In In re Roman Catholic Bishop of Oakland, (ND CA Bkrptcy., Oct. 2, 2926), the federal Northern District of California Bankruptcy Court, in a 109-page opinion, rejected the Oakland Diocese’s proposed Plan of Reorganization, finding that the Plan does
Howard M. Friedman
The Religion Clause blog, authored by Howard M. Friedman, provides detailed coverage of legal developments related to church-state relations and religious liberty. It focuses on court decisions, legislative proposals, and regulatory actions affecting religious exercise, zoning issues for religious institutions, and constitutional challenges involving religious freedom. The blog often analyzes cases involving the First Amendment, religious exemptions, and government regulations impacting religious practices. It also covers topics intersecting with health law, such as gender-affirming care and Medicaid policies, as well as education law where religious content in public school standards is contested. The content is primarily legal analysis and reporting on U.S. law and policy concerning religion and related civil rights.
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Federal Antisemitism Task Force Is Beginning a National Tour
The Department of Justice yesterday announced that its Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is beginning its American Tour Against Hate. Its first stop, on October 14, will be in Southfield, Michigan. According to the DOJ’s press release:The Tour is…
Trump’s Columbus Day Proclamation Includes References to Religious Faith
Yesterday, President Trump issued a Proclamation (full text) declaring October 12 as Columbus Day. The Proclamation contains several religious references. It reads in part:More than five centuries ago, Christopher Columbus embarked westward across uncharted waters and discovered the…
Catholic Clergy Sue ICE Detention Center for Restricting Their Ability to Minister to Detainees
A suit was filed on Monday in a Missouri federal district court alleging that a detention center housing 150 immigration detainees is violating the free exercise rights of detainees and Catholic clergy. The complaint (full text) in Rozanski …
Ecclesiastical Abstention Doctrine Leads to Dismissal of Complaint By 37 Churches Over Disaffiliation Rules
In Methodist Church of Cape St. Claire v. Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, (MD App., Oct. 5, 2026), a Maryland state appellate court held that the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine prevents civil courts from adjudicating the claim…
Pennsylvania Supreme Court: 1st Amendment Free Exercise Claim Requires "Burden", Not "Substantial Burden" On Religious Practice
In Alsyrawan v. Department of Human Services, (PA Sup. Ct., Oct. 5, 2026), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that to show a 1st Amendment free exercise violation, litigants only need to show a “burden”, rather than a “substantial burden”,…
Backers of Hasidic School May Move Ahead with Challenges to Zoning Denials
Congregation Rabbinical Institute of Tartikov, Inc. v. Village of Pomona, NY, (SD NY, Sept.28, 2026), is the latest decision in a long-running attempt by members of the Hasidic Jewish community to build a rabbinical institute in Pamona, New York,…
Supreme Court Opens Its October 2026 Term
The Supreme Court opened its October 2026 Term yesterday, issuing its traditional long list of certiorari denials. Yesterday’s 42-page Order List includes a denial of certiorari in Peterson v. Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, (Docket No. 25-1210, cert. denied 10/5/2026). In the…
Student Organizations Challenge University’s Consolidation of Christian Student Groups Under One Campus Minister
Suit was filed last month in a Virginia federal district court by two Christian student groups at Virginia State University challenging the school’s new Campus Ministries Policy. The complaint (full text) in Women of Victory at Virginia State …
IRS Issues Regulations Governing New Federal Scholarship Tax Credit
In the October 2 Federal Register, the Internal Revenue Service published Temporary Regulations (full text) implementing the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit. This credit provision allows taxpayers in states that have elected to participate in the program a…