Nick Nelson Discusses Employer Nondiscrimination Policies With Business Insurance

Business Insurance reported that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in a case where a website designer wants to refuse to provide wedding-related services to same-sex couples. Business litigation counsel Nick Nelson commented on the potential impact on employers’ anti-discrimination policies.

The publication explained that in July 2021, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver affirmed a lower court ruling that the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech “does not protect Appellant’s proposed denial of services.” The U.S. Supreme Court accepted the case for review in Feb. 2022, and oral arguments, which have not yet been scheduled, are expected to be held later this year.

“It’s hard to imagine this case would require employers to change anything, no matter what the outcome would be,” said Nelson. He added that businesses are already compliant with nondiscrimination statutes.