Home : Religion and Belief : Free Exercise of Religion

Ft. Irwin Man Sues for Conscientious Objector Status (10/19/2007)
LOS ANGELES - Attorney Deborah H. Karpatkin and the ACLU of Southern California today filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of a 26-year-old Army specialist being kept in the Army against his Buddhist-Taoist beliefs. The suit seeks to have the man, who enlisted only after being promised that military duties would not conflict with his religious beliefs, discharged as a conscientious objector.

ACLU Announces Settlement in Case of Christian Barred from Preaching in Rhode Island Prison (07/30/2007)
PROVIDENCE, RI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today announced the favorable settlement of its lawsuit on behalf of a Christian prisoner who has been barred since 2003 from preaching during Christian religious services at the state prison.

ACLU of New Mexico Settles Lawsuit Against NMSU Football Coach (06/21/2007)
LAS CRUCES, NM - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico has settled a lawsuit against New Mexico State University (NMSU) head football coach Hal Mumme on behalf of four Muslim players who claim they were victims of religious discrimination. The parties have agreed to keep the amount of the settlement confidential for six months.

ACLU of New Mexico’s Case Against NMSU Football Coach Will Go to Trial (06/06/2007)
LAS CRUCES, NM - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico announced today that a federal court judge has rejected a request by New Mexico State University (NMSU) head football coach Hal Mumme to throw out the ACLU’s case charging him with discriminating against four Muslim players on the basis of their religion. The ruling means that the case will go to trial on June 25, 2007.

ACLU Applauds Congress’ Vote For Religious Freedom (05/02/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today praised the House for standing for religious freedom during its vote of HR 1429, the “Improving Head Start Act of 2007.” The body rejected a motion that would have removed longstanding civil rights protections prohibiting the hiring of teachers, staff and volunteers based on religion in Head Start programs. The provision failed by a vote of 195 to 222.

ACLU Praises Committee’s Vote For Religious Freedom, Head Start Will Continue to Hire Teachers Based on Qualifications not on Religious Beliefs (03/14/2007)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today praised the House Education and Labor Committee for standing for religious freedom during its mark up of HR 1429, the “Improving Head Start Act of 2007.” The committee rejected an amendment to the bill that would have removed longstanding civil rights protections prohibiting the hiring of teachers, staff and volunteers based on religion in Head Start programs. The provision failed by a vote of 24 to 13.

ACLU of Texas and ACLJ Urge State Supreme Court to Enforce Religious Freedom Act (12/06/2006)
AUSTIN, TX - The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the American Center for Law and Justice today filed a joint friend-of-the-court brief in support of Pastor Rick Barr and Philemon Homes, Inc. urging the state supreme court to reverse a lower court decision upholding an ordinance that forbids correctional or rehabilitation facilities within 1,000 feet of a church.

Veterans Denied Right to Post Religious Symbol on Headstones, ACLU Charges (09/29/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit to protect the right of veterans and their families to choose religious symbols to engrave on headstones in federal cemeteries. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two churches and three individuals to compel the government to approve the long-pending application for use of a Wiccan symbol on the headstones of service members.

ACLU Criticizes House Passage of “Public Expression of Religion Act,” Says Bill Weakens Individual Religious Freedom (09/26/2006)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the House of Representatives for adopting H.R. 2679, the “Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005” (PERA). The bill would bar the recovery of attorneys’ fees to citizens who win lawsuits asserting their fundamental constitutional and civil rights in cases brought under the First Amendment.

ACLU and Orange County Buddhists Challenge Discriminatory City Ordinance (08/09/2006)
ORANGE, CA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today sued the city of Garden Grove for using an unconstitutional city code to prevent local Buddhists from expanding their congregation.

ACLU Asks Senate to Reject "Public Expression of Religion Act," Says Bill Will Stifle Religious Freedom (08/02/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged a key Senate panel to reject a bill whose sponsors say it will enhance freedom of religion, but will actually have the opposite effect. S. 3696, the "Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005" (PERA), would bar the recovery of attorneys' fees to those who win lawsuits asserting their fundamental constitutional and civil rights in cases brought under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

ACLU Urges House Panel To Reject "Public Expression of Religion Act," Calls Bill A Direct Attack on Individual Religious Freedom (07/26/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House Judiciary Committee to reject H.R. 2679, the "Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005" (PERA). The panel is expected to vote on the legislation today. The bill would bar the recovery of attorneys’ fees to citizens who win lawsuits asserting their fundamental constitutional and civil rights in cases brought under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

ACLU of Georgia and Baptist Church File Religious Discrimination Lawsuit (04/19/2006)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church, charging that the city of East Point, Georgia violated a federal religious discrimination law when it denied the church a zoning permit needed to establish its house of worship.

NYCLU Challenges Coast Guard Ban on Religious Head Coverings in License Photographs (03/28/2006)
NEW YORK -- The New York Civil Liberties Union, working with the New York University Law School Civil Rights Clinic, filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan today challenging a Coast Guard regulation that withholds merchant marine licenses from people who do not remove their religious head coverings.

Fredericksburg City Council Agrees to ACLU Request, Adopts Non-Sectarian Prayer Policy (11/14/2005)
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Following a request by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, the Fredericksburg City Council voted last night to make the prayers that open its meetings non-sectarian.

ACLU Urges North Carolina Courts to Allow Use of Multiple Religious Texts for Swearing Oaths (07/11/2005)
RALEIGH, NC -- The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina today accused the Administrative Office of Courts of dragging its feet on an important issue of religious freedom and called upon the rule-making body to adopt a policy allowing the use of the Qur'an and other religious texts for the swearing of oaths in court proceedings.

City of Omaha and ACLU of Nebraska Announce Settlement in Lawsuit Over Muslim Woman Barred from Public Pool (02/18/2005)
OMAHA -- The City of Omaha and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska announced today that they have reached a settlement in the lawsuit Lubna Hussein v. City of Omaha.

ACLU of New Jersey Successfully Defends Right of Religious Expression by Jurors (12/22/2004)
NEWARK, NJ-- The State Supreme Court ruled today that a prosecutor violated the New Jersey Constitution when he removed two jurors from a jury pool, one for wearing Muslim religious clothing and another for having engaged in missionary activity.

Pentagon Agrees to End Direct Sponsorship of Boy Scout Troops in Response to Religious Discrimination Charge (11/15/2004)
CHICAGO - In response to a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, the Defense Department today agreed to end direct sponsorship of hundreds of Boy Scout units, which require members to swear religious oaths, on military facilities across the United States and overseas.

ACLU Rebukes Backdoor Congressional Attempts to Allow Tax-Exempt Religious Groups To Engage in Partisan Political Activities (06/14/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly rebuked a backdoor attempt by some Members of Congress to permit tax-exempt religious organizations to engage in partisan political activities, saying that the unconstitutional measure would discriminate against secular non-profit organizations.