European Court: Austria's Law Giving Good Friday Off Only For Christians Violates EU Directive

In Cresco Investigation GmbH v. Achatzi, (ECJ, Jan. 22, 2019), the European Court of Justice held that Austria's law which makes Good Friday a holiday only for employees who are members of specified Christian churches and which requires additional pay for them if they must work that day violates European Council Directive 2000/78/EC on equal treatment in employment. The Court went on to hold:

Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union must be interpreted as meaning that, until [Austria] has amended its legislation ..., in order to restore equal treatment, a private employer who is subject to such legislation is obliged also to grant his other employees a public holiday on Good Friday....

Courthouse News Service reports on the decision.

Challenge To Holiday Law Moves Ahead In German Courts

As reported by The Local, in Germany last Thursday the High Court in North Rhine-Westphalia upheld a 100 Euro fine that had been imposed on Martin Budich, the organizer of Religious Freedom in the Ruhr.  Budich was fined for breaking the state's so-called "holiday law" which, among other things, prohibits showing films that are not approved by the state on holidays.  Every year since 2013, on Good Friday Budich has shown the classic British comedy which satirizes the life of Jesus, "The Life of Brian".  His goal has been to test the constitutionality of the holiday law. Now with the High Court's decision, Budich is able to appeal and mount that challenge in Germany's Federal Constitutional Court.  Friendly Atheist has more on the decision. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]

Suit Challenges School System's Refusal To Give Teachers Good Friday Off

In Cranston, Rhode Island, this year for the first time the school committee eliminated Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah and Good Friday as school holidays.  Instead, it negotiated a collective bargaining agreement that allows teachers to take up to two days off each school year if they are required to attend religious services during the school day.  AP reports that on Monday the union filed suit because the school system has denied requests from some 200 teachers to take Good Friday off, even though they allowed teachers who requested it to take Rosh Hashanah off last fall. School Superintendent Judith Lundsten  says that the Good Friday requests are not covered by the collective bargaining agreement because Good Friday does not require attendance at religious services during school hours.  According to the Cranston Patch, the suit claims that the discriminatory denial of religious leave here is a breach of the collective bargaining agreement and a violation of the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  [Thanks to Tom Rutledge for the lead.]