Religious Law

Inmates in New York are suing to be allowed to see the solar eclipse

New York inmates are suing the state over its plan to lockdown prisons during next week’s solar eclipse, alleging that in barring them from viewing the rare phenomenon, the corrections department is stripping them of their constitutional right to exercise their religion.

Apr 3, 2024 10:30 AM CDT

Man who claimed US wanted him to spy on mosque can pursue suit over 6-year no-fly-list status, SCOTUS says

An Oregon man’s challenge to his placement on the no-fly list did not become moot after the government lifted the ban on flying, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a unanimous opinion.

Mar 19, 2024 11:34 AM CDT

Catholic student sues a Virginia school board over transgender protections

A Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools student is suing the school board, sayings its policy aimed at protecting the rights of transgender students violate the rights of others and violates the state constitution.

Mar 7, 2024 12:15 PM CST

Alabama justice who quoted Bible in IVF case often invokes religion

In the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that said frozen embryos are people, Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote a concurring opinion that sought to define the “sanctity of unborn life,” citing heavily from scripture and theology. His opinion, which drew criticism from abortion rights activists for instilling religious beliefs into a judicial decision, was the latest in nearly 20 years on the bench in which he has repeatedly invoked religion on his way to laying the groundwork to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Feb 27, 2024 1:45 PM CST

Chemerinsky: A year of significant developments at the Supreme Court

“Sometimes in the past, a blockbuster term—like the one a year ago—is followed by a quieter one. But that was not true this year. It was another amazing year in the Supreme Court,” writes Erwin Chemerinsky, University of California at Berkeley law dean.

Dec 19, 2023 11:08 AM CST

Anti-Zionist policies by student groups at UC Berkeley Law fostered harassment and hatred, suit alleges

A lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that anti-Zionist policies by student groups at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law violate federal law and the U.S. Constitution.

Dec 1, 2023 10:00 AM CST

Jewish inmate doesn’t have to show ‘substantial burden’ on religious beliefs to prevail on free exercise claim, 2nd Circuit says

A federal appeals court has ruled that a former inmate who alleged that prison officials cut short his observance of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot doesn't have to show a “substantial burden” on his religious beliefs to prevail on his First Amendment free exercise claim.

Nov 28, 2023 12:10 PM CST

Christian student will receive $150K in suit alleging school meditation program included Hindu ritual

A former public school student who alleged that she was coerced to participate in a school meditation ritual that violated her Christian religious beliefs has accepted a $150,000 offer of judgment from the Chicago Board of Education and the foundation that developed the program.

Nov 7, 2023 9:08 AM CST

Justices drop ‘respectfully’ in some dissents, but SCOTUS rancor is tamer than in past

The usual phrase used by U.S. Supreme Court dissenters is “I respectfully dissent.” But some justices dropped “respectfully” in major dissents last term and in their joint dissent in the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning the right to abortion.

Oct 3, 2023 12:06 PM CDT

Lawyers avoid mandatory religious liberty instruction, for now

Lawyers for Southwest Airlines didn’t have to attend religious liberty training Tuesday as a result of a temporary administrative stay granted by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans.

Sep 26, 2023 3:50 PM CDT

School must recognize Christian student club with anti-same-sex-marriage affirmation, en banc appeals court says

An en banc federal appeals court has ordered a California school district to reinstate a Fellowship of Christian Athletes club that was not recognized because of its required anti-same-sex-marriage affirmation for student leaders.

Sep 18, 2023 8:19 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: These recent Supreme Court decisions have sparked a wave of litigation

The U.S. Supreme Court’s October 2022 term ended just a couple of months ago, but it’s already apparent that the decisions are leading to a great deal of litigation. What are the major issues left open by the cases that are likely to be litigated in state and federal courts?

Aug 30, 2023 8:17 AM CDT

Religious act may protect Jehovah’s Witness who refused psychiatric meds before trial, 5th Circuit says

A federal judge should consider the religious claims of a defendant who has refused to take psychiatric medications to become competent for trial on a charge of threatening a New Orleans judge, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Aug 15, 2023 2:09 PM CDT

2nd Circuit rejects free exercise challenge to law ending religious exemptions for immunization mandate

A Connecticut law ending a religious exemption for required vaccinations does not violate constitutional guarantees, including the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion, a federal appeals court has held.

Aug 9, 2023 8:41 AM CDT

Sanctioned lawyers must take classes from conservative Christian nonprofit, federal judge rules

A federal judge in Dallas has ordered three in-house lawyers for Southwest Airlines to attend classes with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal advocacy group, to purge itself of civil contempt for "inverting" the language in a court-ordered message.

Aug 9, 2023 8:35 AM CDT