority with responsibilities including enforcing state laws and advancing civil rights initiatives as outlined by its official website. It operates statewide as part of California’s executive branch and promotes transparency through public data tools.
Joining Attorney General Bonta in filing the amicus brief are attorneys general from Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island.
