Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Puerto Rico Recognizes Fetal Personhood

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 As reported by the San Juan Daily Star , on Dec. 21 Puerto Rico's Governor Jenniffer González Colón signed into law Senate Bill 504 ( f...

Lower Court Applies Supreme Court's Classroom Religious Opt-Out Decision

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In Alan L. v. Lexington Public Schools , (D MA, Dec. 30, 2025), a Massachusetts federal district court, relying on the Supreme Court's r...
Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Senate Confirms Antisemitism Envoy; Other Religious Freedom Spots Remain Unfilled

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As part of a single Senate vote confirming 97 pending nominations for various federal offices, the U.S. Senate on  December 18, by a vote ...
Monday, December 29, 2025

RFRA Challenge to Connecticut Removal of Religious Exemption from School Vaccines Survives

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In We the Patriots USA, Inc. v. State of Connecticut Department of Education , (CT Super, Dec. 16, 2025), a Connecticut state trial court di...
Friday, December 26, 2025

Bishop Held Personally Liable for Failure of Catholic Hospital's Pension Plan

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The Pillar  this week reported on an interesting jury award in litigation over the failure of a Catholic hospital's pension plan.  The r...

Top 10 Religious Liberty and Church-State Developments of 2025

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Each year in December, I attempt to select the most important church-state and religious liberty developments of the past year.  My choices ...
Thursday, December 25, 2025

President Issues Christmas Message

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The White House today posted a Presidential Message on Christmas  ( full text ). It reads in part: ... The birth of Jesus revealed the perfe...

Catholic Bishop Excuses Those Who Fear ICE Detention from Attending Christmas Mass

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The Catholic Bishop of Columbus (Ohio) this week issued a Decree ( full text ) granting a dispensation from participating in Christmas Mass ...
Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Muslim Employee's Risk of Discipline for Taking Prayer Breaks Was Too Speculative to Create Title VII Violation

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In Zienni v. Mercedes-Benz ,  (11th Cir., Dec. 22, 2025), the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a claim by a Muslim employee of Me...

California Policy Barring School's Disclosure of Student's Change in Gender Expression Is Unconstitutional

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In Mirabelli v. Olson ,  (SD CA, Dec. 22, 2025), a California federal district court held unconstitutional the policy of California school b...
Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Ministerial Exception Does Not Apply to Hostile Work Environment Claims Where Religious Doctrine Is Not Implicated

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In Boliak v. Reilly , (NY App., Dec. 18, 2025), three employees of a Catholic high school brought hostile work environment claims alleging t...

Suit Challenges Restrictions on Off-Campus Christian Religious Instruction for Elementary Students

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Suit was filed last week in a Washington federal district court challenging the restrictions that Everett, Washington school officials have ...

Defense Secretary Says He Will Strengthen Chaplain Corps

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Last week, in an announcement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he will take steps to strengthen the arm...
Monday, December 22, 2025

5th Circuit 10-7 Denies En Banc Review in Case of Leafleting by Christian Vegetarian Advocate

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By a 10-7 vote, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition for an en banc  rehearing in Hershey v. City of Bossier City ,  (5th...

Bagua Mirror on City Property Did Not Violate Establishment Clause

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In Ngo v. City of Westminster ,  (CD CA, Nov. 26, 2025), a California federal district court held that display of a Bagua Mirror on city pr...

Recent Articles of Interest

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From SSRN: Francis Beckwith, One and a Half Cheers for Integralism:  Liberalism's Broken Promises and the New Draw of the Confessional S...
Sunday, December 21, 2025

KY Supreme Court: Denial of Zoning Permit to Church Did Not Violate RLUIPA

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In Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist, Inc. v. Frederic ,  (KY Sup. Ct., Dec. 18,2025), the Kentucky Supreme Court held that RLUIPA was ...
Friday, December 19, 2025

HHS Proposes Rules to Bar Hospitals from Performing Gender Affirming Care to Minors

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The Department of Health and Human Services today published in the Federal Register two Releases proposing rule changes that would effective...

6th Circuit: Michigan's Ban on Conversion Therapy for Minors Violates 1st Amendment

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In Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee, and Hillsdale Counties v. Whitmer ,  (6th Cir., Dec. 17, 2025), the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of App...
Thursday, December 18, 2025

Oklahoma Supreme Court Invalidates Religion-Based Social Study Standards

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In Randall v. Fields ,  (OK Sup. Ct., Dec. 16, 2025), the Oklahoma Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision held that the Oklahoma State Board of Edu...