§ 26.156 EXCEPTIONS
   (A)   Notwithstanding any other provisions of this division, it shall not be an unlawful practice for:
      (1)   An employer to hire and employ employees, or an employment agency to classify or refer for employment an individual, for a labor organization to classify its membership or to classify or refer for employment an individual, or for an employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee controlling apprenticeship or other training or retraining programs to admit or employ an individual in any such program, on the basis of his religion, sex, or national origin in those certain instances where religion, sex, or national origin is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of that particular business or enterprise;
      (2)   A religious corporation, association, or society to employ an individual on the basis of his religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, or society of its religious activity;
      (3)   A school, college, university, or other educational institution to hire and employ employees of a particular religion if the school, college, university, or other educational institution is in whole or substantial part owned, supported, controlled, or managed by a particular religion or by a particular religious corporation, association, or society, or if the curriculum of the school, college, university, or other educational institution is directed toward the propagation of a particular religion and the choice of employees is calculated by such organization to promote the religious principles for which it is established or maintained.
   (B)   Notwithstanding any other provisions of this division, it shall not be an unlawful practice for an employer to apply different standards of compensation, or different terms, conditions, or privileges of employment pursuant to a bona fide seniority or merit system, or a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production or to employees who work in different locations, provided that such differences are not the result of an intention to discriminate because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability, nor is it an unlawful practice for an employer to give and to act upon the results of any professionally developed ability test provided that such test, its administration, or action upon the results is not designed, intended, or used to discriminate because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
(1976 Code, § 9-42(a), (b))
_________________
Statutory reference:
   Similar provisions, see KRS 344.090, 344.100.