Religious Law

SCOTUS rules for hijab-wearing teen who sued Abercrombie for refusing to hire her

A Muslim teen turned down for a job at Abercrombie & Fitch because of her hijab didn’t have to show the clothes store had actual knowledge of her need for religious accommodation, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in an 8-1 decision. Instead, a job applicant claiming disparate treatment need…

Jun 1, 2015 9:27 AM CDT

Judge says church protesters are trespassers, rejects their counterclaim for money spent on repairs

A Massachusetts judge has ruled that protesters who participated in an 11-year vigil at their shuttered church are trespassers who must leave by May 29. Judge Edward Leibensperger of Norfolk County ruled Thursday in a suit for declaratory judgment by the Archdiocese of Boston, which decided to close the church…

May 15, 2015 8:11 AM CDT

9th Circuit OKs city’s ban on holiday displays, says ‘heckler’s veto’ doctrine doesn’t apply

A blanket ban on unattended displays at public parks imposed by a California city did not unconstitutionally suppress the free speech rights of a community group known for its tradition of December nativity scenes, a federal appeals court has ruled. By repealing an exception that had allowed the Santa Monica…

May 1, 2015 10:40 AM CDT

Jury convicts rabbi, acquits son in kidnapping-conspiracy case related to religious divorces

Defense counsel said the facts of the situation had been exaggerated. But a federal jury on Tuesday convicted Rabbi Mendel Epstein, as well as two other rabbis, of kidnapping conspiracy related to the religious divorces they helped clients get from reluctant husbands. The two other rabbis, Binyamin Stimler and Jay…

Apr 22, 2015 8:50 AM CDT

Making the Bible the official book of Tennessee would violate Constitution, state AG says

Updated: A legal opinion by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery says a proposal to make the Bible the official book of Tennessee would violate the state and federal constitutions. Slatery said making the Bible the official Tennessee book “must presumptively be understood as an endorsement of religion.” He cited the…

Apr 14, 2015 8:02 AM CDT

Should air travelers switch seats for passengers with religious scruples? Paralegal holds her ground

Among the most orthodox of Orthodox Jews, some men try to uphold the dictates of their religion by not sitting next to women on public transportation. While this may be relatively easy to achieve on mass transit such as buses and subways, it can pose a challenge on airline flights…

Apr 10, 2015 10:20 AM CDT

Yoga classes in public schools don’t amount to religious instruction, appeals court says

Yoga classes taught at public schools don’t amount to an impermissible establishment of Hindu religion that violates the California Constitution, a state appeals court has ruled. In an April 4 opinion (PDF), the California Court of Appeal’s 4th District ruled against parents who objected to the classes, taught in the…

Apr 6, 2015 10:55 AM CDT

Arkansas governor says he won’t sign religious freedom bill without changes

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced on Wednesday that he won’t sign a religious freedom bill unless lawmakers revise it. Hutchinson wants the legislature to recall or amend the bill so it more closely tracks federal legislation, report the New York Times and the Washington Post. The Arkansas bill, like the…

Apr 1, 2015 11:56 AM CDT

State lawmakers consider bills allowing businesses to refuse to serve gay couples

Anticipating a Supreme Court decision establishing a right to same-sex marriages, lawmakers in several states are considering bills that would allow businesses to refuse to serve gay couples. Many of the bills are modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the New York Times reports. The legislation typically says…

Mar 6, 2015 7:39 AM CST

3rd Circuit rules against religious employers who object to contraceptive-coverage opt-out procedure

Religious employers who objected to the accommodation that lets them refuse to provide contraceptive coverage to their workers have lost their bid for an injunction in a federal appeals court. The Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed injunctions granted to the religious organizations, two Catholic dioceses and a…

Feb 11, 2015 12:03 PM CST

Judge acquits man accused of putting First Amendment sticker on courthouse church directory

An Ohio judge has acquitted a man accused of criminal mischief for putting a First Amendment sticker on a courthouse church directory. Visiting Judge Dale Crawford granted a motion to acquit Eliot Kalman based on insufficient evidence on Tuesday, before the case reached the jury, the Columbus Dispatch reports. The…

Jan 29, 2015 8:08 AM CST

Vatican names former sex-crimes prosecutor to lead appellate board for priests accused of abuse

The Vatican has appointed its former sex crimes prosecutor to head a new appellate board, which reviews sanctions against priests accused of sexual abuse. From 2002 to 2012, Bishop Charles Scicluna prosecuted alleged sex crimes for the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Associated Press reports. According…

Jan 21, 2015 11:07 AM CST

Prison beard ban violates Muslim inmate’s statutory religious rights, SCOTUS rules

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on behalf of a Muslim inmate who challenged Arkansas’ general ban on prisoner beards under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the opinion (PDF) for the unanimous court finding a violation of the religious-protection law. The…

Jan 20, 2015 9:16 AM CST

Florist who refused flowers for same-sex wedding can be held personally liable for her actions

A Washington florist being sued for refusing to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding may be held personally liable for her actions, a judge has held. The judge also upheld the state attorney general’s authority to sue the florist under the state’s consumer protection and anti-discrimination statutes, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer…

Jan 9, 2015 2:58 PM CST

Baltimore bishop faces DUI and texting-while-driving charges in hit-and-run death

A bishop is facing multiple charges in the hit-and-run death of a Baltimore bicyclist last month. Prosecutors allege that Suffragan Bishop Heather Cook, the No. 2 official in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, was drunk and texting Dec. 27 when she left the road and drove over Thomas Palermo, a…

Jan 9, 2015 1:10 PM CST