Anthony Schmitt taught a Quest course to inmates within the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC) for several years until an MDOC official “objected to Schmitt’s religious viewpoint” and banned any further teaching. Schmitt sued to get the program reinstated, also asking for a preliminary injunction to continue teaching the Quest course while the case proceeded […]
This past June, Catholic Charities Bureau won a decisive victory over the Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission at the U.S. Supreme Court after being denied a religious exemption from unemployment tax. The Court unanimously reversed the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision in favor of the state, holding that the state unemployment tax law violated the […]
Over the past several years, the Center for Law & Religious Freedom has filed multiple amicus briefs with Texas courts on behalf of two Texas judges whose Christian consciences did not permit them to officiate marriages between people of the same sex, even though performing marriages is not part of their mandatory official duties. One […]
On September 25, Center Senior Counsel Laura Nammo testified at an administrative hearing before the Michigan Supreme Court, urging it not to adopt a new ethical rule that would impede the free speech of Michigan attorneys. Before the court for consideration were two similar rule changes – one to the judicial canon, and the other […]
For years, Youth 71Five Ministries received grants from the Oregon Department of Education to serve at-risk youth until an anonymous tip led officials to investigate Youth 71Five’s hiring practices. The report revealed that the ministry requires its staff and volunteers to adhere to orthodox Christian beliefs, the same faith as Youth 71Five itself. The state […]
In September, Kim Colby from CLS’ Center for Law & Religious Freedom was invited to testify before the presidentially appointed Religious Liberty Commission. Kim used her time to press the case for legislation that would further cement religious freedoms for religious student groups on university campuses. Despite the protections rooted in the First Amendment, religious […]
U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Tim Scott (R-SC), along with Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI), today introduced the Equal Campus Access Act, which is aimed at making university campuses a place where all religious student groups are treated fairly. The bill would prevent universities from discriminating against religious student groups, including those that require their […]
The legal battles involving the use of discrimination as a tool to confine or restrict certain speech or behavior is now several decades long. In 2023, Maryland added another twist when it reinterpreted the Maryland Fair Employment Act through an anti-discrimination lens to significantly limit the law’s religious exemption. In short, the state now reads […]
Gabriel Olivier is a street preacher who sometimes preached on the sidewalks near an amphitheater in Brandon, Mississippi, where large crowds could often be found. In 2019, the city adopted an ordinance requiring all individuals or groups engaging in “protests” or “demonstrations” at around the time events were scheduled to stay within a “designated protest […]
A federal judge found that the state of California failed to offer the plaintiff a religious accommodation in an unusual but important dispute. Bolden-Hardge, a devout Jehovah’s Witness, was offered a job by the California State Comptroller’s office, which requires the job holder to take an oath before starting. Bolden-Hardge asked to substitute her own […]
Christian Legal Society offers legal assistance for those in need through CLS’ network of Christian Legal Aid clinics and Christian Attorneys’ directory. CLS’ Center for Law & Religious Freedom is also available to address issues related to the infringement of religious freedom.