Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Sudanese Woman Reporter Challenging Sharia Indecency Punishment
Minister Sentenced On Tax and Bank Fraud Charges
Pro-Life Group Gets Non-Profit Status After IRS Questions
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
En Banc Rehearing Sought In Washinton State Pharmacy Board Conscience Case
IRS Proposes Rules To Clarify Who May Authorize Church Audit
UPDATE: Here is the full text of the proposal from the Aug. 5 Federal Register.
Virginia Saudi Academy Gets Zoning Exemption
Rabbi Pleads Guilty In Charitable Tax Fraud Scheme
Federal Magistrate Rejects Free Exercise Challenge To Marijuana Laws
Israeli Gays Say Orthodox Created Culture That Led To Shooting Last Week
Jewish School's Appeal Will Be One of the First In Britain's New Supreme Court
New Iqbal Pleading Standard Leads To Dismissal of Part of School-Music Lawsuit
Russian Supreme Court Bans Radical Islamic Group
Monday, August 03, 2009
USCIRF Writes Clinton Urging Her To Raise Religious Freedom Issues In Africa
Italy Approves Use of RU-486 Amidst Threats of Excommunications
Drug Raid On Church of Universal Love and Music Leads to 22 Arrests
UPDATE: Monday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has a more detailed story, indicating that 23 people were arraigned overnight Saturday as a result of the raid. It reports that the raid "resulted in ... the seizure of enough marijuana, hash brownies, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, laughing gas and drug paraphernalia to pack two storage trailers with a capacity of about 3,000 pounds."
Court Says Atheists Challenging School Program May Not Proceed Anonymously
Recent Articles of Interest
- Anthony Bessette, Regulating and Punishing Adultery in Korea and East Asia, (July 27, 2009).
- Nomi Maya Stolzenberg, Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet: A Religious Group's Quest for its Own Public School, (Law and Religion: Cases In Context, Gregory Alexander & Eduardo Penalver, eds., Aspen, 2010).
- Andrew M.M. Koppelman, Religious Establishment and Autonomy, (Constitutional Commentary, Vol. 25, 2009).
- Frederick Mark Gedicks, American Civil Religion: An Idea Whose Time Is Past, (March 2009).
- Zhong Zewei, Racial and Religious Hate Speech in Singapore: Reclaiming the Victim's Perspective, (Singapore Law Review, 2009).
From SmartCILP and elsewhere:
- Karima Bennoune, Toward a More "Courageous Politics" At the 60th Anniversary of the UDHR: Talking About Muslim Fundamentalism in the West, 24 Maryland Journal of International Law 125-134 (2009).
- Ayelet Blecher-Prigat & Benjamin Shmueli, The Interplay Between Tort Law and Religious Family Law: The Israeli Case, 26 Arizona Journal of International & Comparative Law 279-301 (2009).
- Daniel J. H. Greenwood, Faith Based Investing: Are Shares Entitled to the Residual?, 24 Research in Law & Economics 91-130 (2009).
- Ken Matheny, Catholic Social Teaching on Labor and Capital: Some Implications for Labor Law, 24 St. John's Journal of Legal Commentary 1-52 (2009).
- Mark Tushnet, Heller and the Critique of Judgment, 2008 Supreme Court Review 61-87.
- Symposium: Establishment and Fairness, 25 Constitutional Commentary 241-320 (2008).
Sunday, August 02, 2009
India's High Court Prospectively Bars Shrines On Public Land
Suit Threatened Against British Photographer Who Used Church For Photo Shoot
Establishment Clause Challenge To Homeless Shelter Lease and Sale Moves Ahead
Religious Discrimination Challenges To Placement On No-Fly List Dismissed
As to Ibrahim's claim for damages on the basis of her past treatment at the San Francisco airport, under the Supreme Court's recent decision in Ashcroft v. Iqbal her allegations were not strong enough to create a plausible case of religious and national origin discrimination. This claim was dismissed with leave to amend after discovery in other aspects of her case. Her claim that her hijab was temporarily removed by a police officer searching her was not sufficient to state a claim for violation of religious expression. Ibrahim was permitted to proceed against airport, police and city officials on claims of false imprisonment and interference with civil rights, and against all defendants on Fourth Amendment and emotional distress claims.
