Liz Hayes
Associate Vice President of Communications
[email protected]
“The Orange County Board of Education’s first priority should be educating children – not promoting board members’ religious beliefs,” said Alex J. Luchenitser, AU's associate vice president & associate legal director. “Incorporating prayers or any other religious content into a public school board meeting is a clear violation of religious freedom."
“When it comes to balancing the welfare of children in need of loving homes with the interests of government contractors paid to work with the foster parents who will provide those homes, there is no contest,” said Americans United Legal Director Richard B. Katskee. “The Supreme Court should affirm that the Constitution’s promise of religious freedom does not confer a right to harm others."
“Aimee Maddonna and her family wanted to help some of the nearly 5,000 children in foster care in South Carolina. Due to government-funded religious discrimination, she was denied that opportunity. So she’s helping children who have been denied the chance to find loving homes another way – by challenging these unconstitutional state and federal policies that allow taxpayer-funded foster care agencies who are acting on behalf of the state to reject qualified parents because of their religion," said AU Senior Litigation Counsel Kenneth Upton
"We applaud Winslow Unified’s educators, who understand their constitutional rights to religious freedom and bravely came forward when those rights were violated by their employer," said AU Senior Litigation Counsel Kenneth Upton. "This burden should not have been placed on them as they were already under the strain of preparing for a new school year amid the coronavirus pandemic."
"For a public school district to incorporate religious activities into an official district event is a clear violation of the Constitution,” said Kenneth Upton, Senior Litigation Counsel for Americans United. “Our country’s educators are already under tremendous pressure as they begin an unprecedented new school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. That stress should not be compounded by requiring employees to participate in religious activities and proselytization at work.”
“Rep. Lewis’ significance in American history can’t be overstated," said AU CEO Rachel Laser. "He cemented his legacy as an intersectional civil rights icon who worked tirelessly to ensure that every American is treated equally regardless of the color of their skin, who they love or what they believe. We thank him for including church-state separation and religious freedom among the important issues he championed, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.”
“New Mexico’s public health orders do not violate religious freedom; they ensure that religious freedom is not misused to endanger people’s lives," said AU Associate Legal Director Alex J. Luchenitser.
“Today the Supreme Court put its stamp of approval on the Trump administration’s exploitation of religious freedom at the expense of birth control coverage for workers, students and their families," AU CEO Rachel Laser said. "It’s 2020: We should not have to say again that birth control is essential to people’s health and equality. Religious freedom includes the right to believe as you see fit, not to impose your beliefs on or discriminate against others."
“Houses of worship and religious schools get to decide religious matters without government intrusion, but they shouldn’t get a free pass to fire all educators based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability and other categories for which discrimination is legally forbidden," CEO Rachel Laser said. "The ministerial exception is meant to apply only to genuine faith leaders."
“The Supreme Court’s Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue decision corrupts the foundational principle of church-state separation, just as Citizens United corrupted the political process," said AU President and CEO Rachel Laser. "This court has overturned decades of precedent in an effort to privilege certain religious beliefs and have them dominate our civic life."
The Do No Harm Act will help ensure that our laws are a shield to protect religious freedom and not used as a sword to harm others by undermining civil rights laws and denying access to health care.
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