An NLRB Regional Director has determined that Seattle University "lacks substantial religious character" and is therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the NLRB. In response to a petition from non-tenure-track adjunct professors seeking to organize, the University asserted that it was not subject to the NLRB's jurisdiction because it was a religiously operated university. The regional director disagreed finding that the University “is not a church-operated institution.” The Regional Director based his conclusion on a wide variety of factors including:
- Neither the Catholic Church nor the Society of Jesus provides funding to the university
- Only 30% of the school’s enrollment consists of Catholic students
- Only a minority of the Board of Trustees must be Jesuit
- There is no requirement the trustees be Catholic
- Faculty are subject to no religious requirements
- There is no provision for terminating employees for not adhering to Catholic or Jesuit values