HOUSTON — A Houston pediatric hospital agreed to pay $650,000 to resolve a charge it failed to accommodate an employee’s religious objection to performing sex-rejecting medical procedures. The hospital agreed to pay the sum to the employee as part of a settlement agreement.

The settlement resolves allegations that the hospital violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discharging an employee after they requested accommodation from providing minor patients with hormones and related duties. The parties voluntarily resolved the matter through the EEOC, without admission of liability.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company agreed to review policies, provide training on religious accommodations and retaliation, and report requests to the EEOC for the duration of the agreement.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas addressed the legal standard for such cases in an official statement. "An employer must show a substantial burden — not mere inconvenience — before denying a religious accommodation, including accommodation requests arising from religious beliefs about biological sex," Lucas said.

Lucas also outlined the broader principles guiding the agency's current approach. "The freedom to live and work consistent with one’s faith is a fundamental American principle, and employees should not be forced to choose between their religious convictions and their livelihoods. Consistent with Executive Order 14168 and the Commission’s National Enforcement Plan, the EEOC is prioritizing enforcement of workers’ freedom to hold religious beliefs about the binary nature of sex and their right to related religious accommodation."

Jeremy Crosbie, deputy director of the EEOC’s Houston District, commented on the specific resolution. Protecting workers from religious discrimination is a core priority under the EEOC’s National Enforcement Plan, and this resolution reflects that commitment," Crosbie said."

Why It Matters

This settlement occurs within a framework of updated enforcement priorities and statutory history. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was amended in 1978 to explicitly include protections against religious discrimination, expanding the scope of the law to cover workplace accommodations for religious beliefs. The EEOC's National Enforcement Plan, first released in 2021, prioritizes enforcement of religious liberty protections and includes specific guidance on accommodating religious beliefs about the binary nature of sex.

The EEOC’s National Enforcement Plan, updated in 2023, includes a directive to prioritize cases involving religious objections to gender-affirming care, signaling a strategic shift in enforcement priorities. The EEOC's National Enforcement Plan commits each EEOC component office to ensuring evenhanded enforcement of the civil rights laws enforced by the agency. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is rescinding its regulations regarding Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and removing them from the Code of Federal Regulations because they are inconsistent with statutory language, unsupported by Supreme Court precedent, obsolete, and do not account for developments in lower courts over the past four decades since their issuance in 1979.

Timeline

A pediatric hospital will pay $650,000 to resolve a charge it failed to accommodate an employee’s religious objection to performing sex-rejecting medical procedures. The hospital agreed to pay $650,000 to the employee as part of a settlement agreement. The parties voluntarily resolved the matter through the EEOC, without admission of liability, avoiding the need for further administrative proceedings.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas stated, "An employer must show a substantial burden — not mere inconvenience — before denying a religious accommodation, including accommodation requests arising from religious beliefs about biological sex." Lucas further stated, "The freedom to live and work consistent with one’s faith is a fundamental American principle, and employees should not be forced to choose between their religious convictions and their livelihoods. Consistent with Executive Order 14168 and the Commission’s National Enforcement Plan, the EEOC is prioritizing enforcement of workers’ freedom to hold religious beliefs about the binary nature of sex and their right to related religious accommodation." Jeremy Crosbie, deputy director of the EEOC’s Houston District, said, "Protecting workers from religious discrimination is a core priority under the EEOC’s National Enforcement Plan, and this resolution reflects that commitment."

What's New

Additional reporting indicates the EEOC’s National Enforcement Plan, updated in 2023, includes a directive to prioritize cases involving religious objections to gender-affirming care, signaling a strategic shift in enforcement priorities. The EEOC’s Houston District Office reported an increase in religious accommodation complaints between 2023 and 2024, reflecting growing tensions around religious objections to gender-affirming care in healthcare settings.

Data shows the EEOC’s Houston District Office has handled religious accommodation cases since 2020, with a success rate in resolving disputes through settlement agreements rather than litigation.

Further context notes the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is rescinding its regulations regarding Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and removing them from the Code of Federal Regulations because they are inconsistent with statutory language, unsupported by Supreme Court precedent, obsolete, and do not account for developments in lower courts over the past four decades since their issuance in 1979.