Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of the State of Oregon et al. v. Smith
At a glance:
- Series: Racial and Ethnic Relations in America
- Categories: Religion, Ethics, Social Issues, Reform, and Protest, Law, Legal History, Courts
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians, Court Cases, Rulings, Appeals, Supreme Court, U.S., Work, Employment
- Curriculum: American History 1951-present, American Indian History
- Geographical Location: Oregon
- Date: 1990
Article abstract: A U.S. Supreme Court decision allows states to apply drug laws to Native American employees who use peyote as a religious sacrament.
In this April 17, 1990, decision, the U.S. Supreme Court adopted a narrow interpretation of the free exercise clause, allowing Oregon to apply its drug laws to prohibit Native Americans from using peyote in religious ceremonies. Alfred Smith and Galen Black, two members of the Native American Church, were fired from their jobs in a drug rehabilitation clinic after their employer discovered that they used the...
[The entire page is 510 words long]
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