HOME > First Amendment Library > Case   Thomas v. Review Board (1981)  [Findlaw] Secondary Link Thomas v. Review Board  [Legal Information Institute] Argument Date 10/07/1980 Decided 04/06/1981 Supreme Court Vote 8-1 Supreme Court Ruling Free Exercise claim upheld; the State’s denial of unemployment compensation benefits to petitioner violated his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.   Issue Whether denial of unemployment compensation because employee voluntary terminated employment based on religious beliefs and not upon a “good cause [arising] in connection with [his] work,” as required by Indiana statute, violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Majority Opinion Burger, J. Concurring Opinion Blackmun, J. (concurring in part) Dissenting Opinion Rehnquist, J. Lower Court Indiana Supreme Court Lower Court Ruling Free Exercise Claim denied. Lawyers For Petitioner Solicitor General Erwin N. Griswold For Respondent J.B. Tietz Opinion - Lower Court Thomas v. Review Bd. of Indiana Employment Sec., 391 N.E.2d 1127 (Ind., 1979) News Barbash, Fred, "Court: Worker Who Quits for Religion Can’t Be Denied Unemployment Money," The Washington Post, Apr. 7, 1981, sect. A, pg. 7 Elsasser, Glen, "Jobless pay is upheld for pacifist who quit," Apr. 7, 1981, pg. 2 Mann, Jim, "Benefits Due Man Who Quit Over Religion, Court Rules," Los Angeles Times, Apr. 7, 1981, sect. B, pg. 7 Other Chemerinsky, Erwin, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: PRINCIPLES & POLICIES (2nd ed., 2002), sect. 12.3.2.2 Nowak, John E. & Rotunda, Ronald D., PRINCIPLES OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (2ND ED., 2005), sect. 17.8 Tribe, Laurence, AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (22nd ed., 1988) sects. 14.6, 14.7, 14.13, 14.4  SEARCH MORE About this site About the First Amendment About the First Amendment Center How to contribute Video/RSS/podcasts First Amendment programs State of the First Amendment reports Religious liberty in public schools First Reports Supreme Court Columnists Experts First Amendment publications First Amendment Center history Glossary Freedom Sings™ Events First Amendment Schools Congressional Research Service reports Guest editorials FOI material The First Amendment Library Lesson plans freedomforum.org Newseum Contact us Privacy statement Related links