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Michigan Department of Civil Rights\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(MI Ct. Cl., Dec. 7, 2020), the Michigan Court of Claims\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"discrimination because of sex under the ELCRA includes discrimination because of an individual’s “gender identity,” and thus Interpretative Statement 2018-1 is valid to that extent....\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, feeling itself bound by a prior state Court of Appeals decision, the court held:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ediscrimination because of an individual’s “sexual orientation” is not prohibited under the ELCRA. Whether enforcement of Interpretative Statement 2018-1, as modified by this opinion and order, would interfere with plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights to the free exercise of religion has not been sufficiently briefed to resolve at this juncture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt issue in the case According to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/michigan\/2020\/12\/10\/nessel-appeal-case-involving-companies-refused-same-sex-transgender-individuals\/3878885001\/\"\u003EDetroit News\u003C\/a\u003E, Michigan's attorney general plans to support the Civil Rights Commission's full interpretation in an appeal.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/6138849557530999331"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/6138849557530999331"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/michigan-court-of-claims-state-civil.html","title":"Michigan Court of Claims: State Civil Rights Law Bans Gender Identity, But Not Sexual Orientation, Discrimination"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-490202094859454104"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-11T07:05:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-11T07:05:03.597-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Abortion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"COVID-19"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Maryland"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Court Continues Injunction Allowing Medical Abortion Drug To Be Dispensed In Pharmacy Or By Mail"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;In \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/cases.justia.com\/federal\/district-courts\/maryland\/mddce\/8:2020cv01320\/481834\/144\/0.pdf?ts=1607595958\"\u003EAmerican College of\u0026nbsp; Obstetricians and Gynecologists v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(D MD, Dec. 9, 2020), a Maryland federal district court refused to stay its \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/07\/abortion-rights-proponents-win-in-4.html\"\u003Eearlier\u003C\/a\u003E preliminary injunction against enforcement during the COVID emergency of an FDA rule that prevents mifepristone, an oral medication used to induce abortion, from being received by mail or through a pharmacy. The rule mandates it be dispensed only in person at a clinic or doctor's office. The court said in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the parties continue their ongoing dispute over the validity of the Preliminary Injunction and whether it should presently remain in effect, the Court notes that it is not open-ended. The Preliminary Injunction is slated to end 30 days after the end of the public health emergency declared by the Secretary. With the positive news relating to vaccines, there is reason to hope that day will come soon. At this time, however, as the entire nation goes through what the Coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force has deemed the \"most deadly phase of the pandemic,\"... the Court concludes that Defendants have not identified changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a stay or dissolution of the Preliminary Injunction, in whole or in part.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/legal-issues\/abortion-medication-restrictions-loosened-during-pandemic\/2020\/12\/10\/332528fe-2db6-11eb-bae0-50bb17126614_story.html\"\u003EWashington Post\u003C\/a\u003E reports on the decision.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/490202094859454104"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/490202094859454104"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/court-continues-injunction-allowing.html","title":"Court Continues Injunction Allowing Medical Abortion Drug To Be Dispensed In Pharmacy Or By Mail"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-2389028968494075182"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-11T07:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-11T07:00:03.677-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Arizona"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ecclesiastical abstention"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mormon"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Court Refuses To Decide Whether LDS Church Is Christian"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;In \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.azcourts.gov\/Portals\/0\/OpinionFiles\/Div1\/2020\/1%20CA-CV%2019-0787%20FC.pdf\"\u003EBall v. Ball\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(AZ App., Dec. 10, 2020), an Arizona appellate court was called upon to interpret a Parenting Plan that parents had agreed upon three years earlier as part of the dissolution of their marriage. The Plan provided:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach parent may take the minor children to a church or place of worship of his or her choice during the time that the minor children is\/are in his or her care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth parents agree that the minor children may be instructed in the Christian faith.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA year after the divorce, the father joined the LDS Church and sometimes took the children to meetings there. The mother objected claiming that the father's church is not Christian. The court held that the reference to \"Christian\" in the second clause does not limit the father's right to take the children to any place of worship, Christian or not.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe court went on to hold that the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine would bar it from deciding whether the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is part of the Christian faith, saying in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat very question has long been a matter of theological debate in the United States. A secular court must avoid ruling on such issues to prevent the appearance that government favors one religious view over another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/2389028968494075182"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/2389028968494075182"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/court-refuses-to-decide-whether-lds.html","title":"Court Refuses To Decide Whether LDS Church Is Christian"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-7599580472167028642"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-10T11:24:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-10T11:25:53.099-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Muslim"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RFRA"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"US Supreme Court"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Supreme Court Holds That RFRA Authorizes Damage Actions Against Federal Officials"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Supreme Court today in \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/20pdf\/19-71_qol1.pdf\"\u003ETanzin v. Tanvir\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Sup. Ct., Dec. 10, 2020), held that the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/42\/chapter-21B\"\u003EReligious Freedom Restoration Act\u003C\/a\u003E permits suits for damages against federal officials in their individual capacities. In an 8-0 opinion (written by Justice Thomas), the court described the case as follows:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERespondents Muhammad Tanvir, Jameel Algibhah, and Naveed Shinwari are practicing Muslims who claim that Federal Bureau of Investigation agents placed them on the No Fly List in retaliation for their refusal to act as informants against their religious communities. Respondents sued various agents in their official capacities, seeking removal from the No Fly List. They also sued the agents in their individual capacities for money damages. According to respondents, the retaliation cost them substantial sums of money: airline tickets wasted and income from job opportunities lost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFocusing on RFRA's authorization of suits seeking \"appropriate relief\" against the federal government or government officials, the Court said in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA damages remedy is not just “appropriate” relief as viewed through the lens of suits against Government employees. It is also the \u003Ci\u003Eonly\u003C\/i\u003E form of relief that can remedy some RFRA violations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJustice Barrett did not take part in the decision.