Recent Prisoner Free Exercise Cases
In Mayo v. Norris, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63515 (ED AR, June 26, 2009), an Arkansas federal magistrate judge recommended that an inmate be permitted to proceed against several state corrections officials. Plaintiff claims that defendants' enforcement of a Department of Corrections policy prohibiting the use of tobacco violates his free exercise rights.
In Perkins v. Booker, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64092 (WD MI, May 29, 2009), a Michigan federal magistrate judge recommended rejecting a summary judgment motion filed by two defendants in a prisoner's claim against them charging infringement of his Free Exercise rights and his rights under RLUIPA. At issue was whether plaintiff was properly removed from the prison's kosher food program.
In Brown v. Unfried, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64520 (SD IL, July 27, 2009), an Illinois federal district court refused to strike plaintiff's free exercise claim finding that allegations the Madison County Jail refused to accommodate plaintiff's observance of Ramadan are separate from a retaliation claim filed by plaintiff.
In Forde v. Zickefoose, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 65616 (D CT, April 2, 2009), a Connecticut federal district court refused defendants' motions for summary judgment and permitted a woman federal prisoner who had converted to Islam to move ahead with her claims under RLUIPA and the First amendment. Plaintiff objected to prison policies that subject her to non-emergency pat-down searches by male guards, compel her to use an identification photo that shows her without her hijab, and which fail to provide a qualified imam for weekly jum'ah prayer services.
Religion News Service yesterday reported more broadly on the issues involved in prisoner access to religious materials.
Developments In Two Faith Healing Trials
Meanwhile, in Oregon City, Oregon Friday, Craig Worthington, who was acquitted last month of all charges except second degree criminal mistreatment in the death of his 15-month old daughter (see prior posting), was sentenced to two months in jail and 5 years probation. He was also ordered to provide medical care for his other children. AP reported on the sentencing. Friday's Salt Lake Tribune also discusses the case.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
New IRS Form 990 Pushes Non-Profits To Comply With State Rules
5th Circuit Says Ban On Santeria Sacrifices Violates Texas RFRA
Reversing the trial court, the 5th Circuit concluded that the ordinances substantially burden Merced's free exercise of religion. It also concluded that (while a close case) the city failed to show that it had a compelling interst in barring Merced's activities, and that the ordinances completely banning Merced's slaughter of four-legged animals are not the least restrictive means of carrying out the city's interests. The district court had found no burden, saying Merced had not proven that orishas required sacrifices to be located at his home. (See prior posting.) The 5th Circuit said, among other things, that "predicating a substantial burden on the results of a religious ceremony (divining the will of the orishas) impermissibly allows judges to evaluate the intricacies of a religious practice." By relying on TRFRA, the court avoided having to deal with the constitutional free exercise claim that Merced had also raised. Yesterday's Fresno Bee, reporting on the decision, says that the city of Euless plans to seek a rehearing.
UPDATE: A press release on the case from Becket Fund links to briefs in the case and to a recording of the oral arguments.
Authorities Investigating Muslim Violence Against Christians In Pakistani City
UPDATE: The New York Times on Sunday posted a more personalized account of the situation in an article titled Hate Engulfs Christians in Pakistan.
Vietnam Orders Buddhist Monks To Leave Monastery
The monastery’s problems with authorities began after Hanh made statements in support of the Dalai Lama and urged broader religious freedom in Vietnam. In ordering Hanh’s followers to leave, the government claimed that Plum Village, Hanh’s monastery in southern France, had published false information about Vietnam on its website. On June 27, power was cut to the Monastery compound and two days later a mob threw rocks and animal excrement at an official Buddhist delegation that came to investigate. Government authorities say the problems are caused by disputes between Hanh’s followers and Abbot Duc Nghi, the original owner of the property at Bat Nha. Hanh’s followers have invested over $1 million in expanding the monastery compound.
