Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division

450 U.S. 707 · Decided April 6, 1981 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division was decided on April 6, 1981 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Free exercise of religion” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1980-065, docket 1980-065-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”

• Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.
  452 U.S. 640Decided June 22, 19815–4Byron R. White
• United States v. Lee
  455 U.S. 252Decided February 23, 19829–0Warren E. Burger
• Jones v. Wolf
  443 U.S. 595Decided July 2, 19795–4Harry A. Blackmun
• McDaniel v. PatyLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 618Decided April 19, 19788–0Warren E. Burger
• Wooley v. Maynard et Ux.Law held unconstitutional
  430 U.S. 705Decided April 20, 19776–3Warren E. Burger
• Jensen v. QuaringLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 478Decided June 17, 19854–4

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)

• Gary Locke v. Joshua Davey
  540 U.S. 712Decided February 25, 20047–2William H. Rehnquist
• Zorach v. Clauson
  343 U.S. 306Decided April 28, 19526–3William O. Douglas
• Trinity Lutheran Church v. ComerLaw held unconstitutional
  137 S. Ct. 2012Decided June 26, 20177–2John G. Roberts Jr.
• Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
  138 S. Ct. 1719Decided June 4, 20187–2Anthony M. Kennedy
• Espinoza v. Montana Department of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
  140 S. Ct. 2246Decided June 30, 20205–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 1987Decided June 21, 20226–3John G. Roberts Jr.

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Stone v. GrahamLaw held unconstitutional
  449 U.S. 39Decided November 17, 19805–4Per curiam
• Democratic Party of United States v. Wisconsin ex Rel. La FolletteLaw held unconstitutional
  450 U.S. 107Decided February 25, 19816–3Potter Stewart
• Flynt v. Ohio
  451 U.S. 619Decided May 18, 19815–4Per curiam
• Schad v. Borough of Mount EphraimLaw held unconstitutional
  452 U.S. 61Decided June 1, 19817–2Byron R. White
• Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.
  452 U.S. 640Decided June 22, 19815–4Byron R. White
• New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca
  452 U.S. 714Decided June 22, 19817–2Per curiam

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error