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7599580472167028642"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7599580472167028642"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/supreme-court-holds-that-rfra.html","title":"Supreme Court Holds That RFRA Authorizes Damage Actions Against Federal Officials"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-6256358569860447796"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-10T07:10:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-10T07:10:00.946-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Blasphemy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"International religious freedom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"USCIRF"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"USCIRF Hearing On Blasphemy Laws"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom held a hearing yesterday on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EBlasphemy Laws and the Violation of International Religious Freedom.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Transcripts of remarks by several USCIRF commissioners at the hearing, and transcripts of the written testimony of several witnesses are available at the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.uscirf.gov\/events\/hearings-and-briefings\/uscirf-hearing-blasphemy-laws-and-violation-international-religious\"\u003EUSCIRF website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/6256358569860447796"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/6256358569860447796"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/uscirf-hearing-on-blasphemy-laws.html","title":"USCIRF Hearing On Blasphemy Laws"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-3960448866779019759"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-10T07:05:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-10T07:05:07.169-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Abortion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Free speech"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Texas"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sign Ordinance Invoked Against Abortion Protesters Is Unconstiutional "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/cases.justia.com\/federal\/district-courts\/texas\/txndce\/4:2019cv00869\/323606\/42\/0.pdf?ts=1607509608\"\u003EBaker v. City of Fort Worth\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ND TX, Dec. 8, 2020), a Texas federal district court held that Fort Worth's sign ordinance is facially unconstitutional as a content-based prior restraint on speech.\u0026nbsp; The suit was brought by two plaintiffs who were cited for placing 18-inch crosses on a public right-of-way in front of an abortion clinic. The city ordinances require city council approval in order to display signs on public property, except for political signs at election polling locations.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3960448866779019759"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3960448866779019759"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/sign-ordinance-invoked-against-abortion.html","title":"Sign Ordinance Invoked Against Abortion Protesters Is Unconstiutional "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-7220280804017081954"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-10T07:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-10T07:00:07.416-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Church services"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"COVID-19"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nevada"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"9th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments In Church's Challenge To Nevada COVID Rules"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EOn Tuesday, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in \u003Ci\u003ECalvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ca9.uscourts.gov\/media\/view_video.php?pk_vid=0000018437\"\u003Evideo of full oral arguments\u003C\/a\u003E). In the case,\u0026nbsp;a Nevada federal district court upheld Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak's COVID-19 Order limiting worship services to no more than 50 people with social distancing. (See \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/06\/court-upholds-nevada-covid-19.html\"\u003Eprior posting\u003C\/a\u003E.) Subsequently, the U.S. Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote refused to grant an injunction pending the appeal that was argued this week. (See \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/07\/supreme-court-5-4-refuses-to-enjoin.html\"\u003Eprior posting\u003C\/a\u003E.) After that, plaintiff filed a petition asking the U.S\/ Supreme Court to grant certiorari before the 9th Circuit decides the case. (See \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/11\/early-supreme-court-review-sought-in.html\"\u003Eprior posting\u003C\/a\u003E.) That petition is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/search.aspx?filename=\/docket\/docketfiles\/html\/public\/20-639.html\"\u003Estill pending\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7220280804017081954"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7220280804017081954"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/9th-circuit-hears-oral-arguments-in.html","title":"9th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments In Church's Challenge To Nevada COVID Rules"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-844277939322863549"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-09T07:10:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-09T07:10:01.899-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Catholic schools"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"COVID-19"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Free exercise"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Michigan"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Michigan Catholic Schools Sue Over COVID Order"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EA group of Catholic schools and parents of students in the schools filed suit this week in a Michigan federal district court challenging the state's latest COVID-19 Order which temporarily bars in-person instruction in high schools. The schools claim that the latest order violates their free exercise, freedom of assembly, due process and equal protection rights. The complaint (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/487340836\/Religious-Michigan-high-schools-sue-to-reopen-for-in-person-classes#download\u0026amp;from_embed\"\u003Efull text\u003C\/a\u003E) in \u003Ci\u003EMichigan Association of Non-Public Schools v. Gordon,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(WD MI, filed 12\/7\/2020), alleges in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlaintiffs fully understand and appreciate the challenges of limiting COVID’s spread and of contributing to the common good. They are convinced that continuing in-person religious education contributes\u0026nbsp; to the well-being of Michiganders, rather than harming it. That is why they have gone to such extraordinary lengths to ensure in-person schooling can be done safely for everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite all this, Defendant has shuttered Plaintiffs’ schools. At the same time, Defendant allows other activities with demonstrably higher risks to continue. These include professional and collegiate athletics, tattoo parlors and hair salons. Defendant’s prior three-week “pause” order has now been extended and Plaintiffs face the prospect of indefinite future extensions....