Employers violate the nation's major job-bias law if the need for a religious accommodation was a motivating factor in their refusal to hire someone, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

In Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch, the justices, in an 8-1 decision, rejected Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s argument that to be held liable under Title VII, job applicants or employees must show that the employer had actual knowledge of their need for a religious accommodation.

“This ruling makes it very clear that employers cannot put their head in the sand when they suspect that an applicant will need a religious accommodation,” said Gregory Lipper, senior litigation counsel for Americans United for Separation of Church and State.