Case Explained: UNION GOSPEL MISSION OF YAKIMA WASHINGTON V. BROWN, ET AL.

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-18 Docket: 1:23-cv-03027-MKD The ninth-circuit ordered a rehearing en banc pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 40(c) and Circuit Rule 40-3, thereby vacating the prior three-judge panel opinion in this First Amendment religious liberty case. The court’s stated basis for this action is the vote of a majority of nonrecused active judges to reconsider the panel’s decision regarding the scope of state authority over religious organizations’ employment practices. As a result of this order, the legal issues previously addressed by the panel are now set for full review by the entire Ninth Circuit bench, and the matter will proceed through the en banc process rather than being finalized by the original panel. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.