Religion Clause

Friday, January 22, 2016

10th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments In "Sister Wives" Challenge To Utah Polygamy Ban

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday heard oral arguments in Brown v. Buhman, a case in which a Utah federal district judge struck down most of Utah's statute banning polygamy. (See prior posting.) While the 10th Circuit does not post recordings of oral arguments, AP reported on the arguments. Plaintiffs in the case are the polygamous family featured on the TLC reality series "Sister Wives,"

Challenge To School Religious Activities Dismissed On Standing Grounds

In American Humanist Association, Inc. v. Douglas County School District RE-1, (D CO, Jan. 20, 2016), a Colorado federal district court dismissed for lack of standing a lawsuit by parents of children in the Douglas County School District, and by the American Humanist Association. The suit challenged as violations of the Establishment Clause and the Equal Access Act various religious activities in the school system, including participation in Operation Christmas Child collections for needy children, a trip by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to Guatemala and faculty participation in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Some plaintiffs did not show any injury in fact, while others did not show that their injury was traceable to the challenged conduct. The court also found no standing for plaintiffs as municipal taxpayers.

"No-Aid" Clause Not Violated By Faith-Based Social Service Contracts

In Center For Inquiry , Inc. v. Jones, (FL Cir. Ct., Jan. 20, 2016), a Florida state trial court upheld against constitutional challenge state contracts with religious organizations for substance abuse treatment and transitional housing for former inmates. Plaintiffs contended that the contracts violate Art. I, Sec. 3 of the Florida Constitution which provides in part:

No revenue of the state or any political subdivision or agency thereof shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution.

The court disagreed, saying:

The No-Aid provision permits government contracts with religious organizations if the funds are not spent "in aid of" religion but rather to further the state's secular goals.... [T]he Program exists to promote the State's anti-recidivism and anti-addiction efforts, not religion. The Program is not "significantly sectarian": it permits some religious content only to the extent the content is offered in a nondiscriminatory and wholly optional and voluntary fashion. Further, the record shows that the program does not indoctrinate, require participation in religious ritual, or favor any one religion over another.

Becket Fund issued a press release announcing the decision.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Department of Education Will Publicize Religious Colleges That Have Obtained Title IX Exemptions

As previously reported, over the last two years the U.S. Department of Education has granted a number of religiously-controlled colleges an exemption from Title IX where full compliance would conflict with their religious tenets. With the exemption, the schools may continue to receive federal funds even though they discriminate in various ways on the basis of marital status, sex outside of marriage, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, or abortion. In a press release yesterday, Human Rights Campaign says that now the Department of Education has agreed to create a searchable database of educational institutions that have applied for and/or received such exemptions. HRC comments:

While the Department of Education has little discretion to deny these requests for exemptions, religiously controlled educational institutions should not be exempt from full transparency.

Texas Bar Committee Backs Off Refusal To Certify Christian Ethics CLE Course

As reported by Catholic Education Daily, the State Bar of Texas Minimum Continuing Legal Education Committee last week backed off of its controversial refusal last November (see prior posting) to certify a religious-themed continuing legal education program for "Legal Ethics/ Professional Responsibility" credit. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had charged the Committee with religious discrimination after it refused to approve a St. Mary's law school professor's CLE program on "Christian Ethical Perspectives: Faith and Law Today" for ethics credit. In its January 12 letter (full text) to the professor, Bill Piatt, the Committee said in part:

It has become clear that the November 4 letter conveyed an unintended and incorrect impression regarding the MCLE Committee's position regarding the provision of credit for courses containing moral or religious content. We take responsibility for and regret the miscommunication.

Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court Says Marriage Under Age 18 Is Banned Without Exceptions

Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court yesterday held that the country's Constitution bars marriage below the age of 18 for either males or females. According to NewsdzeZimbabwe, the court held that Sec. 78(1) of Zimbabwe's Constitution invalidates Sec. 22(1) of the Marriage Act that allowed girls (with consent of their parents or guardians) to marry at age 16 and boys to marry at age 18, and in addition allowed either to marry at a younger age with the consent of the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. The court held that the Constitution "sets 18 years as the minimum age of marriage...." and that the Constitution "permits no exception for religious, customary or cultural practices that permit child marriage, nor does it allow for exceptions based on the consent of public official, parents or guardians."

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Suit Seeks "Church Plan" Designation To Avoid Liability For Bankrupt Pension Plan

In Nashville (TN), an important charitable foundation, the Baptist Healing Trust Fund, last week filed a declaratory judgment action against the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation seeking to avoid potential liability to the PBGC in connection with the now-bankrupt retirement plan of the former Baptist Hospital. According to the complaint (full text) in Baptist Healing Hospital Trust v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, (MD TN, filed 1/12/2016), the charitable trust-- which received a substantial portion of the proceeds from the sale of Baptist Hospital in 2001-- seeks a ruling that the pension plan was an exempt "church plan" under ERISA so that the PBGC would have no jurisdiction to pursue claims on behalf of the plan. The PGBC is seeking arbitration to recover the $100 million still due to retirees. The lawsuit also seeks a stay of the arbitration while the court determines the exempt status of the plan. Nashville Public Radio, Nashville Post, and The Tennessean all report on the lawsuit.

