Caldor, Inc. v. Thornton, 472 U.S. 703 (1985)
Caldor, Inc. v.
Does Connecticut's statute granting employees an absolute right not to work on their chosen Sabbath violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?
Laws that provide absolute privileges based solely on religious grounds without secular justification can violate the Establishment Clause by favoring religion over non-religion.
The Supreme Court held that Connecticut's statute violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment because it provided a direct and unqualified benefit to employees who chose to observe a religious Sabbath, thus coercing employers to accommodate religious preferences.
Caldor, Inc. v. Thornton is significant for law students as it illustrates the delicate balance courts must maintain between protection for religious practices and the prohibition against governmental preference of religion. It exemplifies how laws, even with benign intentions, can cross constitutional boundaries by favoring religious observance, underscoring the broader implications for legislative drafting and constitutional interpretation.