\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.mlive.com\/public-interest\/2020\/12\/michigan-catholic-schools-say-forced-closure-is-unconstitutional-file-lawsuit.html\"\u003EMLive reports\u003C\/a\u003E on the lawsuit.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/844277939322863549"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/844277939322863549"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/michigan-catholic-schools-sue-over.html","title":"Michigan Catholic Schools Sue Over COVID Order"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-3077096087431893952"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-09T07:05:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-09T07:05:06.396-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Equal Protection"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Free exercise"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Grooming rules"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Prisoner cases"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RLUIPA"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Virginia"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"4th Circuit Remands Muslim Inmate's RLUIPA and Equal Protection Claims"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ca4.uscourts.gov\/opinions\/196871.U.pdf\"\u003EGentry v. Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003E(4th Cir., Dec. 7, 2020), the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part and vacated in part a Virginia district court's dismissal of a suit by a Muslim inmate who, for religious reasons, seeks to maintain a full beard. The court remanded plaintiff's RLUIPA claim instructing the district court to consider, in light of the prison system's change in policy to now allow beards, whether the claim is moot. The court also remanded for further consideration plaintiff's equal protection claim. The court however agreed that plaintiff's claim for damages for violating his 1st Amendment free exercise rights should be dismissed, saying in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause no law or precedent at the time of the challenged conduct “clearly established” that VDOC’s grooming policy violated the constitutional rights of religious objectors like Gentry, the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity on this claim.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3077096087431893952"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3077096087431893952"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/4th-circuit-remands-muslim-inmates.html","title":"4th Circuit Remands Muslim Inmate's RLUIPA and Equal Protection Claims"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-2448239358056330285"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-09T07:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-09T07:00:10.143-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Abortion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Free speech"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Oklahoma"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"10th Circuit Allows Enforcement of Disturbing-the-Peace Law Against Abortion Protesters"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ca10.uscourts.gov\/opinions\/18\/18-6187.pdf\"\u003EHarmon v. City of Norman\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(10th Cir., Dec. 7, 2020), the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court's refusal to enjoin during the pendency of litigation the use of Norman, Oklahoma's disturbing-the-peace ordinance against anti-abortion protesters. The court held that the ordinance is a neutral and narrowly-tailored time, place and manner regulation that does not violate the 1st Amendment. The court also rejected vagueness and overbreadth claims.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/2448239358056330285"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/2448239358056330285"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/10th-circuit-allows-enforcement-of.html","title":"10th Circuit Allows Enforcement of Disturbing-the-Peace Law Against Abortion Protesters"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-3796593939434586050"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-08T07:10:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-08T07:10:01.219-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"COVID-19"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Free exercise"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Religious schools"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Suit Challenges Ohio County's COVID-19 School Closure Order"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThree Toledo, Ohio area Christian schools and a state-wide organization of evangelical and Catholic schools filed suit yesterday in an Ohio federal district court challenging a Health Department's COVID-19 Resolution requiring secondary schools to end in-person teaching.\u0026nbsp; The complaint (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ccv.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Complaint-Monclova-et-al-v-TLCHD-Northern-District-Dec-7th.pdf\"\u003Efull text\u003C\/a\u003E) in \u003Ci\u003EMonclova Christian Academy v. Toledo-Lucas County Health Department,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ND OH, filed 12\/7\/2020), alleges in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the Resolution is allowed to take effect, on December 4 at 4:00 p.m. in Lucas County, one will still be free to crowd in retail stores, go bowling with friends, go to the movies, attend concerts, go to a hair salon, get a manicure or massage or tattoo, or even go to the casino. Although there are limits and restrictions that govern how such in-person activities must operate, the Resolution has not prohibited them or altered the way in which those groups of people gather or use facilities. Yet, starting on December 4 at 4:00 p.m., Grades 7-12 (or 9-12 depending on school configuration) are strictly prohibited from attending in-person school, even when religious education is a deep and sincere facet of one’s faith, and even when those operating religious schools are abiding by strict social distancing and hygiene standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECitizens for Community Values issued a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ccv.org\/2020\/12\/07\/ccvsueslucascounty\/\"\u003Epress release\u003C\/a\u003E announcing the filing of the lawsuit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3796593939434586050"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3796593939434586050"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/suit-challenges-ohio-countys-covid-19.html","title":"Suit Challenges Ohio County's COVID-19 School Closure Order"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-6603921589665094644"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-08T07:05:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-08T07:05:01.498-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Blasphemy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"International religious freedom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U.S. House of Representatives"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"House Resolution Calls For International Repeal of Blasphemy, Heresy and Apostasy Laws"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/clerk.house.gov\/evs\/2020\/roll236.xml\"\u003Eby a vote\u003C\/a\u003E of 386-3 passed House Resolution 512 (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/house-resolution\/512\/text\"\u003Efull text\u003C\/a\u003E) calling for the global repeal of blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws. The Resolution says in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[B]lasphemy laws have affected Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Baha’i, secularists, and many other groups, are inconsistent with international human rights standards because they establish and promote official religious orthodoxy and dogma over individual liberty, and often result in violations of the freedoms of religion, thought, and expression that are protected under international instruments, including Articles 18 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)....