Religious School Not Exempt From Unemployment Compensation Coverage

In Imani Christian Academy v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, (Commwlth. Ct. PA, March 21, 2012), a Pennsylvania appeals court, in a 2-1 decision held that a Christian school which was independent from the church that founded it, but had overlapping personnel, is not exempt from the Pennsylvania unemployment compensation statute. While the statute exempts organizations operated primarily for religious purposes, the court upheld the finding of the Unemployment Compensation Review Board  that the school was operated primarily for educational purposes.