Liz Hayes
Associate Vice President of Communications
[email protected]
Americans United is celebrating an important victory in a Tennessee appellate court that allows Liz and Gabe Rutan-Ram of Knox County to proceed with a lawsuit challenging the state's funding of a foster care agency that denied them services because they are Jewish.
Americans United and allies filed a lawsuit on behalf of 9 Oklahoma residents and a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting public education in Oklahoma to stop the state from sponsoring and funding the nation’s first religious public charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 13 ruled against AU client Shelly Fitzgerald, a beloved guidance counselor at Roncalli High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Shelly sued after the school fired her because she was married to a woman. The 7th Circuit ruled that the “ministerial exception” prevented Shelly from vindicating her rights to be free from discrimination.
Fourteen clergy from seven faith traditions largely won an important ruling in their lawsuit Friday challenging Missouri’s abortion ban and restrictions on medication abortion, all of which unconstitutionally impose one narrow religious doctrine on all Missouri residents and violate the separation of church and state. The faith leaders are represented by Americans United, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and the law firm Arnold & Porter.
Americans United denounced the Supreme Court's decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis, which advanced the Christian Nationalist agenda of undermining our civil rights laws and allowing religiously motivated discrimination against LGBTQ people.
Americans United had warned that Christian Nationalists were using the Groff v. DeJoy Supreme Court case as a wolf in sheep's clothing, another attempt to weaponize religious freedom and civil rights laws by forcing coworkers to bear burdens resulting from someone else’s religious practices. Importantly, the court did not grant Groff a win in this case. We live to fight another day.
In an letter sent to Texas school districts and charter schools, Americans United, the ACLU, the ACLU of Texas and the Freedom From Religion Foundation warned that allowing chaplains in public schools would violate the state and U.S. constitutions.
Americans United celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear two cases that AU is litigating: Faith Bible Chapel International v. Tucker and Synod of Bishops v. Belya. These cases are far from over, but our clients Gregg Tucker and Father Alexander Belya now have a chance to vindicate their rights.
Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser announced the organization is preparing legal action to protect religious freedom and public education in Oklahoma in response to the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approving the revised charter application of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School.
Okla. is violating the separation of church and state by creating the nation’s 1st religious charter school. If we don’t stop them, religious public schools like this could appear in states around the country. Join the fight:
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