The Worship Ban, on its face and as applied, impermissibly burdens Plaintiffs’ sincerely held religious beliefs, compel Plaintiffs to either change those beliefs or to act in contradiction to them, and force Plaintiffs to choose between the teachings and requirements of their sincerely held religious beliefs or the mandates in Defendants’ Worship Ban.The Hill reports on the lawsuit.
Friday, July 17, 2020
California's COVID-19 Ban On Worship Singing and Chanting Is Challenged
On Wednesday, a suit was filed in a California federal district court challenging California Governor Gavin Newsom's COVID-19 Order relating to restrictions on reopened church services. The state's Guidance document requires that places of worship discontinue singing and chanting. No similar requirement is placed on other reopened activities. The complaint (full text) in Calvary Chapel of Ukiah v. Newsom, (ED CA, filed 7/15/2020), alleges that the selective ban violates plaintiffs' 1st and 14th Amendment rights. It says in part:
