Closed on Sunday, But Sued on Saturday: The Chick-fil-A Lawsuit Shocking the Hebrew Roots Movement
The famous chicken chain Chick-fil-A is known worldwide for its iconic policy: closing its doors every Sunday to honor a traditional day of rest.
For decades, believers have praised the company for putting biblical principles over corporate profits.
But a federal lawsuit has sent shockwaves through the Torah-observant and Hebrew Roots communities, forcing believers to ask a tough question: *Does Chick-fil-A’s Sabbath respect extend to the actual seventh day?*
The Lawsuit That Shocked Believers
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a major religious discrimination lawsuit against Hatch Trick, Inc., an independent franchise operator of multiple Chick-fil-A locations in Austin, Texas.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Laurel Torode, a manager who is a member of the United Church of God. Like those in the Hebrew Roots movement / Torah Observant Christianity, her denomination observes the seventh-day Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
According to the federal complaint:
The Agreement: Torode was hired with the explicit understanding that she could not work on the Saturday Sabbath.
The Breach: Months later, management changed their minds and demanded she work Saturdays.
The Ultimatum: When she refused to violate her faith, management allegedly offered her a steep demotion with less pay and fewer hours.
The Firing:When she declined to take the demotion, she was terminated.
The franchise operator has denied the allegations, claiming Torode abandoned her job.
Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A corporate has distanced itself from the drama, noting that individual local operators handle their own hiring and scheduling.
The Law and the Believer's : Title VII and the Supreme Court
What makes this case incredibly timely is how federal law protects religious workers.
The EEOC brought this lawsuit under **Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964**, which explicitly prohibits employers from discriminating based on religion.
Under Title VII, employers are legally required to provide "reasonable accommodations" for an employee's religious practices—like keeping the Sabbath—unless it causes an "undue hardship" on the business.
For nearly 50 years, employers had it easy. A 1977 precedent allowed companies to deny religious days off if it caused anything more than a minimal ("de minimis") cost to the business.
But everything changed with a landmark Supreme Court ruling: **Groff v. DeJoy**.
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court completely upended the old rule and set a much higher bar for employers. The Court ruled that a company can no longer deny a religious accommodation over minor inconveniences.
Instead, the employer must prove that accommodating the worker would result in **"substantial increased costs"** or a severe burden in the overall context of the business.
Because of this higher standard, this Chick-fil-A franchise cannot simply say "scheduling is hard" to justify firing a Saturday Sabbath keeper.
They must prove a massive, structural hardship—a very difficult defense to make for a multi-million-dollar food operation.
The Double Standard for Torah Observers
For believers walking out the Torah, this case exposes a painful cultural double standard. Chick-fil-A built a multi-billion-dollar brand on the idea that an employer should respect a worker's need for a day of rest.
Yet, when an employee sought to honor the original Sabbath command found in Exodus 20, she was allegedly forced out of her job.
This legal battle is a wake-up call for the 7th day Sabbath community. It reminds us that mainstream corporate "Christian" culture does not always recognize the seventh-day Sabbath.
However, it also reminds us that the laws of the land are shifting to provide stronger protections for those who choose to obey the Creator over culture.
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**What do you think? Should Chick-fil-A corporate step in to ensure its franchises respect Saturday Sabbath keepers? Let us know in the comments below!**
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