Friday, July 31, 2009
10th Circuit Denies En Banc Review In 10 Commandments Case By 6-6 Vote
The Court’s decision in this case perpetuates a regrettable misapprehension of the Establishment Clause: that recognition of the role of religion in this country’s founding, history, traditions, and laws is to be strictly excluded from the civic sphere.... The opinion strongly suggests that Ten Commandments displays authorized by small-town commissioners who harbor personal religious beliefs are unconstitutional establishments of religion. Such a conclusion is not only inconsistent with the original meaning of the Establishment Clause, but is also plainly contrary to the Supreme Court’s precedent in Van Orden v. Perry....A second dissent written by Judge Gorsuch and joined by Judges Tacha, Kelly and Tymkovich criticized the panel's application of the Lemon test and went on to contend:
As is typical, none of the judges voting to deny review wrote an opinion. [Thanks to Peter Irons for the lead.][By] making us apparently the first court of appeals since Van Orden to strike down an inclusive display of the Ten Commandments, the panel opinion mistakes the Supreme Court’s clear message that displays of the decalogue alongside other markers of our nation’s legal and cultural history do not threaten an establishment of religion.
IRS Is Investigating Virginia Church
Nigerian Islamist Leader Killed In Police Custody
Settlement Reached In Church's Use of Pensacola FL Park
Some Polish Catholics Protest Upcoming Madonna Concert
Judge Allows Temporary Occupancy of Synagogue After Code Controversy
After County Court Judge Frank LaBuda personally toured the building, he granted a six-week temporary occupancy certificate, and ordered UTA to allow engineers into the building. According to the River Reporter, the judge had some safety concerns, such as door opening inward instead of outward, but he allowed the building to be used temporarily for religious purposes. No meals or other activities may take place there. Meanwhile the Town board has ordered an investigation of the town's Building Department. Lawyers and engineers will look into 6 to 10 projects.
UPDATE: Judge LaBuda has filed a written opinion granting the temporary occupancy certificate. It is United Talmudical Academy Torah V'Yirah, Inc. v Town of Bethel, (Sup. Ct. Sullivan Co., Aug. 24, 2009).
Navy Affiliated Website Ends Ban On Religious Discussion Groups
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Federal Claims Court Agrees That Religious Foundation Is Not A "Church"
Atheist Delivers Protest Invocation At County Commission Meeting
AU Wants Senate Committee To Question Army Head Nominee On Church-State Issues
UPDATE: Blog from the Capital reports that at his confirmation hearing, the only question directed to McHugh about religion in the military was one by Senator Jack Reed who asked about religious freedom for soldiers. McHugh responded by saying that military chaplains "must be sensitive" to the diversity of troops and must avoid proselytization except in church services conducted on personal time.
Jordan's Parliament Split On Religious Groups Under Societies Act
Faith-Based Alternatives To Traditional Insurance Pose Issue Under Reform Legislation
IRS Drops Church Investigation Until Procedural Problems Are Resolved
Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy Counterclaims Against ACLU
Suit Challenges Selective Service Handling of Conscientious Objectors
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Government Report Says Most Volunteering Is Through Faith-Based Organizations
New York's Syrian Jewish Community Reacts To Rabbis' Arrests
Some in the community are criticizing FBI informant, Solomon Dwek, son of a Syrian Jewish rabbi in Deal, New Jersey. Dwek was a key in obtaining evidence against those arrested. On Saturday, Dwek's father denounced the concept of Jews informing on each other during a study session at his synagogue. Then, to emphasize the point, Rabbi Dwek co-taught a class with Rabbi Edmund Nahum, one of those arrested and released on bail. On a Jewish radio program Saturday night, Sam Hirsch, a former Borough Park assemblyman, called for Solomon Dwek to be ostracized by the community. He also analogized Dwek to the halachic concept of a moser, the Jewish informer who was to be executed. Hirsch backed off his remark later.
The Forward article also has a lengthy discussion of the possible impact of the indictments on the rivalry between factions in Deal's Orthodox Jewish community.
"WWJD" Debt Collection Suit Voluntarily Dismissed After Counterclaims Filed
Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign Lawsuit Settled
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Dearborn (MI) Wrestling Coach Sues Principal Claiming Religious Bias
The complaint (full text) in Marszalek v. Fadlallah, (ED MI, filed 7/27/2009), alleges more broadly:
57. Defendant Fadlallah, since assuming duties as Fordson’s principal in 2005, has systematically weeded out Christian teachers, coaches, and employees, and has terminated, demoted, or reassigned them because of their Christian beliefs, expressions, and associations. Defendant Fadlallah acts in this manner because Christian beliefs are inconsistent with his personal Muslim beliefs.The lawsuit, challenging Marszalek's firing, alleges discrimination, due process violations, and infringement of free exercise, speech and association rights under various provisions of the U.S. and Michigan constitutions. It also alleges violations of Michigan's Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act and a claim for tortious interference with advantageous business relationships. Yesterday's Detroit Free Press reported on the lawsuit.
