In Jane Doe I v. Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, (AZ Sup. Ct., July 29, 2026), the Arizona Supreme Court settled important interpretive questions regarding Arizona’s requirement to report child abuse to
Religion Clause
The Religion Clause blog, published by Howard M. Friedman, focuses on legal developments related to church-state relations and religious liberty in the United States. It covers court decisions and regulatory actions involving the First Amendment's religion clauses, including cases on zoning permits for religious institutions, religious exemptions in healthcare and education, and controversies over religious content in public school curricula. The blog also addresses issues such as the ministerial exception in employment law, challenges to government designations affecting religious organizations, and the intersection of religious freedom with other constitutional rights like free speech. Posts often include analysis of statutes like RLUIPA and explore the impact of federal and state policies on religious exercise and expression.
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3rd Circuit: RLUIPA’s Institutionalized Persons Precedent Can Inform RLUIPA Land Use Cases as Well
In Anash, Inc. v. Borough of Kingston, (3rd Cir., July 30, 2026), the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision ordered a Pennsylvania federal district court to issue a preliminary injunction allowing a rabbi and his…
Fire At Iowa Meat Packing Plant May Reduce Supply of Kosher Meat Nationally
According to KCRG News, a fire that broke out on Tuesday has destroyed 75% of the AgriStar Meat and Poultry processing plant in Postville, Iowa. The fire has been ruled as accidental. According to Brownfield Ag News, the plant…
Trump Honors Memory of First U.S.-Born Martyr Beatified by the Catholic Church
Yesterday, the White House posted a Presidential Message on the 45th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Father Stanley Rother (full text). It reads in part:Today, Melania and I join with American Catholics and people of faith all across…
Challenge To Makeup of Religious Liberty Commission Is Dismissed
In The Interfaith Alliance v. Trump, (SD NY, July 27, 2026), a New York federal district court dismissed a suit brought by several religious organizations challenging the composition of President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission. Plaintiffs contended that the makeup…
Suit Challenges Town’s Refusal to Permit Nativity Display on Town Square
Suit was filed last week in a New York federal district court challenging an upstate New York town’s refusal to permit placing of a privately-sponsored nativity display in the town square during the Christmas season. The complaint (full text…
9th Circuit: Employee Adequately Alleged Religious Objections to Covid Vaccine
In Weiss v. The Permanente Group, (9th Cir., July 24, 2026), the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded a California federal district court’s dismissal of Title VII and California state law claims alleging that plaintiff’s employer…
Maryland Supreme Court: Ecclesiastical Abstention Doctrine Does Not Apply to Eviction of Defrocked Bishop From Parsonage
In Eritrean Orthodox Tweahdo Diocese of USA and Canada v. Sinoda, (MD Sup. Ct., July 23, 2026), the Maryland Supreme Court held that the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine does not apply to a wrongful detainer action by a church seeking…
Canada Reports That Religion-Motivated Hate Crimes Decreased 18% In 2025
Last week, the Canadian government released data on Police Reported Crime Statistics in Canada for 2025, including data on hate crimes. The report says in part:The number of police-reported hate crimes decreased 3%, from 4,841 incidents in 2024 to 4,708…
Justice Department Updates Guidance to Federal Agencies on Protecting Religious Liberty
Yesterday, the Attorney General issued a 26-page Memorandum to Executive Departments and Agencies (full text) on Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty. The Memorandum updates and expands one issued in 2017 (see prior posting). According to a…