ACLU

Federal Court Approves Settlement Requiring Mich. City To Give Atheists Equal Access To City Hall

Feb 23, 2015

In a victory for religious freedom, a federal judge today approved a settlement requiring the city of Warren, Mich., to allow an atheist to set up a “reason station” inside city hall after Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU and the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued in response to city officials’ efforts to allow only a “prayer station” to operate inside the public building. Read more

Americans United Welcomes Okla. School District’s Decision To Drop Biased Bible Curriculum

Church-State Watchdog Group Had Warned That Planned Elective Class Backed By Hobby Lobby Owner Violates U.S. Constitution

Nov 25, 2014

An Oklahoma school district has decided not to implement a Bible curriculum designed by Steve Green, owner of the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores, that critics said was biased in favor of fundamentalist Christianity.

Earlier this year, Americans United warned Mustang Public Schools officials that the curriculum was problematic and its use in schools might spark litigation.

Okla. Court Allows Ten Commandments To Remain

Nov 3, 2014

A controversial Ten Commandments display may stand at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a state judge has ruled.

District Judge Thomas Prince found that because the monument is privately funded, its display does not violate the First Amendment. Prince also stated that the monument serves a primarily secular purpose. Read more

Settlement Reached In Mass. Teacher Satire Controversy

Oct 1, 2014

A Massachusetts educator has reached a settlement with the town of Sandwich over allegations that the school district illegally fired him for creating a satirical video about religion.

Jonathan Hurley lost an open-ended substitute teaching role last December after school administrators discovered the video, titled “That Doesn’t Make Sense,” which gently poked fun at some of the doctrines of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Scientology. Officials also blacklisted Hurley from other teaching positions and noted in his personnel file that he had been fired specifically for the video. Read more

An Appeal To Reason

Four days a week in Warren, Mich., volunteers pray with local residents. But the prayers aren’t happening at a church. Instead, they’re taking place in city hall, at a “prayer station” established for exactly this purpose.

Originally created by members of the Tabernacle Church, a local Pentecostal denomination, Warren’s “prayer station” endured with little controversy for years. In 2009, volunteers explained their mission to the Los Angeles Times. Read more

New Hampshire Supreme Court Sidesteps Challenge To Tax-Credit Aid To Religious Schools

Civil Liberties Organizations Criticize Ruling Dismissing Lawsuit Against ‘Neo-Voucher’ Program On Technical Grounds

Aug 28, 2014

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union criticized today’s decision by the New Hampshire Supreme Court dismissing a challenge to a tuition tax-credit program on technical grounds.

The state high court dismissed the case, holding that the plaintiffs lack “standing” – the right to sue –despite the fact that the Attorney General’s Office had agreed that one of the plaintiffs had standing to challenge the tax-credit program. Read more

Americans United, Allies Challenge Michigan City's Rejection Of Atheist Display

Federal Lawsuit Demands Equal Space For “Reason Station,” Church-State Watchdog Says

Jul 23, 2014

DETROIT – In an effort to protect the First Amendment rights of all Warren, Mich.

Americans United, ACLU Settlement In Ky. Lawsuit Challenging Religious Coercion At State-Funded Children’s Home Will Proceed

Federal Judge Overrules Objections By Sunrise Children’s Services

Jul 1, 2014

A settlement in a case challenging religious coercion at a state-funded home for children will proceed after a Kentucky federal judge rejected the religiously affiliated home’s objections to that settlement.

Army Surrenders: Religious Charity Gives Up On Fight To Discriminate

Mar 19, 2014 by Sarah Jones in Wall of Separation

A decade-old legal battle over the Salvation Army’s discriminatory workplace policies has ended in a settlement that’s favorable to church-state separation.
Read more

Equal Access For All: Atheist Student Clubs Shouldn’t Be Subject To A Heckler’s Veto

Mar 3, 2014 by Rob Boston in Wall of Separation

If you have any contact with a public high school, you probably know that students can form an array of clubs that meet during non-instructional time.

My son, who is in 10th grade, reports a dizzying list of student-run clubs at his school, covering every possible interest. Along with some friends, my son joined the anime club and was for a time involved in a “duct tape club.” (Don’t ask.)

There are also many religious clubs at the school. Jewish students have a club, as do Muslim students. There are several Christian clubs.

How can this be? It’s a public school. Read more

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