Video Transcription:
Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act prohibits employers from discriminating in any employment decision on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, or religion. Most states have also enacted state laws that mirror the protection from discrimination contained in Title VII. Title VII accepts and exempts religious organizations, such as churches, from the prohibition against discriminating on the basis of religion. So, this means churches are specifically allowed to discriminate against church employees on the basis of religion. The church should be careful though, that it doesn't use preprinted forms or materials stating that it doesn't discriminate on the basis of all of the Title VII protected classes, including religion, and that it always accepts out the basis of religion on any materials it uses that set forth Title VII protections. Most jurisdictions allow discrimination on the basis of religion to apply not only to clergy positions, but also to administrative and support positions.
