Church State Council

Education
The Church State Council assists those who need accommodation in their course schedules or exam schedules for religious observances, such as Sabbath. No student should be denied the opportunity to complete a course of instruction because of their religion.

For a list of letters to help with religious accommodation needs, click here.

Workplace
Each year, the Church State Council assists literally hundreds of workers who face discrimination in the workplace due to their religious beliefs and practices. Many of these claims are by Seventh-day Adventists who seek to observe the seventh-day Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, and to refrain from secular employment during those hours.

As a result, the Church State Council and its staff have become well respected for their expertise in religious discrimination issues.

Religious discrimination comes in many varieties. Sometimes, the problem is as simple as a scheduling matter, where an employer seeks to schedule a worker in conflict with their religion. Many conflicts arise over religious appearance issues, such as a headcovering, a cross around the neck, or other religious expressions. Some workers face humiliation, harassment and hostility due to their religion, a form of religious intolerance akin to racism. Others face retaliation when they assert their rights to be free of religious discrimination.

Both Federal and state laws outlaw religious discrimination in employment. These laws give workers a very short time period to file formal complaints of discrimination.

For a list of letters to help with religious accommodation needs, click here.