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Justices decline challenge to Md. school’s Islam lesson
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to consider whether La Plata High School violated a Christian student’s constitutional First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and speech by teaching about Islam as part of a required world history class during the 2014-2015 school year.
Federal judge upholds vaccination policy
Death penalty lifted, journalists imprisoned and Sotomayor reflects in this week's Law Blog Roundup.
Peace cross sparks legal war
The quote from Woodrow Wilson on the Bladensburg Cross says, in part, “We fight for the things that we have always carried nearest to our hearts.”
At public meetings, fights over prayer drag on
WASHINGTON — It happens every week at meetings in towns, counties and cities nationwide. A lawmaker or religious leader leads a prayer before officials begin the business of zoning changes, contract approvals and trash pickup. But citizens are increasingly taking issue with these prayers, some of which have been in place for decades. At least […]
Charles C. Haynes: Losing their religion? No, schools must get it right
Millions of kids are returning to school, and, contrary to culture-war rhetoric, most of them won’t leave their faith at the schoolhouse door.
Gene Policinski: Teacher flunks First Amendment 101
In this contentious election year, it seems almost quaint to hear someone insist that it’s socially incorrect – and possibly illegal – to criticize the president of the United States as opposed to a candidate for the office. Quaint, except that: (1) the misguided guidance came from a high school teacher in North Carolina; (2) […]
Jack L.B. Gohn: Contraception, an unrepresentative church, and unresponsive courts
At this writing we still don’t have an outcome, either regulatory or political, in the fight between the President and the bishops over the proposed mandate that employers, including Catholic hospitals and universities, offer their employees health insurance plans with birth control coverage. But it is clear that the rhetorical battle line du jour is […]
Charles C. Haynes: Workers’ cruel choice: Your God or your job
In hard economic times, American workers may be willing to forgo pay raises and pensions to keep their jobs. Just don’t ask them to abandon their faith. Consider the case of Abdulkadir Omar, a security guard in Kent, Wash., who was told to shave his religiously required beard after six months on the job. Omar […]
Frederick County revisits meeting-prayer issue
FREDERICK — The Frederick County Commissioners are considering loosening a proposed public-meeting prayer policy. They are scheduled to discuss the matter Thursday morning in Frederick. County Attorney John Mathias has proposed eliminating language allowing only those of monotheistic religions to offer an opening invocation. He says such a restriction would require the county to determine [&hell[...]
Atheists seek equal treatment under First Amendment
In case you missed it, the president called the nation to prayer Thursday just as past presidents have done on the first Thursday of every May since 1952. Mandated by Congress, the National Day of Prayer is marked this year by events around the country, many of which were organized by the National Day of […]
Va. judge denies Muslim inmate’s lawsuit over beard
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s prison system did not violate a Muslim inmate’s religious rights when it refused to allow him to grow a 1/8-inch beard, which he believes is required by his religion, a federal judge has ruled. William Couch, a Sunni Muslim, is a medium-security prisoner serving multiple life sentences for rape and other […]
Justices limit inmate suits over religion
WASHINGTON — A federal law that was intended, in part, to protect the religious rights of prison inmates bars most lawsuits that seek money from states that violate the law, the Supreme Court held Wednesday in a 6-2 decision. The majority said that inmates may file suit to force states to change their policies, but […]