Adventists Sue Town Over Required License For Door-To-Door Solicitation

The Seventh Day Adventist Church and two of its members filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against the city of White Hall, Arkansas challenging the constitutionality of the city's requirement for a permit before an individual can engage in door-to-door solicitation of funds. The complaint (full text) in Arkansas-Louisiana Conference of Seventh Day Adventists v. City of White Hall, Arkansas, (ED AR, filed 1/19/2016), contends that the ordinance violates plaintiffs' free speech, free exercise, due process rights and their rights under Arkansas' Religious Freedom Restoration Act. At issue is a Student Literature Evangelism Program run by Ouachita Hills College in which teams go door-to-door in neighborhoods evangelizing, offering literature and asking for donations. The suit contends that the ordinance is overbroad and vague, and that its $50 fee chills speech, substantially burdens religious exercise. Plaintiffs also filed a brief (full text) in support of their motion for injunctive relief. Adventist Review reports on the filing of the lawsuit.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Ejected Muslim and Sikh Airline Passengers Sue

The New York Daily News reported yesterday that a federal lawsuit has been filed against American Airlines and two affiliated regional carriers by four friends-- 3 Muslims and a Sikh-- who were ejected from a Toronto to New York flight last December because they made the stewardesses and the captain uneasy. The flyers' appearance and the fact that two of them upgraded to business class just before boarding aroused suspicions in the crew. Two of the ejected passengers were Bangladeshi Muslims, one an Arab Muslim and one a Sikh from India. The lawsuit seeks $9 million in damages, claiming plaintiffs were discriminated against for looking too Muslim.

Jehovah's Witnesses In Russia Sue Over Blocking of Bible Imports

Interfax yesterday reported on a lawsuit filed in a Russian court by the Administrative Center for Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia against customs authorities in the town of Vyborg. According to the lawsuit filed in the St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region Arbitration Court, Customs has refused to allow into the country a shipment of Bibles from German Jehovah's Witnesses because they were not accompanied by documents certifying compliance with the Federal Law on Counteracting Extremist Activity. The shipment included the Synodal edition of the Bible (translated by the Russian Orthodox Church) and the Study Bible published by the Russian Bible Society. According to a Nov. 30, 2015 report from Forum 18:

A new Russian legal amendment bans some sacred texts - "the Bible, the Koran, the Tanakh and the Kanjur, their contents, and quotations from them" - from being banned as "extremist". But about 4,000 Jehovah's Witness Bibles are among millions of their publications still held up at Russian customs as they may contain "extremism"....

Trump Speaks At Liberty University With Outreach To Evangelicals

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump spoke at Liberty University yesterday, in a talk geared toward his evangelical Christian audience. (Video of full remarks.) He speech was preceded by a lengthy introduction (full text) from Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr., who said in part:

Matthew 7:16 tells us "by their fruits ye shall know them". Donald Trump's life has borne fruit, fruit that has provided jobs to multitudes of people in addition to the many he has helped with his generosity.... In my opinion, Donald Trump lives a life of living and helping others as Jesus taught in the Great Commandment.

As reported by Time:

Early on in his speech, Trump tailored his message to the crowd and emphasized the power of Christianity in the country.

“We’re going to protect Christianity,” he said, before quoting a Bible passage. “2 Corinthians, right? 2 Corinthians 3:17, that’s the whole ballgame. Where the spirit of the lord, right? Where the spirit of the lord is, there is liberty … It is so true.”

(When quoting the Bible passage, Trump said “two Corinthians” rather than “Second Corinthians,” the correct way of saying it.)

“If you look what’s going on throughout the world … Christianity, it’s under siege,” Trump continued. “I’m Protestant, I’m very proud of it, Presbyterian to be exact, but I’m very proud of it … And we’ve got to protect because bad thing are happening … We don’t band together, maybe? Other religions frankly they’re banding together and they’re using it. If you look at this country, it’s gotta be 70 percent, 75 percent, some people say even more. The power we have, we have to unify. We have to band together, we have to do really in a really large version what they’ve done at Liberty.”

Monday, January 18, 2016

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Recent Prisoner Free Exercise Cases

In Payne v. Doe, (3d Cir., Jan. 7, 2016), a Muslim inmate complained that authorities refused to deliver him a late meal tray during Ramadan that eliminted foods to which he was allergic. The court affirmed the district court's holding that plaintiff had enough alternatives (e.g. getting his therapeutic tray early and holding it until later) that there was no 1st Amendment violation. However it remanded plaintiff's RLUIPA claim in light of the Supreme Court's intervening decision in Holt v. Hobbs.

In Lofton v. Williams, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3195 (SD GA, Jan. 11, 2016), a Georgia federal magistrate judge permitted an inmate to move ahead with his claim that he was placed by the warden in the more restrictive Tier II program because he is a Muslim. He was also given leave to amend his complaint regarding alleged strip searching and confiscation of his religious materials because of his faith.

In Harris v. Lake County, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3247 (ND CA, Jan 11, 2016), a California federal magistrate judge dismissed an inmate's claims that his religious rights were infringed when he was denied use of marijuana for medical or spiritual reasons.

In Huston v. Smith, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3342 (ND IA, Jan. 11, 2016), an Iowa federal district court rejected a habeas petition holding that civilly committing petitioner for sexually-motivated harassment was reasonable even if petitioner believed that committing him instead of forgiving him was contrary to his religious beliefs.

In Johnson v. Roskosci, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3403 (MD PA, Jan. 12, 2016), a Pennsylvania federal district court vacated a default judgment that had been entered against a corrections officer in a suit by an inmate who complained that his necklace of "religious cultural tribal beads" was illegally seized.

In Floyd v. Williams, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3615 (SD GA, Jan 12, 2016), a Georgia federal magistrate judge recommended that a Muslim inmate be permitted to proceed with claims for nominal damages and injunctive relief on his complaint that he was denied a chance to participate in the Eid al-Fitr feast.

In Quezada v. Cate, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4357 (ED CA, Jan. 12, 2016), a California federal magistrate judge recommended that an inmate who was an adherent of the House of Yahweh be permitted to proceed with his complaint that his kosher meals were terminated because he was not Jewish. UPDATE: The court adopted the magistrate's recommendations at 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33493, March 15, 2016.

In Robinson v. Cate, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4981 (ED CA, Jan. 14, 2016), a California federal magistrate judge recommended denying a preliminary injunction to a Muslim inmate who is litigating his right to a fully Halal diet.

In Crouch v. Wooley, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5397 (SD IL, Jan. 14, 2016), an Illinois federal district court permitted a Muslim inmate to proceed with his complaint that he was denied post-sunset meals for 16 days during Ramadan.

Planned Parenthood Files RICO Lawsuit Over Videos

On Thursday, Planned Parenthood filed a wide ranging lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress over heavily edited widely-publicized videos purporting to show that Planned Parenthood was illegally selling fetal tissue to researchers. The videos led to federal and state legislative investigations and efforts to cut off government funding. The complaint (full text) in Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. v. Center for Medical Progress, (ND CA, filed 1/14/2016) alleges violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization statute, as well as invasion of privacy, conspiracy, breach of contract, trespass and wiretapping. The 65-page complaint alleges in part:

This complaint details a complex criminal enterprise conceived and executed by anti-abortion extremists. The express aim of the enterprise— which stretched over years and involved fake companies, fake identifications, and large-scale illegal taping— was to demonize Planned Parenthood, harass and intimidate its dedicated staff, and interrupt its operations, all with the ultimate goal of interfering with women’s access to legal abortion....

Defendants ... went public with a vicious online video smear campaign, releasing a series of YouTube videos purporting to show that Planned Parenthood violated federal law related to tissue donation. In fact, these videos were heavily manipulated, with critical content deliberately deleted, and disconnected portions sewn together to create a misleading impression.

TPM reports on the lawsuit.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Presidential Proclamation: Religious Freedom Day

The White House yesterday issued a Presidential Proclamation (full text) declaring today as Religious Freedom Day 2016. It marks the anniversary of the adoption on Jan. 16, 1786 of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. President Obama's Proclamation included an extensive discussion of his Administration's initiatives to further religious liberty:

Here at home, my Administration is working to preserve religious liberty and enforce civil rights laws that protect religious freedom -- including laws that protect employees from religious discrimination and require reasonable accommodation of religious practices on the job. We will keep upholding the right of religious communities to establish places of worship and protecting the religious rights of those so often forgotten by society, such as incarcerated persons and individuals confined to institutions. We will also continue to protect students from discrimination and harassment that is based on their faith, and we will continue to enforce hate crime laws, including those perpetrated based on a person's actual or perceived religion. This work is crucial, particularly given the recent spike in reports of threats and violence against houses of worship, children, and adults simply because of their religious affiliation.

