In Sessler v. City of Davenport, (SD IA, Nov. 22, 2022), an Iowa federal district court dismissed a suit for damages and injunctive relief brought by a street preacher who claimed that his free speech rights were violated when
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Catholic Parish Sues Michigan Over Expansion of Its Civil Rights Act
Suit was filed this week in a Michigan federal district court by a Catholic parish which operates an elementary school claiming that the Michigan Supreme Court’s interpretation of the state’s anti-discrimination law violates the parish’s First Amendment rights. The complaint…
State Department Updates List of Countries Violating Religious Freedom; USCIRF Reacts
Last week (Dec. 2) the U.S. State Department, as required by the International Religious Freedom Act, announced its annual list of countries and entities that violate or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. In a press statement, Secretary…
North Carolina Methodist Churches Sue to Disaffiliate from Parent Body
Suit was filed last month in a North Carolina state trial court by 38 United Methodist Churches in North Carolina which are seeking to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and retain their buildings and property. The complaint (full…
New Zealand Court OK’s Hate Speech Law That Does Not Cover LGBTQ Victims
In Hoban v. Attorney General, (NZ HC, Dec. 5, 2022), a New Zealand High Court, reviewing a decision of the Human Rights Review Tribunal, held that New Zealand’s hate speech law (Human Rights Act Sec. 61) that covers incitement…
En Banc rehearing Denied in Challenge to Courtroom Invocations
In Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. v. Mack, (5th Cir., Dec. 2, 2022), the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 12-3 denied an en banc rehearing in a case decided by a 3-judge panel in…
New Resource on Abortion Litigation
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and the Center for Reproductive Rights today announced its State Court Abortion Litigation Tracker, a website that tracks pending and completed state court litigation against abortion bans that were, or would have…
Supreme Court Hears Arguments Today on Wedding Website Designer Who Opposes Same-Sex Marriage
Today the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis. In the case, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the application of Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act to a wedding website design company whose owner for…
Indiana Court Enjoins Abortion Restrictions as Violating State’s RFRA
In Anonymous Plaintiff 1 v. Individual Members of the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana, (IN Super. Ct., Dec. 2, 2022), an Indiana state trial court enjoined the state from enforcing Indiana’s law restricting abortions against plaintiffs whose religious beliefs…
Establishment Clause Challenge to Pending Abortion and LGBTQ Laws Is Dismissed
In Pickup v. Biden, (D DC, Nov. 30, 2022), plaintiffs– including four pastors– asked the D.C. federal district court to declare two bills pending in Congress unconstitutional and enjoin their passage. At issue are the Women’s Health Protection Act…