Imagine a campus where an all-comers policy “required all students groups to accept all comers.” Chaos and conflict would result. There is no workable “real world” application. Yet, when such a policy that is “viewpoint neutral” is passed and selectively enforced, it becomes a tool for viewpoint discrimination, especially against religious and conversative voices. This […]
Oklahoma runs a charter school program with benefits given to those with whom it contracts—unless you run a religious charter institution as is the case in St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond. The state attorney general cut off funding to St. Isidore because of its religious and academic choices, creating a clear […]
Do parents have a right to protect their pre-K and elementary school children from one-sided transgender ideological class sessions? So far, in Maryland, the state doesn’t think so in the case Mahmoud v. McKnight. The plaintiffs are from a variety of faiths including Islam, Catholicism, and Orthodox Christianity. These parents have set a low bar, […]
The Center continues to advocate before state legislatures for bills that would guarantee that faith-based student organizations at public colleges and universities can require their student officers and leaders to have the same faith as the organizations and adhere to personal conduct standards. The Center submitted written testimony to members of the Missouri House Emerging […]
Wyoming became the 29th state to enact a state version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). State laws such as this one became vital after the U.S. Supreme Court limited the application of the federal RFRA to only federal, and not state, law. Wyoming’s RFRA enables those who believe their “exercise of religion has […]
In February, Christian Legal Society filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin case. At issue is the New Jersey Attorney General’s abusive use of state subpoenas to harass small, nonprofit and religious pro-life organizations. These “investigations” are without reasonable cause, chill their First Amendment […]
Christian Legal Society recently submitted a letter with more than 50 prominent signatories to the leadership of the 119th Congress requesting they preserve the full protections enshrined in the landmark Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). If the first month of the new Trump administration is any indicator, the new congress is going to be very […]
How should the state decide whether a nonprofit is religious enough to qualify for tax exempt status? In Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, the state told Catholic Charities (CCB) it did not qualify for the state’s unemployment tax exemption. Why? They claim that CCB services can be taxed because a) […]
Can a faith-based ministry hire only staff who share the core tenets of that faith and behave in accordance with those beliefs? The state of Washington has said no. In Ferguson v. Yakima Union Gospel Mission (YUGM), Washington’s Attorney General has wielded the religious exemption standards in violation of the First Amendment. This is yet […]
Anthony Schmitt is a Christian minister who, for over 10 years, voluntarily taught a prison ministry class, Quest, at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-St. Cloud from 2012 to 2023. Quest teaches men how to live lives of authentic manhood as modeled by Jesus Christ and directed by the Word of God. Mr. Schmitt was forced to […]
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.