Regulations for Church-Operated Schools

• A Wisconsin appeals court ruled that a state agency's investigation into a dismissed teacher's complaint of age discrimination did not violate the constitutional rights of a church-operated school. State law prohibits most employers, including church schools, from discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of age. A church school terminated a teacher whom it had employed for 16 years. The school cited "problems with the teacher's classroom management, her professionalism, and her maintenance of a prayerful environment." The teacher felt that she was fired on account of her age (56), and she filed a complaint with the state equal rights agency. The agency investigated the termination, and concluded that there was reason to believe that the teacher had been a victim of age discrimination. This conclusion was based primarily on the fact that the school had given the teacher ...