58. Defendant Fadlallah has publicly stated "he sees Dearborn Fordson High School as a Muslim school, both in students and faculty, and is working to that end," or words to that effect.
A press release by the Thomas More Law Center that filed the suit on behalf of Marszalek quotes TMLC president Richard Thompson, who made a broader assertion. He said: "We are getting a glimpse of what happens when Muslims who refuse to accept American values and principles gain political power in an American community. Failure to renew coach Marszalek’s contract had nothing to do with wrestling and everything to do with religion."
Japan's Catholic Bishops Says Clergy Should Not Serve As Citizen Judges
Author Criticizes Religious Views of Nominee For Head of NIH
At Washington Meeting With Chinese, Obama Raises Religious Freedom Issue
The White House has posted a press release and video of the President's remarks.[T]he United States respects the progress that China has made by lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Just as we respect China's ancient and remarkable culture, its remarkable achievements, we also strongly believe that the religion and culture of all peoples must be respected and protected, and that all people should be free to speak their minds. And that includes ethnic and religious minorities in China, as surely as it includes minorities within the United States.
Support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. Our nation is made up of immigrants from every part of the world. We have protected our unity and struggled to perfect our union by extending basic rights to all our people. And those rights include the freedom to speak your mind, to worship your God, and to choose your leaders. These are not things that we seek to impose -- this is who we are. It guides our openness to one another and to the world.
Nigerian Rebels Demanding Sharia Expand Attacks On Security Forces
Monday, July 27, 2009
India's Defense Minister OK's Beards In Military For Muslim Men
Texas County May Contract With Chaplain Service For Employees
Recent Articles of Interest
- Elliott Visconsi, The Invention of Criminal Blasphemy: Rex v. Taylor (1676), (Representations, Vol. 103, pp. 30-52, Summer 2008).
- Lea Bishop Shaver, The Inter-American Human Rights System: An Effective Institution for Regional Rights Protection?, (July 22, 2009).
- Francis Joseph Mootz, Faith and Politics in the Post-Secular Age: The Promise of President Obama, (July 13, 2009).
- Erin J. Cox, Freeing Exercise at Expression's Expense: When RFRA Privileges the Religiously Motivated Speaker, (UCLA Law Review, Vol. 56, p. 169, 2008).
- Prakash Shah, The Indian Dimension of An-Na'im's Islam and the Secular State, (Islam and Europe: Crises Are Challenges, Marie-Claire Foblets & Jean-Yves Carlier, eds., Leuven University Press, 2009).
- MarÃa Fraile Ortiz, The Islamic Headscarf: Does Context Matter?, (InDret, Vol. 3, 2008).
- Andrew F. March, Are Secularism and Neutrality Attractive to Religious Minorities? Islamic Discussions of Western Secularism in the 'Jurisprudence of Muslim Minorities' (Fiqh Al-Aqalliyyat) Discourse, (Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 2821-2854, 2009).
From SmartCILP and elsewhere:
- Symposium on the Environment, 23 Notre Dame Journal of Law Ethics & Public Policy 429-697 (2009).
- Jeffrey Shulman, Making Sense of the Establishment Clause, Engage, Vol. 10, Issue 2, p. 4 (2009).
- George W. Dent, Jr., The Growing Clash Between Religious Freedom and the Gay Movement, Engage, Vol. 10, Issue 2, p. 7 (2009).
