Ronald Hittle, former fire chief of Stockton, California, was fired in 2011 following a city investigation that cited poor judgment, favoritism, misuse of work hours, and attendance at a church-sponsored leadership summit while on duty. Hittle argued that his termination was driven by religious discrimination, claiming the city targeted him for being part of what a deputy city manager allegedly called a “Christian Coalition.” Lower courts found his evidence insufficient, and he petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the long-standing McDonnell Douglas standard for evaluating workplace discrimination claims. On Monday, the Court declined to hear the case, though Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch said they would have taken the appeal.
In arguing for Supreme Court review, Hittle claimed that the religious summit he attended—described as leadership training he was directed to complete—was used as a primary justification for his dismissal. His attorneys asserted that employers should not escape liability when discriminatory motives coexist with legitimate reasons for firing an employee. The city countered that Hittle distorted the appellate ruling and that the documented grounds for termination were appropriate and non-discriminatory.
The Supreme Court also declined to hear two major gun-rights cases involving Delaware’s ban on assault-style weapons and magazines over 17 rounds, as well as a challenge to Maryland’s handgun licensing law. By rejecting these appeals, the Court avoided weighing in on significant Second Amendment disputes, despite its 6–3 conservative majority and a history of originalist rulings on gun rights. Lower courts had upheld both states’ restrictions, while additional cases involving Maryland and Rhode Island bans remain pending before the Court.