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Archive for the ‘Separation of church and state’ Category.

 

How Justice Kavanaugh Could Alter Landmark Cases

The concept of undue hardship in religious discrimination lawsuits has shifted thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling.

November 9th, 2018

  At the beginning of July 2018, President Trump announced his decision to appoint Brett Kavanaugh to fill the spot left by the retirement of Justice Kennedy, and last month, Kavanaugh was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in to the Supreme Court. While Justice Kavanaugh previously served on the US Court of Appeals for Read More


Indiana School Suspends Teacher Over Same-Sex Marriage

Various lawsuits have been filed against churches involving real estate issues and perceived discrimination or neglect.

October 26th, 2018

Recently in Indiana, a Catholic high school teacher was placed on administrative leave after it was determined that she had had a same-sex marriage. The school responded that workers are expected to support the Catholic Church’s doctrines including that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Later, the teacher communicated through Facebook that Read More


Debate Ensues after Prayer Circle Held at Michigan School

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a Florida town of a lower court's ruling allowing a lawsuit to move forward over a prayer vigil.

October 23rd, 2018

Michigan’s Lake City community is responding after the local high school removed a video depicting a “family circle” from social media. This “family circle” occurred at a football field where coaches, players, and fans held hands to pray for the coach’s daughter, who is in the hospital. Despite the small size of the community, the Read More


Directive on Religious Exemption Issued

Legislators in New York passed a prohibition on “gay and trans panic” defenses in criminal cases in an attempt to end discriminatory legal strategies.

October 19th, 2018

A directive was recently issued by the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs that allows federal contractors to raise religious freedom as a defense when they are charged with job discrimination. The Federal Contract Compliance Program, which is the government agency tasked with making sure that businesses that contract with the federal Read More


Lawsuit Filed Against Religious School Prohibitions

Three families recently initiated legal action in the US District Court over a Maine law that prohibits tuition reimbursements for religious schools.

September 13th, 2018

Three families in Maine recently initiated legal action in the United States District Court in Bangor against the commissioner of the Maine Department of Education over a law that prohibits tuition reimbursements for religious schools. For several decades, this law has stated that secondary schools are able to pay tuition for students who attend public Read More


Ninth Circuit Denies Prayer at School Board Meetings

LifeWise Academy requested that Hilliard City Schools in Ohio let students choose to receive religious programming at off-site locations.

August 10th, 2018

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a California school board is prohibited from including prayers or making reference to Christian scripture at its meetings. This decision comes after the court upheld a 2016 injunction forbidding these practices. This decision sheds some important light on the role of prayer in school meetings. Origins Read More


Democrats Introduce Bill to Counter Religious Freedom Law

A Colorado baker is facing a lawsuit again, this time for his refusal to bake a cake for a transgender transition celebration.

July 19th, 2018

  In May of 2018, Democratic senators introduced a bill to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which according to the original sponsors of the law has been misappropriated and used to discriminate against numerous individual including those who identify as LGBTQ. This bill is significant because it has the potential to change a twenty-five-year-old Read More


New Jersey Bill Would Limit Vaccination Exemptions

A same-sex couple in Kansas has been denied the right to be listed on their child's birth certificate due to discriminatory intent.

June 28th, 2018

  New Jersey law requires school children to receive numerous vaccinations when they reach a certain age, but there are exceptions for parents who want to avoid a vaccination for religious reasons. Some physicians have commented that this loophole in current law is too expansive and can seriously harm children. In response to these concerns, Read More


Webster Parish Passes New Religious Policy Exception

A Catholic school has sued an Ohio city over its LGBT non-discrimination ordinance, claiming its First Amendment rights are being violated by the ordinance.

June 14th, 2018

  The Webster Parish School Board in Louisiana announced in April of 2018 that it plans to adopt a new policy concerning religious expression in public schools after a lawsuit was filed claiming the school’s officials promoted religious expression that violated the First Amendment. The policy is focused on preserving and explicating the religious rights Read More


Tennessee Passes “In God We Trust” Bill

A Tennessee bill that requires schools to prominently display the motto of “In God We Trust” is currently headed to the governor for his signature.

May 4th, 2018

  A Tennessee bill that requires schools in Tennessee to prominently display the motto of “In God We Trust” is currently headed to the governor for his signature. This legislation, which is referred to as the National Motto in the Classroom Act, was passed by 81 of 99 members of the house. Prior to the Read More