As we strive to uphold religious freedom at home, we recognize that this basic element of human dignity does not stop at our shores, and we work to promote religious freedom around the globe. We are working with a broad coalition against those who have subjected religious minorities to unspeakable violence and persecution, and we are mobilizing religious and civic leaders to defend vulnerable religious communities. In addition, we are calling for the elimination of improper restrictions that suppress religious practice, coordinating with governments around the world to promote religious freedom for citizens of every faith, and expanding training for our diplomats on how to monitor and advocate for this freedom.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Supreme Court Grants Review In Missouri Blaine Amendment Case

The U.S. Supreme Court today granted certiorari in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Pauley, (Docket No. 15-577, cert. granted 1/15/2016) (Order List). In the case, the the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, rejected arguments that Missouri's Blaine Amendments violate the U.S. Constitution's 1st and 14th Amendments. At issue was the denial by Missouri's Department of Natural Resources of a grant application by Trinity Church for a Playground Scrap Tire Surface Material Grant that would have allowed it to resurface a playground at its day care and preschool facility on church premises. (See prior posting.) The petition for certiorari (full text) framed the Question Presented as follows:

Whether the exclusion of churches from an otherwise neutral and secular aid program violates the Free Exercise and Equal Protection Clauses when the state has no valid Establishment Clause concern.

SCOTUSblog's case page has links to all the briefs.

Court Refuses To Require Catholic Hospital To Perform Tubal Ligation

In Chamorro v. Dignity Health, (CA Super., Jan. 14, 2016), a California trial court refused to issue a preliminary injunction to require a Catholic hospital to perform a tubal ligation for contraceptive purposes. The hospital refuses to perform the procedure pursuant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Plaintiff had contended that this violates California's prohibition on gender discrimination, but the court concluded that the hospital's policy bars direct sterilization of men as well as of women. AP reports on the decision.

NY Appeals Court Upholds Penalty On Wedding Venue That Refused To Host Same-Sex Ceremony

In Matter of Gifford v. McCarthy, (NY App. Div., Jan. 14, 2016), a New York state intermediate appellate court upheld a decision by the State Division of Human Rights imposing compensatory damages of $3000 and a civil fine of $10,000 on a for-profit wedding venue for refusing to host a same-sex marriage ceremony. Liberty Ridge Farm rents space for, among other things, religious and secular wedding ceremonies and receptions. One of the farm's owners told Melissa McCarthy that the farm did not host same-sex marriage ceremonies, though apparently it would have been willing to host the reception. The court held that Liberty Ridge's wedding facilities are a "place of public accommodation" under the NY Human Rights Law and that discrimination against same-sex weddings is discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The court went on to reject respondents federal and state free exercise claims, as well as their First Amendment compelled speech and expressive association defenses. It found the Human Rights Law to be a neutral law of general applicability. The New York state constitution's free exercise clause requires a balancing of interests. The court said:

While we recognize that the burden placed on the Giffords' right to freely exercise their religion is not inconsequential, it cannot be overlooked that SDHR's determination does not require them to participate in the marriage of a same-sex couple. Indeed, the Giffords are free to adhere to and profess their religious beliefs that same-sex couples should not marry, but they must permit same-sex couples to marry on the premises if they choose to allow opposite-sex couples to do so. To be weighed against the Giffords' interests in adhering to the tenets of their faith is New York's long-recognized, substantial interest in eradicating discrimination.... Balancing these competing interests, we conclude that petitioners failed to show that SDHR's determination constituted an unreasonable interference with the Giffords' religious freedom.

Rejecting respondents' First Amendment compelled speech argument, the court said:

Here, SDHR's determination does not compel the Giffords to endorse, espouse or promote same-sex marriages, nor does it require them to recite or display any message at all. The Giffords remain free to express whatever views they may have on the issue of same-sex marriage. The determination simply requires them to abide by the law and offer the same goods and services to same-sex couples that they offer to other couples. Despite the Giffords' assertion that their direct participation in same-sex wedding ceremonies would "broadcast to all who pass by the Farm" their support for same-sex marriage, reasonable observers would not perceive the Giffords' provision of a venue and services for a same-sex wedding ceremony as an endorsement of same-sex marriage.

The Blaze reports on the decision.

Group Releases List of Countries With Worst Persecution of Christians

This week the organization Open Doors issued its 2016 World Watch List Report detailing the 50 countries where persecution of Christians is greatest. North Korea, Iraq, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan and Somalia top the list. On Wednesday, Religion News Service covered the press conference at which the Report was released.

Victims' Group Says Catholic Church Is Still Responding Inadequately To Priest Abuse

Building on the popularity of the Academy Award nominated film Spotlight, earlier this week SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused By Priests) issued a press release titled A Challenge to Journalists: Where “Spotlights” Are Needed Now. It discusses nine areas in which SNAP believes the Catholic Church is still not providing adequate safeguards or is not implementing promises of transparency, accountability and compensation for past and present clergy sexual abuse.