Legal and Ethical Implications of Refusing to Counsel Homosexual Clients

In 2001, a federal appeals court upheld the job termination of a counselor who requested being excused from counseling a lesbian client on relationship issues because homosexuality conflicted with the counselor's religious beliefs (Bruff v. North Mississippi Health Services, Inc., 2001). This article provides the facts of the case and the legal reasoning of the court. The authors also explore the legal and ethical issues related to this case.