Case scenario: Sandra owns a landscaping company that has over 100 employees. She hired Sam, a Muslim, who told her during the interview process that per his faith, he would need to pause for prayer potentially several times a day depending on the schedule. Sandra, who espoused a policy of diversity, told him it wouldn't be an issue. After the US Supreme Court decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, 573 U.S. 682 (2014), she decided to stop paying for any kind of birth control through the health insurance she offered her employees. She then started thinking about other ways in which religion impacted her business. After talking with her husband, she decided to tell Sam he could no longer pray during the workday, as it probably was disruptive to business and bothered the other employees (although no one had ever mentioned it). She issued Sam a letter informing him that under her religious freedom rights as a business owner, she would not allow Muslim prayer during the workday. The next day she got a certified letter from Sam's lawyer telling her that she was violating his rights and that unless she allowed him to continue to pray, she would be subject to a lawsuit.
You are Sam's attorney. Tell us about your arguments for your client. After that, you may offer your personal opinion on the subject.
What is the statute that grants corporations 1st Amendment rights?
Consider this: Do you believe corporations have 1st Amendment rights? What is your reasoning? Do you believe that firms should be able to impose the owners' religious views on their employees without being subject to regulations like Title VII? What if Sam turned out to be a Scientologist? What if Sam belonged to a religion founded by his cousin? How can you tell if a religious activity is legal?