A Seventh Circuit panel has upheld an Illinois federal court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the Salvation Army of forced labor. The plaintiffs, former participants in the Salvation Army’s rehabilitation programs, failed to prove that their work constituted forced labor, the court ruled.
Court Ruling on Salvation Army Labor Suit
On Tuesday, the panel affirmed the district court’s 2022 ruling, which granted the Salvation Army’s motion to dismiss under the Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The majority opinion noted that some participants had the option to leave the programs, while others were in the program due to criminal sentences.
Participants in the Salvation Army’s programs work 40 hours per week in exchange for food, clothing, and housing. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, divided the claimants into two groups: those on parole or probation and those who voluntarily joined the program. The court found the claims of both groups insufficient.
Salvation Army Labor Suit : Judges’ Rationale and Disagreement
Circuit Judges Kenneth F. Ripple and Michael Y. Scudder Jr. concluded that the Salvation Army’s refusal to provide benefits, such as food and shelter, to those who chose to leave the program did not equate to forced labor. The judges emphasized that the statute requires the defendant to have intended to cause serious harm for non-compliance, which was not evident in this case.
