Tuesday, 26 July 2011, 01:45 am PDT
Latest News
Suit Seeks To Invalidate New York Same-Sex Marriage Law For Procedural Irregularities
Liberty Counsel announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in New York asking a state court to declare the state's Marriage Equality Act void and to declare void any same-sex marriages that have ... [read more]
Religion Clause
Suit Claims Philosophy Course Was Unconstitutional Instruction In Christian Apologetics
In an unusual case, a student at Arizona's Paradise Valley Community College last week filed a lawsuit charging that the instructor in a Philosophy course (Introduction to Ethics) "failed t... [read more]
Religion Clause
Women To Sue In Challenge To Belgium's New Anti-Burqa Law
AFP reports that on Saturday, Belgium's ban on wearing coverings-- such as the burqa or niqab-- that hide the face in public took effect. (See prior posting. ) A day earlier, two Muslim women who ... [read more]
Religion Clause
Jewish Group Congratulates TSA On New Scan Software That Avoids Body-Specific Images
The Transportation Security Administration announced last week that it will begin installing new software on its body imaging machines at airports that will eliminate body-specific images. Th... [read more]
Religion Clause
Case Challenging School Flyer Policy Is Settled
Alliance Defense Fund announced last week that a settlement was reached last month in Michalek v. Garfield Heights Board of Education, (ND OH, complaint filed 4/15/2011). The complaint (full t... [read more]
Religion Clause
Man Charged With Norwegian Terror Attacks Left Manifesto With Christian, Anti-Muslim Religious Themes
Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian man charged with terror attacks in Norway Friday on government buildings in Oslo and on a youth camp on the island of Utoya, published in advance online a 1500... [read more]
Religion Clause
Texas Board of Education Rejects Creationist Supplementary Materials For Biology
The National Center for Science Education reports that the Texas State Board of Education on Friday voted 8-0 to approve scientifically accurate high school biology textbook supplements, and reject... [read more]
Religion Clause
New York 2010 Hate Crimes Data Released
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services has recently released its 2010 Annual Report on Hate Crime in New York State (full text). Hate crimes during 2010 were up sharply in New Yor... [read more]
Religion Clause
EEOC Sues Jewish Nursing Home For Refusing Sabbath Off For 7th Day Adventist
The EEOC announced last week that it has filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against Menorah House, a Jewish-affiliated Boca Raton, Florida nursing and rehabilitation facility. The lawsuit was... [read more]
Religion Clause
Recent Prisoner Free Exercise Cases
In Ali v. Quarterman, (5th Cir. , July 18, 2011), the 5th Circuit allowed a Muslim prisoner to move ahead with his RLUIPA challenge to prison rules that required him to be clean shaven, and al... [read more]
Religion Clause
Pakistan Senate Condemns LGBT Pride Event At U.S. Embassy
According to The Nation, Pakistan's Senate yesterday condemned the U. S. embassy's hosting last month of Islamabad's first ever LGBT Pride Celebration. A U. S. Embassy press release said t... [read more]
Religion Clause
L.A. Synagogue Wins Its RLUIPA Claims
In Congregation Etz Chaim v. City of Los Angeles, (CD CA, July 11, 2011), a California federal district court held that RLUIPA was violated by the denial of a conditional use permit to a Hasid... [read more]
Religion Clause
Religious Beliefs May Not Be The Basis For An Incompetency Finding
In State of Ohio v. Daley, (OH App. , July 21, 2011), an Ohio appeals court reversed a trial court's finding that defendant was incompetent to stand trial on charges of leaving threatening voice m... [read more]
Religion Clause
China Moves To Ordain New Bishops Without Vatican Approval
The London Telegraph yesterday reported that the Chinese government is once again defying the Vatican by moving to ordain a number of new bishops who do not have Vatican approval, apparently ending... [read more]
Religion Clause
Obama Sends DADT Repeal Certifications To Congress; Repeal of Policy Takes Effect Sept. 20
Under the Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, the provisions of 10 USC 654 (which preclude those who are openly gay or lesbian from serving in the armed forces) are repealed 60 days aft... [read more]
Religion Clause
Obama Endorses Current Policy On Faith-Based Hiring By Federal Grantees
At a Town Hall meeting at the University of Maryland this morning, President Obama was asked specifically about his administration's position on religion-based hiring by faith-based groups receivi... [read more]
Religion Clause
State and Federal Legislative Proposals To Stop San Francisco Anti-Circumcision Vote Have Been Introduced
As reported yesterday by the AP, two members of the California state Assembly on July 7 introduced a bill that would bar San Francisco and other cities from regulating male circumcision. The bill, ... [read more]
Religion Clause
San Leandro Seeks Supreme Court Review of RLUIPA Decision
The city of San Leandro, California announced yesterday that it has filed a petition for certiorari seeking U. S. Supreme Court review of the 9th Circuit's decision in International Church of the ... [read more]
Religion Clause
Monks Win Constitutional Challenge To Louisiana Limits On Selling Caskets
In St. Joseph Abbey v. Castille, (ED LA, July 21, 2011), a Louisiana federal district court ruled that Louisiana's Embalming and Funeral Directors Act (RS 37:831 ff. ) cannot constitutionally... [read more]
Religion Clause
Irish Prime Minister Delivers Unprecedented Attack On Vatican
AP reports that a hard-hitting speech to the lower house of Ireland's Parliament, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny delivered an unprecedented attack on the Vatican's handling of priest sexual abus... [read more]
Religion Clause
Abercrombie Assessed $20,000 In Damages On Title VII Claim, But No Injunction Issued
Earlier this month,in EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc. , an Oklahoma federal district court held that Abercrombie & Fitch violated Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by refusing... [read more]
Religion Clause
ACLU Seeks Disclosure of Funding For Texas Governor's Prayer Event
The ACLU of Texas announced yesterday that it has filed open records requests with state,county and city offices seeking information on the amount of government support that is being devoted to Tex... [read more]
Religion Clause
Government Responds To Lawsuit Charging Censorship of Religion In Veterans' Funerals
The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs has now filed its answer (full text) to the complaint in a widely publicized case that charged the Houston (TX) National Cemetery with censoring veterans' ... [read more]
Religion Clause
New Lawsuit Challenges County's Continued Denial of Water and Sewer Lines For Church
In March 2010, the U. S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals held that a Seventh Day Adventist Congregation's rights under the Equal Protection Clause and RLUIPA were infringed when Prince George's Coun... [read more]
Religion Clause
Suit Challenges Ballot Language Of Florida's Proposed Repeal of Blaine Amendment
As previously reported, earlier this year Florida's legislature voted to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2012 ballot that would repeal the state constitution's Blaine Amendment--... [read more]