\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Resolution \"calls on the President and the Secretary of State to make the repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws a priority in the bilateral relationships....\"\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/6603921589665094644"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/6603921589665094644"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/house-resolution-calls-for.html","title":"House Resolution Calls For International Repeal of Blasphemy, Heresy and Apostasy Laws"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-5639577204362189251"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-08T07:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-08T07:00:02.976-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Department of Labor"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Employment discrimination"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Government contracts"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Religious liberty"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Department of Labor Broadly Defines Religious Exemption From Anti-Discrimination Rules for Federal Contractors"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EYesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in a 159-page Release (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/487298157\/RE-Final-Rule-508c\"\u003Efull text\u003C\/a\u003E) adopted amendments defining expansively the religious exemption in the agency's rules imposing anti-discrimination requirements on government contractors and subcontractors. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/cfr\/text\/41\/60-1.5\"\u003Eagency's rules\u003C\/a\u003E incorporate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/agencies\/ofccp\/executive-order-11246\/as-amended\"\u003EExecutive Order 11246\u003C\/a\u003E which imposes non-discrimination and equal treatment requirements for employees of the contractor or subcontractor.\u0026nbsp; The Executive Order bars discrimination on the basis of\u0026nbsp;race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. However there is an exemption for:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ea religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society, with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution, or society of its activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe amendments provide in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReligious corporation, association, educational institution, or society means a corporation, association, educational institution, society, school, college, university, or institution of learning that:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(i) Is organized for a religious purpose;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(ii) Holds itself out to the public as carrying out a religious purpose;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(iii) Engages in activity consistent with, and in furtherance of, that religious purpose; and\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(iv)(A) Operates on a not-for-profit basis; or\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;(B) Presents other strong evidence that its purpose is substantially religious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(2) Whether an organization’s engagement in activity is consistent with, and in furtherance of, its religious purpose is determined by reference to the organization’s own sincere understanding of its religious tenets....\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReactions to the new rule varied. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/firstliberty.org\/media\/department-of-labor-rule-strengthens-religious-liberty-protections-for-faith-based-organizations-partnering-with-government\/\"\u003EFirst Liberty\u003C\/a\u003E praised the new rule, saying in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReligious organizations should never be forced to abandon their religious identity and mission in order to be eligible to partner with the federal government.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the other hand, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.au.org\/media\/press-releases\/Dept-Labor-Rule-Discrimination\"\u003EAmericans United\u003C\/a\u003E said in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe constitutional right to religious freedom promises everyone the right to live their lives secure that the government will treat them equally, no matter what their belief system. The new Department of Labor rule, however, turns this core American value on its head and puts countless peoples’ jobs at risk because they do not share the religious views or meet the religious code of conduct of a government contractor. Like so many others issued by the Trump administration, this rule particularly puts at risk workers who are LGBTQ, women, religious minorities and non-religious people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/5639577204362189251"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/5639577204362189251"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/department-of-labor-broadly-defines.html","title":"Department of Labor Broadly Defines Religious Exemption From Anti-Discrimination Rules for Federal Contractors"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-3367778210429169905"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-07T17:05:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-07T17:05:12.677-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nazis"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"US Supreme Court"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Suits Over Nazi Confiscation of Jewish-Owned Property"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in two cases involving suits to recover the value of Jewish-owned property confiscated by governments in Hungary and Germany during World War II. In \u003Ci\u003ERepublic of Hungary v. Simon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(links to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/oral_arguments\/argument_transcripts\/2020\/18-1477_onjq.pdf\"\u003Etranscript\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?477434-1\/hungary-v-simon-oral-argument\"\u003Eaudio\u003C\/a\u003E of full oral arguments), the Court was asked to decide on whether principles of international comity could be invoked by the district court to abstain from deciding the case under the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/28\/part-IV\/chapter-97\"\u003EForeign Sovereign Immunities Act\u003C\/a\u003E. The case was brought by surviving Hungarian nationals seeking to recover on behalf of a worldwide class the value of property taken from them during the Holocaust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/18\/18-1447\/153828\/20200911203005857_18-1447tsacUnitedStates.pdf\"\u003Eamicus brief\u003C\/a\u003E, the United States government argued:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe United States has a paramount interest in ensuring that its foreign partners establish appropriate domestic redress and compensation mechanisms for Holocaust victims, and therefore seeks to prevent litigation in U.S. courts that could undermine that objective.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCOTUSblog \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/case-files\/cases\/republic-of-hungary-v-simon\/\"\u003Ecase page\u003C\/a\u003E has links to all the filing in the case.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003EFederal Republic of Germany v. Philipp\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(links to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/oral_arguments\/argument_transcripts\/2020\/19-351_o7jq.pdf\"\u003Etranscript\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?477435-1\/germany-v-philipp-oral-argument\"\u003Eaudio\u003C\/a\u003E of full oral arguments), the Court, in addition to the comity question, is asked to decide whether the expropriation exception to sovereign immunity in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/28\/part-IV\/chapter-97\"\u003EForeign Sovereign Immunities Act\u003C\/a\u003E covers the taking of property in the Holocaust in violation of human rights provisions of international law. The suit seeks recovery for the forced sale at a fraction of its actual value of a collection of medieval reliquary art that had been purchased in 1929 by a consortium of Jewish art dealers in Germany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCOTUSblog \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/case-files\/cases\/federal-republic-of-germany-v-philipp\/\"\u003Ecase page\u003C\/a\u003E has links to all the filing in the case.