Ronald Hittle, former Stockton fire chief, was fired in 2011 after an anonymous letter accused him of corruption and “religious extremism.” An internal review found poor judgment, favoritism, unreported time off, and questions about his effectiveness. A major issue was his decision to attend a church-sponsored Global Leadership Summit during work hours with senior staff. Hittle said it fit the city’s requirement for leadership training, but others saw it as inappropriate.

He sued the city, claiming he was fired because of his Christian beliefs. Courts rejected his lawsuit, saying the evidence wasn’t strong enough for a trial. Hittle argued this showed the flaws in the decades-old McDonnell Douglas framework, which he said is too rigid and keeps valid discrimination claims from moving forward.

The Supreme Court declined to hear his case. This was notable because the Court has recently shown interest in religious-liberty issues. Most justices gave no explanation, but Justice Clarence Thomas said Hittle had raised enough evidence to question discriminatory intent and criticized the unclear standards for “mixed-motive” discrimination cases. Justice Neil Gorsuch also said he would have taken the case.

Hittle’s lawyers argued the city unfairly linked him to a “Christian Coalition” and used the church event against him, while the city said the reasons for his firing were legitimate and unrelated to religion.

The Court also refused to hear two major gun-control challenges involving Delaware’s assault-style rifle ban and Maryland’s handgun licensing rules, leaving those laws in place and showing a selective approach to which issues it takes up.