Morae v. Nike, Inc., et al. — 9th Cir. (Sep 14, 2026)

No. 25-2423 Argued September 14, 2026 Published October 5, 2026

We hear the Ninth Circuit in Morae versus Nike. Antoinette Morae asked to be excused from Nike's COVID-19 vaccination requirement, saying prayer and her belief that her body is a temple prevented her from taking the vaccine. Nike says her objection rested on personal concerns about the vaccine, not religion. She brought a religious-discrimination claim under Title Seven, the federal law against workplace discrimination. The district court ruled for Nike without a trial. Her lawyer will ask for a jury to consider whether her objection was genuinely religious. Summary judgment permits a ruling without trial only if material facts are not genuinely disputed and the law entitles one side to win.

Morae v. Nike, Inc., et al. (No. 25-2423) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued September 14, 2026.

Sources

Argument audio — Ninth Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. §105):https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/media/2026/09/14/25-2423.mp3

Argument date and case listing — Ninth Circuit:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/cases/streams-videos/archive?case=25-2423&hearingDate=2026-09-14

Case record and subsequent appellate decision — Ninth Circuit, October 1, 2026:https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/memoranda/2026/10/01/25-2423.pdf

District court's prior summary-judgment ruling and costs order — District of Oregon, Document 62:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ord-3_23-cv-00541/pdf/USCOURTS-ord-3_23-cv-00541-0.pdf

Religious accommodation — 42 U.S.C. §2000e(j), Cornell LII:https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000e

Summary judgment — Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, Cornell LII:https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_56

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