The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division announced in a press release yesterday that it has entered a voluntary settlement agreement with Lincoln Memorial University, resolving complaints of discriminatory treatment of Jewish students. The private university is located in Harrogate,
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.
Blog Authors
Latest from Religion Clause
Indiana Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Religious Right to Abortion
Last week, the Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments (video of full oral arguments) in Individual Members of the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana v. Anonymous Plaintiff 1, (IN Sup. Ct., 9/10/2026). In the case, an Indiana state…
Christian Doctors Challenge Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Law
Suit was filed last week in a Colorado federal district court contending that the 1st and 14th Amendment rights of Christian doctors are being violated by applying to them the Colorado Supreme Court’s interpretation of the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act. In…
9th Circuit: Church Loses Challenge to Washington’s Abortion Coverage Mandate
In Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Kuderer, (9th Cir., Sept. 14, 2026), the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision (with opinions spanning 110 pages) held that Washington’s Reproductive Parity Act taken…
Imam’s Contract and Defamation Claims Dismissed on Ecclesiastical Abstention Grounds
In Ahmed v. American Muslim Diversity Association, (MI App., Sept. 11, 2026), a Michigan state appellate court upheld the dismissal on ecclesiastical abstention grounds of defamation, breach of contract and related claims filed by an assistant Imam against his…
In Covid Vaccine Case, 9th Circuit Concurrence Argues for Overruling Smith v. Employment Division
In Lewis-Williams v. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, (9th Cir., Sept. 11, 2026), the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury’s verdict against the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART). The jury found BART failed to…
Court Enjoins Enforcement Against Synagogue’s Voluntary Security Team of Ban on Firearms in Houses of Worship
In Silver Spring Jewish Center, Inc. v. Montgomery County, Maryland, (D MD, Sept. 10, 2026), a Maryland federal district court granted a preliminary injunction barring enforcement against plaintiffs of Montgomery County’s ban on possession of firearms in their place…
LDS Church Not Negligent in Failure to Act Against Sex Abuse by Church Elder Against His Daughter
In Doe v. Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (D OR, Sept. 8, 2026), an Oregon federal district court dismissed negligence claims against the LDS Church brought by the survivor of…
Religious Greetings at Gate of Air Force Base Provokes Controversy with Defense Secretary
A new controversy over religion in the military has erupted between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the advocacy group Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). According to an MRFF, by Sept. 2 it had received 27 complaints from military personnel at…
Maine’s Compulsory School Vaccination Law Upheld
In We the Patriots USA, Inc. v. Makin, (D ME, Sept. 8, 2026), a Maine federal district court rejected free exercise and Establishment Clause challenges to Maine’s compulsory vaccination law for school children. Plaintiff contended that Maine’s removal of…