Bus Driver That Lost Job Over Fingerprinting Awarded Unemployment Benefits

Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) - A fired Pennsylvania school bus driver who believed being fingerprinted would leave "the mark of the devil" on her has won a court battle to receive unemployment benefits.

Bonnie Kaite lost her job with Altoona Student Transportation Inc. in 2015 after telling them that being fingerprinted for a background check could bar her from heaven.

The state unemployment board denied her benefits last year, saying the belief was personal, not religious. They said it was based on her father's interpretation of the Bible and not the teachings of any formal religious organization.

PennLive.com reports a Commonwealth Court panel overturned that decision Wednesday. They found her beliefs were sincerely held religious convictions, even if she practiced them only inside her own home.

Kaite has sued her former employer for religious discrimination.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)