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
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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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…
DHS’s Disqualification of Applicant Who Engages in Protected Religious Use of Psychedelics Supports Title VII Claim
In Reis v. Noem, (SD FL, Aug. 24, 2026), a Florida federal district court refused to dismiss plaintiff’s claims under Title VII alleging disparate treatment on the basis of religion and failure to make reasonable religious accommodations. Plaintiff ,…
6th Circuit Questions Whether "Secular Purpose" Is Still Part of Establishment Clause Compliance
In Gordon v. City of Hamtramck, (6th Cir., Aug. 21, 2026), the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Free Speech, Establishment Clause and Equal Protection challenges to a city Ordinance that changed the rules on what flags could…
Confrontation Between Jewish and Muslim High School Students Leads to Complex Court Decision
Hiester v. School District of Philadelphia, (ED PA, Aug. 21, 2026), is a 41-page opinion covering complex allegations of competing anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish harassment by high school students and high school administrators. The Pennsylvania federal district court describes…
Dance Company’s "Ministerial Exception" Defense to Trafficking Claims Rejected at Pleading Stage
Chun-Ko Chang v. Shen Yun Performing Arts, Inc., (SD NY, Aug. 18, 2026), is a class action suit brought by students who also are performers in a Chinese dance company based in New York. Plaintiffs allege violations of the Trafficking…
Anti-Abortion Advocates Urge EPA To Require Data Collection on Mifepristone in Water Systems
Anti-abortion advocates are using a new strategy in their efforts to limit or ban the use of the abortion drug mifepristone. In July, the Environmental Protection Agency published in the Federal Register a Rule Proposal (full text) to…
Exorcist Priest’s Defamation Suit May Move Ahead
In Martins v. Romero, (ED MI, Aug. 21, 2026), a Michigan federal district court refused to dismiss a suit by a Catholic priest against a podcaster and a frequent guest on the podcast, alleging that their podcasts defamed him…