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ADF attorneys file opening brief in pivotal case concerning govt coercion of nonprofits to disclose donors

Laws must respect religious freedom and promote justice for all. The Equality Act doesn’t do that. Instead, it threatens Americans’ fundamental liberties.

WASHINGTON – Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Christian student organization Ratio Christi filed a motion in federal court Thursday to intervene in defense of a U.S. Department of Education regulation which requires all public colleges and universities that are federal grant recipients to comply with the First Amendment. Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed suit to challenge the rule, implemented during the Trump administration, on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance. Ratio Christi is a nationwide Christian apologetics organization whose mission is to ...

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom General Counsel Kristen Waggoner regarding the U.S. Congress’s reintroduction Thursday of the deceptively titled “Equality Act,” legislation that could be used to restrict the religious freedom of churches and religious nonprofits including religious schools; set back protections for women on the playing field, at work, and in private spaces like showers and locker rooms; as well as inhibit the ability of everyday Americans to live in alignment with their beliefs: “Our nation’s laws should respect the constitutionally ...

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Mark Lippelmann regarding the voluntary dismissal Wednesday of Hermiston Christian School v. Brown, a lawsuit against Oregon Gov. Katherine Brown’s order that threatened private schools with 30 days of jail time and $1,250 fines for reopening in-person instruction while allowing public schools of identical size in the same county permission to resume in-person classes. The school is withdrawing its lawsuit because Brown eliminated special exceptions that existed for public schools and is now allowing Christian ...

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Greg Chafuen regarding the Religion Is Essential Act, which became law Wednesday. HB 1211, sponsored by Rep. Mary Bentley, ensures that churches and other religious organizations are allowed to remain open during a state of emergency on the same terms as businesses and other secular services: “While public officials have the authority and responsibility to protect public health and safety, the First Amendment prohibits the government from treating houses of worship and religious organizations worse than ...

Then-9-year-old Lydia Booth was forced by her public school to remove her ‘Jesus Loves Me’ face mask.

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in South Bay United Pentecostal Church v. Newsom and order in Harvest Rock Church v. Newsom that halt California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 restrictions preventing churches and other religious congregations from meeting indoors as other groups are permitted to do. The decision and order also allow churches to present new evidence in district court that the governor’s 25% capacity limitation and other restrictions ...

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding the introduction of a bill Thursday by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that protects women’s sports by clarifying that sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972: “Women and girls deserve the opportunity to compete and enjoy the possibility of athletic victory. But allowing males who identify as female to compete in girls’ sports destroys fair competition and erases women’s athletic prospects ...

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Greg Chafuen regarding the Arkansas House’s passage Thursday of the Religion Is Essential Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Mary Bentley that ensures churches and other religious organizations are allowed to remain open during a state of emergency on the same terms as businesses and other secular services: “Houses of worship and religious organizations provide soul-sustaining operations that are essential to our society and protected by the First Amendment. While public officials have the authority and ...