Renner, M. v. CCP of Lehigh Co.

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA MIDDLE DISTRICT MICHAEL RENNER, : No. 851 MAL 2018 : Petitioner : : Petition for Allowance of Appeal from : the Order of the Commonwealth Court v. : : : THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF : LEHIGH COUNTY, COUNTY OF : LEHIGH, JOHN J. SIKORA AND MARK : SUROVY, : : Respondents ORDER PER CURIAM AND NOW, this 2nd day of July, 2019, the Petition for Allowance of Appeal is GRANTED. The issues, as stated by Petitioner, are: (1) Did the Legislature intend for the Unified Judicial System to be within the definition of “employer” under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Law, and therefore abrogated its sovereign immunity as stated in the en banc decision in County of Allegheny v. Wilcox, 465 A.2d 47 (Pa. Cmwth. 1983)[?] (2) Does the application of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to the Unified Judicial System violate separation of powers so long as the Human Relations Commission neither investigates nor adjudicates the complaint of discrimination, as this Court held in Ct. of Com. Pleas of Erie County (6th Jud. Dist.), Juv. Probation Dept. v. Pennsylvania Human Rel. Commn., 682 A.2d 1246 (Pa. 1996) and First Jud. Dist. of Pennsylvania v. Pennsylvania Human Rel. Comm’n., 727 A.2d 1110 (Pa. 1999)?