Sunday, July 26, 2009
"Flying Imams" Can Proceed Against Airport Security Officers For Search and Arrest
In Shqeirat v. U.S. Airways Group, Inc., (D MN, July 24, 2009), the court wrote, in part:
The court however did dismiss plaintiffs' claims against US Airways holding that it was not a state actor and that law enforcement officers did not substitute the airline's judgment for their own. the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported on the decision yesterday. (See prior related posting.)MAC Defendants suggest that the attacks of September 11, 2001—perpetrated by men of Middle Eastern descent who espoused a radical version of Islam—justifies a massive curtailment of liberty whenever terrorism, and in this case, the suspicion of Islamic terrorism, is concerned. Unquestionably the events of 9/11 changed the calculus in the balance American society chooses to make, especially in airport settings, between liberty and security. Ultimately, the proper balance will be achieved, in large part, because we have the most capable and diligent law enforcement and intelligence communities in the world. But when a law enforcement officer exercises the power of the Sovereign over its citizens, she or he has a responsibility to operate within the bounds of the Constitution and cannot raise the specter of 9/11 as an absolute exception to that responsibility.
On the record before the Court, no reasonable officer could have believed they could arrest Plaintiffs without probable cause. The right that was violated is clearly established, and, thus, the MAC Defendants are not entitled to qualified immunity. Accordingly, summary judgment is denied on the unreasonable seizure claim.
USAID Inspector General Raises Questions About Religious Nature of Some Grants
This audit surveyed 31 USAID regional legal advisors, as well as 9 of the 10 faith-based organizations that receive the most USAID funding, concerning the use of USAID funds for religious activities. From these responses, audit staff found that some USAID-awarded funds were used for religious activities in four contracts that amounted to more than $325,000. These funds were used for the rehabilitation of mosques and adjoining community centers in Iraq. USAID also funded, within a program to combat HIV/AIDS, lesson plans that contained Biblical applications and discussions.Both the Washington Post and BeliefNet News reported last week on the IG's audit.
However, USAID officials were unsure whether such uses of Agency funding violated Agency regulations or the Establishment Clause .... In their view, the relevant legal precedent relating to the separation of church and state, and its application overseas—especially in light of foreign policy objectives—complicated the decision-making process about what activities should or should not be funded. USAID requested legal clarification on this issue from the Department of Justice in 2007 but has not received final guidance...
Georgia Judicial Council Permits Religious Head Coverings In Courtrooms
Head coverings are prohibited from the courtroom except in cases where the covering is worn for medical or religious reasons. To the extent security requires a search of a person wearing a head covering for medical or religious reasons, the individual has the option of having the inspection performed by a same-sex officer in a private area. The individual is allowed to put his or her own head covering back on after the inspection is complete.
Canada's High Court Rejects Hutterite Challenge To License Photo Requirement
The Province's evidence demonstrates that the existence of an exemption from the photo requirement would materially increase the vulnerability of the licensing system and the risk of identity‑related fraud. Second, the universal photo requirement for all licensed drivers minimally impairs the s. 2(a) right. The impugned measure is reasonably tailored to address the problem of identity theft associated with driver’s licences. The evidence discloses no alternative measures which would substantially satisfy the government’s objective while allowing the claimants to avoid being photographed.The majority also rejected a claim that the universal photo requirement infringes the equal protection guarantee of Sec. 15 of the Charter.
Justices Abella, LeBel and Fish each wrote a dissent. They stressed both the significant impact of the universal photo requirement on the Hutterite's religious beliefs and argued that the regulation is not a proportionate response to the problem of identity theft. Yesterday's Calgary Herald, reporting on the decision, says that the Hutterites are considering the possibility of leaving the province for a location that would be friendlier to them. Today's Lethbridge (AB) Herald also reports on the decision after interviewing the lawyer who represented the losing Hutterite colony.
Islamic Restictions Increasingly Being Enforced In Gaza
Analysis Says European Fears Regarding Muslim Communities Appear Unfounded
Recent Prisoner and Institutionalized Persons Free Exercise Cases
In Ayotte v. McPeek, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62163 (D CO, June 5, 2009), a California federal magistrate judge allowed an inmate to move ahead with his claim that his free exercise rights were infringed when his requests to replace his defective hearing aids were denied.Plaintiff alleged, along with other claims, that he has been prevented from fully understanding the religious programs that he attends in prison.
In Modlenaar v. Liberatore, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62842 (WD NY, July 21, 2009), a New York federal district judge allowed a former Attica inmate to move ahead against a corrections officer in a suit challenging a denial of kosher food for six days while he was on a medically restricted diet.
