Today we are bringing you two items that relate to the death care industry being in the courts.  The first item that you can read about here involves the Trump administration and its Department of Justice filing a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of a funeral home owner who was sued and lost for refusing to allow a transgender employee to wear female clothing while working at the funeral home.

The case involves employee Aimee Stephens who is a biological male.  During the transitioning process, the funeral home, R.G. and G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, and owner Tom Rost, asked Stephens to wear male clothing.  According to the article, when Stephens refused this request Rost let Stephens go from employment.  Rost believes that he has the right, under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, to run his business with these principals.

This is an interesting case in that in the next couple of months the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not to rule on the case.  Rarely, has the Supreme Court issued far reaching rulings from issues that arose from the funeral industry.

Second Suit filed against Sunset Mesa – A second article of interest between the funeral industry and the courts can be read about here and involves the case against the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home of Montrose, Colorado and its involvement in the sale of body parts.  According to the article the suit has been filed by Julee Glynn and involves her brother’s death.  The lawsuit alleges that Glynn’s brother had his arms cut off, his legs cut off, and his head removed by Sunset Mesa.  Glynn does not know where her brother’s parts ended up and believes that she was given concrete powder instead of cremated ashes.