President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias faces yet more litigation demanding the release of records related to the commission’s investigation of government agencies. Democracy Forward and Interfaith Alliance filed a lawsuit Oct. 22 to obtain documents from…
Book banners almost always motivated by religion, speaker says
Proponents of book banning may differ in the titles or subjects they want to suppress, but they almost always are motivated by religious beliefs, college senior Katie Turcke observed during a recent webinar on censorship. The Pomona College student said…
Is there a common source for the Ten Commandments bills?
As Republican-dominated states seek to require displays of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms, critics are noting some odd similarities in the language of the bills. It seems possible — even likely — the bills are originating from a common…
Massachusetts court blocks religious statues on government property
An attempt to install two large statues of Catholic saints outside the entrance of the new public safety headquarters in Quincy, Mass., has been temporarily blocked by Norfolk Superior Court. That means the statues of St. Michael and St. Florian…
14 more Texas districts sued over Ten Commandments
An additional 14 Texas public school systems are being sued to stop them from installing classroom Ten Commandments displays mandated by the state. A coalition of civil rights groups filed a federal complaint Sept. 22 against the Arlington, Azle, Comal,…
Trump says he’s bringing back prayer to schools
The president who famously said he’s never prayed to ask for God’s forgiveness claimed Sept. 8 he’s going to reinstitute prayer in public schools — a practice outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. Ever since the court’s ruling…
Texas schools given conflicting advice on Ten Commandments
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has ordered school districts unaffected by a recent court ruling to comply with a state law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms beginning Sept. 1. The Aug. 25 directive came less than a…
Lawsuits stack up, but Trump administration stonewalls challenges to Anti-Christian Bias Task Force
A constitutional watchdog group has filed a second lawsuit against the Trump administration’s Anti-Christian Bias Task Force. The president created the commission in a Feb. 6 executive order directing U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch investigations into “anti-Christian conduct”…
Federal judge stops Arkansas from posting Ten Commandments in public schools
A federal judge has blocked Arkansas from implementing a new law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public-school classrooms. In issuing the Aug. 4 preliminary injunction, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Brooks described Arkansas Act 573 as “plainly unconstitutional” under the…
Americans United sues over Anti-Christian Bias Task Force
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is refusing to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, prompting AU to sue the Trump administration. The lawsuit contends the VA is violating federal…
Get ready for lawsuit, groups warn Abbott over Ten Commandments bill
Texans will sue once Gov. Greg Abbott signs a bill requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms, three national civil liberties groups said May 29. The announcement came a day after state senators voted to approve an amended version…
AU warns agencies not to believe Trump’s view on Supreme Court rulings
Don’t be misled about U.S. Supreme Court decisions on religious liberty, Americans United warned 18 federal agencies in a May 15 letter. The letter cited a recent presidential memorandum issued by President Donald Trump that “encourages the unlawful repeal of rules…