As Neal McCluskey explored yesterday, education involves “developing the minds—and for many, the souls— of human beings.” This basic truth has resulted in education being a common battleground since the early days of state involvement. Not surprisingly, most of these battles have been around religion, which is a primary way…
Colorado baker loses appeal over transgender birthday cake
The Colorado baker who won a partial U.S. Supreme Court victory after refusing to make a gay couple’s wedding cake because of his Christian faith has lost an appeal in his latest legal fight DENVER — The Colorado baker who won a partial U.S. Supreme Court victory after refusing to…
Colorado appeals court finds Masterpiece Cakeshop violated anti-discrimination law again
Judge Timothy J. Schutz speaks during his formal swearing-in ceremony to the Court of Appeals on Aug. 19, 2022. Behind him, from left to right, are Judges David Furman, W. Eric Kuhn, Craig R. Welling and Ted C. Tow III. For the second time in nearly eight years, Colorado’s second-highest…
Michael P. Farris Joins National Religious Broadcasters Association
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Michael P. Farris Joins National Religious Broadcasters Association WASHINGTON, D.C. (NRB) —The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) association is pleased to announce the addition of acclaimed religious liberty and free speech advocate Michael P. Farris as general counsel. Farris will perform in-house legal advisory functions and provide key…
SCOTUS Will Decide Whether Federal Law Shields a Religious Postal Employee Who Refuses To Work on Sundays
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination "because of…religion." The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case that asks whether that law requires the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to accommodate a religious postal employee who refuses to work on Sundays. The case is…
Appeals court rejects Christian therapist’s lawsuit against Wash. state over ‘conversion therapy’ ban
Unsplash/Ben White An appeals court has declined to rehear an appeal in the case of a Christian therapist suing Washington state over its ban on therapy for minors experiencing unwanted same-sex attraction. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit voted on Monday to deny a full court…
Supreme Court Declines to Hear ARPA Case, Will Take Up Religious Accommodation
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging restrictions on the use of American Rescue Plan Act funding but will hear a case concerning religious accommodation. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case of Missouri v. Yellen , in which Missouri challenged restrictions on the…
Case Weighs Religious Accommodation for Sunday Sabbath
The U.S. Supreme Court has accepted a case that will shed light on what types of religious accommodations would be considered an excessive burden on employers. The court will hear the case during this term, but a date for oral arguments hasn’t been set yet. Background Under federal law, employers…
FFRF: SCOTUS’ new USPS case signals more religious privileging
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is disheartened that the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear yet another case involving a Christian plaintiff seeking to broaden religious exemptions in the workplace. Late last week, the high court granted review in a case, Groff v. DeJoy, involving a disgruntled religious postal…
Latest Supreme Court case seeking to expand religious exemptions could seriously harm LGBTQ+ people
The Supreme Court will hear a religious expression case that could have serious negative outcomes for the LGBTQ+ community. The case, Groff v. DeJoy , involves Gerald Groff, a former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker who, due to his religious beliefs, wanted an exemption from working on Sundays. “Observing the…
Muslim Inmate Wins Another Shot at Challenge to Sunday Services
Court revives establishment clause claim, cites SCOTUS ruling But jail beats separate count over lack of Muslim group prayer A Virginia jail must defend its practice of broadcasting Christian services on every TV screen each Sunday under a new legal test laid out by the US Supreme Court, a federal…
Here’s why education choice opponents can’t hide behind Idaho’s Constitution
The Idaho Supreme Court has recognized, “In the American concept, there is no greater right to the supervision of the education of the child than that of the parent. In no other hands could it be safer.” But apart from the new and limited “Empowering Parents Program,” Idaho currently facilitates…
Supreme Court takes up religious freedom case involving postal worker who refused to work on Sunday
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a religious liberty case that seeks to make it easier for workers to bring employment discrimination claims when their religious beliefs are not accommodated. The court will review Groff v. DeJoy, which concerns Gerald Groff, a Christian mailman who says he…
Supreme Court takes up religious freedom case involving postal worker who refused to work on Sunday
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a religious liberty case that seeks to make it easier for workers to bring employment discrimination claims when their religious beliefs are not accommodated. The court will review Groff v. DeJoy, which concerns Gerald Groff, a Christian mailman who says he…
CVS sued by nurse who was fired after she refused to prescribe birth control because of her religious beliefs
CVS Health is facing another lawsuit brought by a former employee who claims the pharmacy chain’s decision to fire her after she refused to prescribe birth control to patients violated her religious rights under federal law. J. Robyn Strader, a nurse practitioner and Texas resident, worked at a CVS MinuteClinic…
Former mail carrier’s religious bias claim to be heard by U.S. Supreme Court
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal by an evangelical Christian former mail carrier in Pennsylvania who accused the U.S. Postal Service of religious bias after being…
U.S. Supreme Court to hear religious bias claim against Postal Service
The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Jan 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal by an evangelical Christian former mail carrier in Pennsylvania who accused the U.S. Postal Service of religious bias after…
SCOTUS To Hear Case of Christian Postal Worker Who Quit Rather Than Deliver Amazon Packages on Sundays
Gerald Groff appears in an image provided to Law&Crime by his lawyers. The Supreme Court granted certiorari Friday in the case of an evangelical Christian postal worker who says that his religious freedom was violated when he was forced to surrender his job as the only means of avoiding delivering…
U.S. Supreme Court to hear religious bias claim against Postal Service
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal by an evangelical Christian former mail carrier in Pennsylvania who accused the U.S. Postal Service of religious bias after being reprimanded for refusing to deliver packages on Sundays. The justices took up Gerald Groff’s case after lower courts dismissed…
U.S. judge upholds Title IX exemption for religious schools
The "Sacred Cloth" Pride Flag is displayed following a ceremony at City Hall after a mass shooting at LGBTQ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. November 23, 2022. REUTERS/Isaiah J. Downing (Reuters) – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by 40 LGBTQ+ individuals against the U.S. Department…
CVS sued by nurse who was fired after she refused to prescribe birth control because of her religious beliefs
CVS Health is facing another lawsuit brought by a former employee who claims the pharmacy chain’s decision to fire her after she refused to prescribe birth control to patients violated her religious rights under federal law. J. Robyn Strader, a nurse practitioner and Texas resident, worked at a CVS MinuteClinic…
Michigan Parish Files Lawsuit to Protect School From State Intrusion Over Catholic Beliefs on Sexuality
The parish fears the school will be targeted, in the wake of the Michigan Supreme Court’s recent reinterpretation of state antidiscrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Sacred Heart parish worries that a reinterpretation of a law would prevent Sacred Heart Academy from maintaining its standard-of-conduct policies for…
Justices decline to hear religious burden claim against Montgomery County
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from Burtonsville landowners who claim Montgomery County illegally enforced a zoning requirement that prevented a Christian group from building a church on their land. Without comment, the justices let stand a lower court ruling that the county did not…
Yeshiva University Pride Alliance: Case Update
On Dec. 15, 2022, a New York appellate court unanimously affirmed a lower court’s order, entered June 24, 2022 (discussed here ), which had permanently enjoined Yeshiva University (YU) from refusing to recognize the Yeshiva Pride Alliance as an official student organization. The New York Appellate Division, First Department issued…
Praying coach set to return to Bremerton school after SCOTUS win
Joe Kennedy expects to return for the 2023 season — but the prayer case’s impact could go far beyond the high school football field. FILE – Bremerton assistant football coach Joe Kennedy, obscured at center in blue, is surrounded by Centralia High School football players as they kneel and pray…