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?
Lv 5
? asked in Business & FinanceCareers & EmploymentLaw & Legal · 8 years ago

Is it legal for a hiring manager to require a reference from clergy?

I was talking to a guy who could have potentially hired me but I got the vibe that he was trying to discourage me. So I said, "What do you need?" He replied "I have to have references." I said, "You know everyone I have worked with. Ask anyone." Then he said "I need clergy."

I don't go to church and I think he knows that. Is it legal for him to not consider me because I don't go to church? Isn't that the same thing as religious discrimination?

At the time, I didn't need the job so I took the hint and went away quietly. But the situation has changed vastly. I'm desperate now and another opening there has surfaced. I'm more than qualified. But I haven't even been called even though my resume was the first one in. I want to know if I have grounds for a law suit.

Update:

BTW, its not a ministry job in any way. Its an audiovisual technician job.

Update 2:

at Pearls, This is an odd situation. I was an employee of a large corporation and my position was eliminated. Now I'm seeking a position doing the same job at the same company but I'd be employed by a subcontractor. I knew the hiring manager before I was laid off and I always got a weird vibe from him. The point is, I know the job I know the facility (for 10 years) I know all the coworkers and they are all pulling for me. I can prove that there is no one more qualified than me. But I'm not even getting an interview!?!?! This seems like this hiring manager is clearly biased against me in some way. I think its his religious tendency.

2 Answers

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  • Pearls Before Swine
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favourite answer

    He didn't want to hire you the first time, so it seems unlikely he would hire you now.

    Anyway, unless you could prove he wanted a reference from clergy, it's doubtful you could go anywhere with a lawsuit.

    For that reason, lawsuits of this type are rare, and even more rarely won.

    Source(s): http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/lawsuits-ba...
  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    Tell him to put it in writing.

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