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/federalnewsnetwork.com\/government-news\/2020\/12\/high-court-hears-nazi-era-cases-from-germany-hungary\/\"\u003EAP reports\u003C\/a\u003E on the arguments in both cases.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3367778210429169905"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/3367778210429169905"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-suits.html","title":"Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Suits Over Nazi Confiscation of Jewish-Owned Property"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-7105244426111800044"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-07T11:01:00.007-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-07T11:01:52.759-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Title IX"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Transgender"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"US Supreme Court"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"SCOTUS Denies Review In Transgender Bathroom Case"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Supreme Court today denied review in \u003Ci\u003EParents for Privacy v. Barr,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Docket No. 20-62, certiorari denied 12\/7\/2020). (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/orders\/courtorders\/120720zor_6jg7.pdf\"\u003EOrder List\u003C\/a\u003E). In the case, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an Oregon school district's policy of allowing transgender students to use school bathrooms, locker rooms and showers that correspond to their gender identity. (See \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/02\/9th-circuit-oks-schools-policy-on.html\"\u003Eprior posting\u003C\/a\u003E.) The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/20\/20-62\/147443\/20200710120809041_Petition-%20Certiorari.pdf\"\u003Epetition for certiorari\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;had raised privacy, religious and parental rights, and Title IX claims.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7105244426111800044"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7105244426111800044"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/scotus-denies-review-in-transgender.html","title":"SCOTUS Denies Review In Transgender Bathroom Case"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-2446267874073476027"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-07T07:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-07T07:00:04.524-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Articles of interest"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Recent Articles of Interest"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;From SSRN:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnna Lukina, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3704242\"\u003EAngels, Demons, Us: Raz and Aquinas on Law’s Necessity\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E (October 3, 2020).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMarc Spindelman, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3734451\"\u003EEmbracing Casey: June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo and the Constitutionality of Reason-Based Abortion Bans\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E(109 Georgetown Law Journal Online 115 (2020)).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKenneth A. Bamberger \u0026amp; Ariel Mayse, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3731770\"\u003EPrivacy in Society: Jewish Law Insights for the Age of Big Data\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E (November 16, 2020).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECharles F. Capps, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3703385\"\u003EIncidental Burdens on First Amendment Freedoms\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E(Forthcoming, Notre Dame Law Review Reflection, Vol. 96, No. -- , 2021).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESteven A. Ramirez, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3707129\"\u003EHate on the Ballot: Election 2020 and the Quest for a Diverse and Inclusive Democracy\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Harvard Latinx Law Review, Vol. 23, 2020).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPatrick M. Garry, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3715834\"\u003EWhen Anti-Establishment Becomes Exclusion: The Supreme Court's Opinion in American Legion v. American Humanist Association and the Flip Side of the Endorsement Test\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Nebraska Law Review, Vol. 99, No. 3, 2020, p. 643-73).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMugambi Jouet, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3733016\"\u003EDeath Penalty Abolitionism From the Enlightenment to Modernity\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E (American Journal of Comparative Law (2022 Forthcoming).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESkylar Croy \u0026amp; Alexander Lemke, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3708558\"\u003EAn Unnatural Reading of History: The Revisionist History of Abortion in Hodes v. Schmidt\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp; (Forthcoming in the Florida Journal of Law \u0026amp; Public Policy).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJohn Wrench \u0026amp; Arif Panju, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3707828\"\u003EA Counter-Majoritarian Bulwark: The First Amendment and Professional Speech in the Wake of NIFLA v. Becerra\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Texas Review of Law \u0026amp; Politics, Vol. 23, No. 3, 2020).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENancy C. Marcus, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3727034\"\u003EBostock v. Clayton County and the Problem with Bisexual Erasure\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E (Northwestern Law Review Online 2020).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESherally Munshi, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3710200\"\u003EManners of Exclusion: From the Asiatic Barred Zone to the Muslim Ban\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E (October 12, 2020).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom SSRN (European, Middle East and Asian Law):\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChih-hsiung Thomas Chen,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3714581\"\u003ELegislating the Right-to-Die with Dignity in a Confucian Society\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E(Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, Vol. 42, No. 2, 2019).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYofi Tirosh,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3734874\"\u003EDiminishing Constitutional Law: The First Three Decades of Women's Exclusion Adjudication in Israel\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(18 International Journal of Constitutional Law (ICON) (2020)).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAndreas Kulick,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3707452\"\u003ECorporate Human Rights?\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(European Journal of International Law, Forthcoming).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKristin Henrard,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3737538\"\u003EState Obligations to Counter Islamophobia: Comparing Fault Lines in the International Supervisory Practice of the HRC\/ICCPR, the ECtHR and the AC\/FCNM\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Erasmus Law Review, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2020).