What happened when one of the most influential judicial individuals in the country started discussing his position on a topic that was not currently in front of his court? Aside from making several reporters very happy to have a good headline, much speculation began to circulate about the state of the law surrounding that topic. Read More

A complaint was recently filed against Muskegon Community College because it included a religious prayer at its 2018 graduation ceremony. The complaint was initiated by the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists in response to a prayer that was delivered during the 2018 graduation ceremony by a master of ceremonies. The Content of the Speech Read More

In modern day constitutional discussion, there is typically no argument about whether the Constitution protects individuals’ freedom to engage in the practice of religion regardless of which religion it is.  However, the discussion typically focuses on the First Amendment to the Constitution and not the original Articles.  Did the framers discuss religion, and if so, Read More

A 17-year-old student in Arab City, Alabama recently announced plans to pursue legal action against the Arab City School Board after it rejected his request to conduct a school prayer during a home football game. While it remains uncertain how this case will resolve, it provides a good example of the various conflicts involved in Read More

Recently, a federal judge in Michigan ruled that a lawsuit challenging the power of religious affiliated adoption agencies can proceed. The ACLU is attempting to bar state-contracted child placement agencies from discriminating against same-sex couples. While it remains uncertain how this case will be resolved, it has the potential to significantly affect Michigan’s laws, which Read More

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a California school board is prohibited from including prayers or making reference to Christian scripture at its meetings. This decision comes after the court upheld a 2016 injunction forbidding these practices. This decision sheds some important light on the role of prayer in school meetings. Origins Read More

  A Tennessee bill that requires schools in Tennessee to prominently display the motto of “In God We Trust” is currently headed to the governor for his signature. This legislation, which is referred to as the National Motto in the Classroom Act, was passed by 81 of 99 members of the house. Prior to the Read More

At the beginning of March, 2018, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in the case of EEOC v. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. that discrimination based on transgender status violates Title VII prohibitions against sex-based discrimination.   How the Case Arose This case was initiated when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Read More

  A teenager recently initiated a legal action against a religious private school in Texas after the teenager experienced bullying of a racist nature. The student claimed that the school did not make any efforts to stop the bullying, but the school claimed that its religious doctrine makes it immune from legal actions in these Read More

The United States Supreme Court recently refused to become part of a legal battle against the state of Mississippi regarding an anti-LGBTQ law. The law in question allows both private businesses and state employees to deny services to members of the LGBTQ community based solely on religious grounds. The law took effect on October 10, 2017 Read More