New Federal Inter-Agency Initiative On Religious Discrimination Launched

On Tuesday, the Justice Department announced  "Combating Religious Discrimination Today," a new inter-agency initiative to promote religious freedom, challenge religious discrimination and increase enforcement of religion-based hate crimes.  The new community engagement effort launched by 5 federal agencies, will lead a series of community round tables across the country.  The first was in Newark, New Jersey on Tuesday and focused on addressing bullying and religious discrimination in schools. Among those addressing the round table were Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. (Full text of remarks.)  Subsequent round tables are scheduled for  Dallas, Birmingham (AL), Detroit and Palo Alto (CA).  They will focus on topics such as hate crimes, employment discrimination and discrimination by local zoning officials.