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/2446267874073476027"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/2446267874073476027"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/recent-articles-of-interest.html","title":"Recent Articles of Interest"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-4209210083066307599"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-04T07:05:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-04T07:05:02.494-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Conversion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hindu"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"India"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marriage"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Muslim"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Indian State Places New Restrictions On Religious Conversion"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EOn Nov. 27, the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh promulgated the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EUttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/images.assettype.com\/barandbench\/2020-11\/091266ee-6a3b-46e3-ae24-f4dbc9770456\/Uttar_Pradesh_Interfaith_ordinance_2020.pdf\"\u003Efull text\u003C\/a\u003E) (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.barandbench.com\/news\/litigation\/uttar-pradesh-ordinance-religious-conversion-explained\"\u003Esection-by-section explanation\u003C\/a\u003E). It outlaws religious conversions entered solely for the purpose of marriage, as well as religious conversions by means of misrepresentations, force, coercion, undue influence, allurement or fraud. Violations are punishable by imprisonment of 1 to 5 years, and a fine of up to $200(US)-- with higher punishments where a minor, a woman or member of a Scheduled Caste are involved, or a mass conversion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new law also sets out an elaborate procedure for anyone who wishes to change his or her religion. The procedure includes a 60-day advance notice to the District Magistrate, followed by a police investigation, and a post-conversion filing. The clergy planning to conduct a conversion must file a notice 30 days in advance. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/other-states\/up-governor-gives-assent-to-ordinance-on-unlawful-conversion\/article33198888.ece\"\u003EThe Hindu\u003C\/a\u003E reports on the new law.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5915579\/love-jihad-uttar-pradesh\/\"\u003ETime\u003C\/a\u003E reports on the \"love jihad\" conspiracy theory that has given impetus to laws such as this one:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELove Jihad is a baseless conspiracy theory that Muslim men are attempting to surreptitiously shift India’s demographic balance by converting Hindu women to Islam through marriage. The narrative has been pushed by Hindu nationalist groups close to India’s ruling BJP since Prime Minister Narendra Modi was first elected in 2014....\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new law comes just two weeks after judges in Uttar Pradesh’s high court overturned a previous decision that religious conversions for the sake of marriage are unacceptable....\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe high court case referred to is\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/images.assettype.com\/barandbench\/2020-11\/e4025111-988f-4de3-b094-4a6dd6f36e67\/Salamat_Ansari___3_Others_v_State_of_Up_and_3_Others.pdf\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EPriyanshi @ Km. Shamren and others v. State of U.P. and Another\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E(Allahabad High Court, Nov. 11, 2020). The court said in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERight to choose a partner irrespective of caste, creed or religion, is inhered under right to life and personal liberty, an integral part of the Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/4209210083066307599"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/4209210083066307599"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/indian-state-places-new-restrictions-on.html","title":"Indian State Places New Restrictions On Religious Conversion"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-1211724207835027649"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-04T07:00:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-04T07:00:02.770-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"California"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Church services"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"COVID-19"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Supreme Court Remands Church's Challenge To COVID Restrictions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/orders\/courtorders\/120320zr_j426.pdf\"\u003EHarvest Rock Church v. Newsom\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E(US Sup. Ct., Dec. 3, 2020), the U.S. Supreme Court issued an Order treating the church's application for an injunction as a petition for certiorari before judgment, and granted the petition. It then vacated the district court's order and remanded the case for further consideration in light of the Court's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/11\/supreme-court-enjoins-pending-appeal.html\"\u003Erecent decision\u003C\/a\u003E in \u003Ci\u003ERoman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo\u003C\/i\u003E. In the case, a church challenged California Governor Gavin Newsom's COVID-19 restrictions on indoor worship services. (See \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/10\/9th-circuit-upholds-californias-covid.html\"\u003Eprior posting\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/03\/us\/coronavirus-supreme-court-california-churches.html\"\u003ENew York Times\u003C\/a\u003E reports on the Supreme Court's Order.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/1211724207835027649"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/1211724207835027649"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/supreme-court-remands-churchs-challenge.html","title":"Supreme Court Remands Church's Challenge To COVID Restrictions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-1978177507787632819"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-03T15:06:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-03T15:06:06.192-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Antisemitism"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Department"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"New York"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RLUIPA"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"DOJ Sues New York Village Over Discriminatory Zoning Aimed At Orthodox Jews"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Department of Justice \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-files-lawsuit-against-village-airmont-new-york-zoning-restrictions-target\"\u003Eannounced\u003C\/a\u003E yesterday that it has filed a RLUIPA lawsuit against the Village of Airmont, New York alleging that it has used its zoning code to discriminate against the Orthodox Jewish community.\u0026nbsp; The complaint (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/press-release\/file\/1342591\/download\"\u003Efull text\u003C\/a\u003E) in \u003Ci\u003EUnited States v. Village of Airmont,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(SD NY, filed 12\/2\/2020), alleges that since the expiration of a prior consent decree, the Village has adopted a new zoning code, and has applied it in a discriminatory manner, that prevents Orthodox Jews from gaining zoning approval for home synagogues and a school. It has also enforced regulations in a manner that prevents Jews from clearing trees on their property to erect \u003Ci\u003Esukkahs, \u003C\/i\u003Eand prevents the installation of \u003Ci\u003Emikvahs. \u003C\/i\u003EFirst Liberty Institute issued a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/firstliberty.org\/media\/department-of-justice-announces-lawsuit-against-airmont-nys-religious-discrimination\/\"\u003Epress release\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;with additional background. \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"\u003E[Thanks to Steven H. Sholk for the lead.]