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Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Thomas v. Review Bd., Ind. Empl. Sec. Div.
Citation:
450 U.S. 707 (1981)Facts
Eddie Thomas, a Jehovah’s Witness, was initially hired to work in the roll foundry at Blaw-Knox Foundry Machinery Co., which fabricated sheet steel for various industrial uses. When the roll foundry closed, Thomas was transferred to a department that produced turrets for military tanks. Upon realizing that his work involved weapons production, Thomas checked for other positions but found that all remaining departments at Blaw-Knox were engaged directly in weapons production. Thomas requested a layoff, which was denied, and subsequently quit, asserting that working on weapons violated his religious principles. Although another Jehovah’s Witness at the company advised him that such work was not “unscriptural,” Thomas could not reconcile this view with his own stricter interpretation of his faith’s requirements. Thomas applied for unemployment benefits but was denied because his termination was deemed voluntary and not for “good cause” connected with his work as required by Indiana law.
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