Employment Division v. Smith is a landmark case in United States constitutional law, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1990. The case involved the question of whether a state could deny unemployment benefits to a person who was fired from his job because he used peyote as part of a religious ceremony.
The Court ruled in favor of the state, holding that the state’s interest in enforcing its drug laws outweighed the individual’s right to free exercise of religion. The Court’s decision was controversial and has been criticized for undermining the protection of religious liberty under the First Amendment. However, the decision remains good law and continues to be cited by courts today.