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/1978177507787632819"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/1978177507787632819"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/doj-sues-new-york-village-over.html","title":"DOJ Sues New York Village Over Discriminatory Zoning Aimed At Orthodox Jews"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-7673584334810623520"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-02T07:10:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-02T07:10:00.199-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Church disputes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Texas"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Factional Dispute In Church Is Dismissed"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;In \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.txcourts.gov\/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=47870bac-7baf-45be-b459-8f1dc821285c\u0026amp;coa=coa05\u0026amp;DT=Opinion\u0026amp;MediaID=99f1fa44-b2e0-4f48-a6f8-fac763080b15\"\u003ESt. John Missionary Baptist Church v. Flakes\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(TX App., Nov. 30, 2020), a Texas state appeals court affirmed the dismissal, on ecclesiastical abstention grounds, of a suit between two factions of a church. One faction attempted to remove the pastor through a church meeting. The pastor refused to step down and the other faction continued to pay him. In dismissing the suit, the court said in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETexas courts have consistently held that the relationship between an organized church and its ministers is its lifeblood, and matters concerning this relationship must be recognized as of prime ecclesiastical concern.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe court similarly held that the questions of whether members excommunicated by one faction could enter the church and whether they could vote on sale of church property were also covered by the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7673584334810623520"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/7673584334810623520"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/factional-dispute-in-church-is-dismissed.html","title":"Factional Dispute In Church Is Dismissed"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-713819113513452120"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-02T07:05:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-02T07:05:05.868-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Free exercise"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Free speech"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"LGBT rights"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tennessee"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Anti-Gay Proselytizers Lose Suit Against City"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/cases.justia.com\/federal\/district-courts\/tennessee\/tnedce\/2:2019cv00103\/90584\/113\/0.pdf?ts=1606830292\"\u003EWaldrop v. City of Johnson City\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/cases.justia.com\/federal\/district-courts\/tennessee\/tnedce\/2:2019cv00103\/90584\/113\/0.pdf?ts=1606830292\"\u003ETennessee\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ED TN, Nov. 30, 2020), a Tennessee federal district court dismissed a suit by several individuals who were distributing religious literature at a gay pride event. Plaintiffs claimed that their free speech and free exercise rights were infringed when they were required by police to move from the entrance to the park where the event was being held to a nearby sidewalk. The court said in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe evidence supports only the conclusion that the officers escorted Plaintiffs from Founders Park, and voiced any attendant warnings to them about their return there, in response to their obstruction of the entrance—a content-neutral reason for their removal. The record is simply without evidence showing that Lieutenant Peters or any other officer moved Plaintiffs away from Founders Park for any other reason, much less for the reason that the content of Plaintiffs’ message was offensive or disagreeable. To the contrary, the evidence establishes— beyond any genuine issue of material fact—that the officers allowed Plaintiffs’ message to endure within the festival’s event area for hours into the day, despite TriPride’s organizers’ clamors for the officers to extinguish it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/713819113513452120"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/713819113513452120"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/anti-gay-proselytizers-lose-suit.html","title":"Anti-Gay Proselytizers Lose Suit Against City"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-4999616657346411676"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-02T07:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-02T07:00:03.783-05:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"5th Circuit, By 9-8 Vote, Denies En Banc Review In Ecclesiastical Abstention Case"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ca5.uscourts.gov\/opinions\/pub\/19\/19-60293-CV1.pdf\"\u003EMcRaney v. North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Inc\u003C\/a\u003E.,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(5th Cir., Nov. 25, 2020), the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 9-8 denied\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Een banc \u003C\/i\u003Ereview of a panel decision that had refused to invoke the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine in a dispute between the Mission Board and its former executive director. (See \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/07\/5th-circuit-says-fired-employees-suit.html\"\u003Eprior posting\u003C\/a\u003E.) In the case, plaintiff alleged that the Mission Board intentionally made false statements about him that led to his termination. Judge Ho, joined by 5 other judges, filed a dissenting opinion, saying in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis case falls right in the heartland of the church autonomy doctrine. A former Southern Baptist minister brought this suit to protest his dismissal from church leadership. That fact alone should be enough to bar this suit. As the saying goes, personnel \u003Ci\u003Eis\u003C\/i\u003E policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E... The complaint acknowledges that the plaintiff was dismissed because he “consistently declined to accept” church policy regarding “the specific area of starting new churches...\" He even \u003Ci\u003Eadmits\u003C\/i\u003E that “this cause of action had its roots in Church policy.” We should take him at his word. This case is a dispute over a church’s vision for spreading “the gospel of Jesus Christ through evangelism and church planting”—a fundamental tenet of faith, not just for the defendant in this suit, but for hundreds of millions of evangelicals around the world. Put simply, this suit puts the church’s evangelism on trial.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJudge Oldham, joined by 4 other judges, also filed a dissenting opinion, saying in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat matters is that the jurisdictional line prohibiting civil courts from intruding on ecclesiastical matters is an ancient one. It goes back to the Middle Ages. It has been part of England’s formal law since William the Conqueror. It’s so entrenched in English history that even Coke—the seventeenth century’s fiercest champion of civil jurisdiction and the common law—respected it. And although there were disputes about boundaries of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over laypersons like Nicholas Fuller, there could be little dispute about ecclesiastical jurisdiction over ecclesiastical matters like ministry disputes and discipline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"\u003E[Thanks to Robert Tuttle for the lead.]\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/4999616657346411676"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/4999616657346411676"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/5th-circuit-by-9-8-vote-denies-en-banc.html","title":"5th Circuit, By 9-8 Vote, Denies En Banc Review In Ecclesiastical Abstention Case"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-1190819854352483279"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-01T07:05:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-01T07:05:01.544-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"COVID-19"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kentucky"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Religious schools"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Christian School Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate District Court's Injunction Against Kentucky's COVID Order"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe battle continues in Kentucky over Governor Andrew Beshear's COVID-19 Order that\u0026nbsp;prohibits in-person instruction at all public and private elementary and secondary schools. In a suit by Danville Christian Academy-- backed by Kentucky's Attorney General-- the federal district court enjoined the enforcement of the Order against private religious schools which follow other public health guidelines. Last Sunday, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed, pending appeal, the district court's preliminary injunction. (See \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/11\/6th-circuit-rejects-preliminary.html\"\u003Eprior posting\u003C\/a\u003E.) Yesterday the school filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to stay the 6th Circuit's order and allow the district court's injunction to go into effect. