In Hadez v. City of Springfield, Illinois, (CD IL, Aug. 28, 2026), a state trial court had ordered plaintiff to cease residing in structures on his property that inspectors found to be unsafe and in violation of the city’s
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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Idaho’s Abortion Ban Is Found to Be Too Broad; Court Expands Exceptions
In Seyb v. Members of the Idaho Board of Medicine, (D ID, August 13, 2026), decided three weeks ago, an Idaho federal district court in an 81-page opinion held that portions of Idaho’s abortion law that impose a nearly…
Court Says No "Substantial Burden" On Religion When Impacted Belief Is Not Central to Plaintiff’s Religion
In John v. Aviles-Ramos, (ED NY, Aug. 27, 2026), a New York federal district court rejected claims by a former special education teacher that his former colleagues and supervisors discriminated against him because he was a Jehovah’s Witness and…
Suit Challenges New Jersey School Policy on Social Transitioning
Suit was filed last week in a New Jersey federal district court challenging a school board’s policy on dealing with students who seek social gender transition. The school policy provides in part:Once a student notifies a school official that s/he…
Justice Department Issues New Opinion on Federal Grants to Religious Organizations
This week, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued a 39-page Opinion captioned: Constitutionality of Religious Restrictions on the Use of Federal Funds, 50 Op. O.L.C. __ (Aug. 25, 2026). The Opinion updates guidance given in…
Vagueness Challenge to South Carolina’s Abortion Law Will Move to Trial
In Bingham v. Wilson, (D SC, Aug. 25, 2026), a suit brought by ob-gyn physicians, a South Carolina federal district court held that there is a genuine dispute as to whether exceptions in South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat and Protection…
USCIRF Urges Sanctions Against India During Visit of Hindutva Leader
As reported by The Hindu, India’s Mohan Bhagwat, head of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organization, arrived in the United States on Tuesday as part of RSS’s 100th anniversary global outreach efforts. He is scheduled to speak to an…
Parents Seek State Funds for Catholic School Attendance Without Requirement to First Attend Failing Public School
Suit was filed this week in a Georgia state trial court challenging on free exercise grounds the eligibility requirements for participating in the Georgia Promise Scholarship Program. Plaintiff families live in districts with low-performing public schools. The Promise Scholarship Program…
9th Circuit: Futile Reassignment Process Did Not Reasonably Accommodate Religious Objections to Covid Vaccine
In Cherry v. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, (9th Cir., Aug. 21, 2026), the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Department of Fish and Wildlife did not make adequate efforts in 2021 to reasonably accommodate…
Parents and Students Sue School District Over Field Trip to Mosque
Earlier this month, a number of parents, students and community members filed suit against the Palo Alto school district contending that a 2005 school field trip to a mosque violated the 1st and 14th Amendments as well as various provisions…