In Pratt v. Hogan, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63086 (ND NY, July 6, 2009), a civilly committed patient claimed that his required sex offender treatment program violated his free exercise rights. He alleged that he was an atheist, and the Good Lives Model and Boundaries Program compels one to believe in "spirituality" and includes relaxation programs that are partly based on eastern Zen practices. A New York federal district court concluded that defendants are entitled to qualified immunity because it was objectively reasonable for them to perceive no constitutional violations in implementing the program.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Suit Against Children Services Officials By Muslim Mother Is Mostly Dismissed
Plaintiffs fail to cite a single precedent establishing that, even when viewed in the light most favorable to the Plaintiffs, Defendants acts--placement in a Christian foster home, refusal to place them in a Muslim foster home, refusal to provide them with a list of Muslim leader's phone numbers, or falsely reporting in FCCS' administrative file that they did not want to practice Islam--interfered with their right to free exercise. Accordingly, they have waived their free exercise claim by failing to support or develop it.Plaintiffs were permitted to move ahead with claims under Section 1983 that the social worker interfered with protected rights of familial association and that she retaliated for plaintiff's engaging in protected speech. Plaintiffs were also permitted to proceed with a state law claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress. The social worker was charged with falsifying facts in her administrative file on the children.
Evangelist Tony Alamo Convicted On Mann Act Charges
3rd Circuit Says RLUIPA Zoning Challenge Is Not Ripe
Friday, July 24, 2009
4th Circuit Says Warden Has Qualified Immunity In Demotion of Rastafarian Officer
Saskatchewan Court Says Marriage Commissioner May Not Refuse To Perform Gay Weddings
M.J. and other members of the public do not have to depend upon encountering a marriage commissioner who has no moral or religious objection to performing a same sex marriage in order to gain access to an entitlement to be married without discrimination. Regardless of the religious basis of Mr. Nichols’ views, his acting on them in this manner constitutes discrimination in the provision of a public service on the basis of sexual orientation. Any accommodation of Mr. Nichols’ religious views, if the duty to accommodate exists, is not the responsibility of those who seek the services that he is legally empowered to provide. If any accommodation is due to Mr. Nichols for his religious views, it must be accomplished without risking what occurred here – where the complainant sought a service and was expressly denied it on the basis of his sexual orientation....Reporting on the decision, the Regina (SK) Leader-Post says that provincial officials will still move ahead with plans to obtain a Court of Appeal ruling on the constitutionality of a proposed law that would exempt marriage commissioners from performing same-sex marriages if they object to doing so for religious reasons. (See prior related posting.)
I am sympathetic to the argument that a public official acting as government is at the same time an individual whose religious views demand respect. However, a public official has a far greater duty to ensure that s/he respects the law and the rule of law. A marriage commissioner is, to the public, a representative of the state. She or he is expected by the public to enforce, observe and honour the laws binding his or her actions. If a marriage commissioner cannot do that, she or he cannot hold that position.
Religious Objections To USDA's Animal Tagging Program Rejected
All but one of the plaintiffs live in Michigan and the lawsuit focused on Michigan's adoption of NAIS as a means of combating tuberculosis in cattle. The court dismissed claims against the U.S. Department of Agriculture because plaintiffs' alleged injuries stemmed from the independent decision of the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) to adopt the program, and not from action by the USDA. It dismissed claims under RFRA and NEPA against the MDA, because neither of those federal statutes apply to states. It dismissed claims that MDA failed to comply with state law on 11th Amendment grounds, and rejected supplemental jurisdiction over three state law claims. AP reported on the decision. (See prior related posting.)
Court Says It Can Apply Neutral Principles To Fiduciary Claim Against Church Trustees
Nigeria Begins New Push To Tax Unrelated Income of Religious Groups
Utah Court Rejects Settlement In FLDS Trust Reform; Texas Custody Case Ends
Meanwhile, in a separate case, the state of Texas ended state custody of the last of the 439 children who been taken by child welfare officials from the FLDS' Yearning for Zion Ranch in 2008. (See prior posting.) Yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune reports that the girl, now 15, was placed with her aunt, and the girl's mother, Barbara Jessop, was given the right to supervised visits. Allegedly the girl was spiritually married to former FLDS leader Warren Jeffs when she was 12.