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/firstliberty.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Filed-Application1_Redacted.pdf\"\u003EFull text of Emergency Application\u003C\/a\u003E in \u003Ci\u003EDanville Christian Academy, Inc. v. Beshear,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Sup. Ct., filed 11\/30\/20). In accordance with Supreme Court practice, the emergency application was filed with the Justice assigned to the 6th Circuit (Justice Kavanaugh), who may either rule on it or refer it to the full Court. First Liberty issued a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/firstliberty.org\/media\/first-liberty-institute-kentucky-ag-ask-u-s-supreme-court-to-allow-in-person-classes-at-faith-based-k-12-schools\/\"\u003Epress release\u003C\/a\u003E announcing the filing of the application.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/1190819854352483279"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/1190819854352483279"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/christian-school-asks-supreme-court-to.html","title":"Christian School Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate District Court's Injunction Against Kentucky's COVID Order"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-9051314627418842538"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-01T07:00:00.004-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-02T21:42:32.688-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Title VII"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Transgender"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"US Supreme Court"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Funeral Home Settles Transgender Employment Discrimination Claim After SCOTUS Loss"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn June, the U.S. Supreme Court's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/06\/supreme-court-title-vii-bans-lgbt.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBostock\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;decision\u003C\/a\u003E held that Title VII\u0026nbsp;of the 1964 Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination in employment \"because of sex\" protects gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. The decision covered three separate employment discrimination cases, one of which was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ER. G. \u0026amp; G. R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc. v. EEOC\u003C\/i\u003E. That case involved a discrimination claim by a transgender employee.\u0026nbsp; Yesterday the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/wayne-county\/2020\/11\/30\/judge-signs-off-settlement-michigan-transgender-bias-case\/6465547002\/\"\u003EDetroit News\u003C\/a\u003E reported that a Michigan federal district court has approved a settlement in the case:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EU.S. District Judge Sean Cox on Monday approved the terms of the settlement between the estate of Stephens, who died in May, and her former employer, R.G. \u0026amp; G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, which going forward is prohibited from firing employees on the basis of transgender status.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder the terms of the agreement, Harris Homes is to pay $130,000 to Stephens' estate, including $63,724 in back pay with interest and $66,276 in damages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe consent decree also says Harris Homes, which operates three funeral homes in southeast Michigan, must pay another $120,000 to the ACLU Foundation for costs and plaintiff attorney fees.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe settlement also contains other remedial provisions.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/9051314627418842538"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/9051314627418842538"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/funeral-home-settles-transgender.html","title":"Funeral Home Settles Transgender Employment Discrimination Claim After SCOTUS Loss"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12206391.post-714324120640506134"},"published":{"$t":"2020-11-30T07:05:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-11-30T07:05:01.801-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"COVID-19"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kentucky"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Religious schools"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"6th Circuit Rejects Preliminary Injunction Against Kentucky's Closure of Religious Schools"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov\/opinions.pdf\/20a0371p-06.pdf\"\u003ECommonwealth of Kentucky ex rel. Danville Christian Academy v. Beshear\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(6th Cir., Nov. 29, 2020), the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a federal district court's preliminary injunction against part of Kentucky Governor Andrew Beshear's COVID-19 Order which prohibits in-person instruction at all public and private elementary and secondary schools. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/11\/kentucky-governor-enjoined-from.html\"\u003Edistrict court had enjoined enforcement\u003C\/a\u003E of the Order against private religious schools that otherwise follow public health measures. The 6th Circuit, in staying the district court's preliminary injunction pending appeal distinguished the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/11\/supreme-court-enjoins-pending-appeal.html\"\u003EU.S. Supreme Court's recent decision\u003C\/a\u003E in \u003Ci\u003ERoman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;saying in part:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExecutive Order 2020-969 applies to all public and private elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, religious or otherwise; it is therefore neutral and of general applicability and need not be justified by a compelling governmental interest....\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike in Roman Catholic Diocese, there is no evidence that the challenged restrictions were “targeted” or “gerrymandered” to ensure an impact on religious groups.... In addition, while many of the houses of worship in Roman Catholic Diocese could seat well over 500 people, they were subject to attendance caps of ten or twenty-five persons, while retail businesses were not.... There is no comparable harsh requirement aimed at religious institutions here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/federal-judges-uphold-kentucky-governors-160936017.html\"\u003EAP reports\u003C\/a\u003E on the decision. \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"\u003E[Thanks to Tom Rutledge for the lead.]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/714324120640506134"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/12206391\/posts\/default\/714324120640506134"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/religionclause.blogspot.com\/2020\/11\/6th-circuit-rejects-preliminary.html","title":"6th Circuit Rejects Preliminary Injunction Against Kentucky's Closure of Religious Schools"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Howard Friedman"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14382656960754783109"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5bWCnmUtK8\/XKQZQzKGGPI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/3zJ80aLPerQqnh90B9GWdW9BdlsBGubHgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/130813-175600.jpg"}}]}]}});