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ByMarkSherman The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Su- preme Court strengthened civil rights protections Monday for employees and job applicants who need special treatment in the workplace because of their religious beliefs. The justices sided with a Muslim woman who did not get hired after she showed up to a job interview with clothing retailer Abercrom- bie & Fitch wearing a black headscarf. The headscarf, or hi- jab, violated the compa- ny's strict dress code, since changed, for employees who work in its retail stores. Employers generally have to accommodate job appli- cants and employees with religious needs if the em- ployer at least has an idea that such accommodation is necessary, Justice Anto- nin Scalia said in his opin- ion for the court. Job applicant Samantha Elauf did not tell her inter- viewer she was Muslim. But Scalia said that Abercrom- bie "at least suspected" that Elauf wore a headscarf for religious reasons. "That is enough," Scalia said in an opinion for seven justices. Federal civil rights law gives religious practices "fa- vored treatment" that for- bids employers from firing or not hiring people based on their observance of reli- gion, Scalia said. The fed- eral civil rights law known as Title VII requires em- ployers to make accommo- dations for employees' re- ligious beliefs in most in- stances. Elauf's case turned on how employers are sup- posed to know when some- one has a religious need to be accommodated. The decision does not, by itself, resolve her case. In- stead, it will return to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, which earlier ruled against her. "While the Supreme Court reversed the Tenth Circuit decision, it did not determine that A&F dis- criminated against Ms. Elauf. We will determine our next steps in the liti- gation," company spokes- woman Carlene Benz said in an email. SCOTUS Justices boost workplace religious protections By Sam Hananel The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Su- preme Court on Monday threw out the conviction of a Pennsylvania man pros- ecuted for making threats on Facebook, but dodged the free-speech issues that had made the case intrigu- ing to First Amendment ad- vocates. Chief Justice John Rob- erts said it was not enough for prosecutors to show that the comments of Anthony Elonis about killing his ex-wife and harming oth- ers would make a reason- able person feel threatened. But the high court sent the case back to the lower court without clarifying exactly what the standard of proof should be. The ruling was a nar- row victory for civil liber- ties groups that had urged the court to make it tougher to convict people who make crude comments on social media that might be viewed as threatening. Yet the high court de- clined to lay out broad con- stitutional protections for such comments. "It is not necessary to consider any First Amendment issues," Roberts wrote. Elonis, of Freemans- burg, in eastern Pennsylva- nia, was prosecuted under a law that makes it a crime to threaten another person after he posted Facebook rants in the form of rap lyrics about killing his es- tranged wife, harming law enforcement officials and shooting up a school. One post about his wife said, "There's one way to love you but a thousand ways to kill you. I'm not go- ing to rest until your body is a mess, soaked in blood and dying from all the lit- tle cuts." Elonis claimed the gov- ernment had no right to prosecute him if he didn't actually intend his com- ments to be threatening to others. He argued that his musings were protected by the First Amendment. But the government said it didn't matter what Elonis intended. It argued that if the comments provoked enough fear and anxiety to make a reasonable person feel threatened, that was enough to prosecute it as a crime. Seven justices on the high court agreed that it was not necessary to reach First Amendment issues in reversing Elonis' conviction. Roberts said the reason- able-person standard is "inconsistent with the con- ventional requirement for criminal conduct — aware- ness of some wrongdoing." "Federal criminal liabil- ity generally does not turn solely on the results of an act without considering the defendant's mental state," Roberts said. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, saying he would have found Elonis' posts to be "true threats" under the objective standard accepted by the vast majority of ap- peals courts prior to Mon- day's ruling. SUPREME COURT Conviction for Facebook threats gets thrown out By Matthew Lee The Associated Press WASHINGTON Secretary of State John Kerry headed home Monday to Boston from Geneva, Switzerland, for surgery on his broken leg, as U.S. officials insisted that his injury would not hinder his participation in nuclear negotiations with Iran. With an end-of-June deadline for an Iranian deal fast approaching, the 71-year-old Kerry left Ge- neva aboard a U.S. military plane accompanied by his orthopedic surgeon Dennis Burke and additional medi- cal personnel. Officials said Burke is expected in the coming days to perform surgery on Kerry's right femur, which Kerry frac- tured on Sunday in a bicy- cle accident when he struck a curb and fell on a regu- lar Tour de France route in France located southeast of the Swiss city. He had been receiving treatment at Geneva's main medical center, HUG, and is to receive further care at Massachusetts General Hospital once he returns home. Kerry, an avid cy- clist, had hip replacement surgery several years ago. The fracture was near the hip, leading to speculation that his recovery would be lengthy and prevent him from being as involved in the Iran negotiations as he has been over the past two years. The State Department sought to tamp down such suggestions, saying that Kerry is committed "to pursuing an aggressive re- covery schedule" and had spent much of Sunday and Monday on the phone with colleagues, including Pres- ident Barack Obama and counterparts, including the French, Spanish and Iranian foreign ministers. Kerry had spent six hours with Iranian Foreign Min- ister Mohamad Javad Zarif on Saturday in Geneva be- fore his bike accident. "Secretary Kerry's main focus for the month of June remains squarely on the Iran negotiations," spokes- woman Marie Harf told reporters. "His injury does not change that. He and the entire team are absolutely committed to the same timetable and are working toward June 30th as the deadline for these talks." Kerry himself expressed optimism as his plane took off from Geneva, saying on Twitter that that was eager to return to work. "Look fwd to getting leg set & getting back to @StateDept!" he tweeted. "Meantime, work goes on. Big thanks for well- wishes. #Onward." In a French-language tweet, Kerry thanked the local Swiss and French police and emergency workers, calling them "real profes- sionals." The State Department referred questions about Kerry's treatment and re- covery time to his physi- cians. But Harf stressed that Kerry expects to partici- pate in person in upcom- ing rounds of negotiations with Iran. At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest appeared less certain but maintained that Kerry's broken leg wouldn't derail the talks. "We do continue to be- lieve that we have the time and resources necessary to pursue and hopefully complete the Iran negoti- ations," Earnest said, ex- pressing confidence that Kerry will continue to play a "critically important and leading role" with hopes of completing the deal by the end of the month. STATE DEPARTMENT US insists Kerry's broken leg from bike crash won't hinder Iran talks JEAN-CHRISTOPHEBOTT,KEYSTONEVIAAP,FILE U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry rides a bike a er a bilateral meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister in Lausanne, Switzerland. Spring Coupon Special 750DavidAvenue,RedBluff•527-9193• www.tehamaestatesretirement.com findusonFacebook *lease required - new residents only Tehama Estates The areas #1 Senior Housing Provider SeniorRetirementApartments TehamaEstatesProvides: • 3 Delicious Healthy Meals Each Day • Daily Housekeeping • 24 Hour Staffing, 365 Days of the Year • Utilities Included (except phone & cable) • Transportation • Fun Activities and Events $400 off Your Monthly Rental Rate For 6 Months * Water Truck Service from Walberg, Inc. We'll deliver water to your tank, water your roads for dust control, or water your plants. We're here for all of your Water Truck needs. Open Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. 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