Home : Religion and Belief

Following Threat of ACLU of Virginia Lawsuit, Officials to Agree Not to Ban Baptisms in Public Parks (06/03/2004)
RICHMOND, VA - Under pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, Falmouth Waterside Park Manager Brian Robinson has agreed not to prohibit baptisms in Stafford County, the ACLU announced today.

Missouri School District Agrees to Stop Distributing Bibles to Students (06/03/2004)
KANSAS CITY, MO -- A Kansas City Metro Area school district has agreed to stop distributing Gideon International Bibles to elementary-school children on school premises, settling a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri on behalf of a Roman Catholic father of three.

ACLU of Virginia Warns Park Officials Not to Discriminate Against Religious Groups (05/27/2004)
RICHMOND, VA -- Based on news accounts that a riverfront park in Stafford County has banned baptisms and may be limiting other religious activities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said today that is has sent a letter to park officials seeking written assurances that religious expression will not be curtailed in the future.

ACLU of Southern California Wins Release for Native American Inmate Who Refused on Religious Grounds to Cut His Hair (05/26/2004)
LOS ANGELES - In a stinging rebuke to the California Department of Corrections, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today ordered the release of Billy Soza Warsoldier, a Cahuilla Native American who had refused prison orders to cut his hair short because of his religious beliefs. Prison officials had delayed his May 21st release after Warsoldier fought the policy.

After ACLU Intervention on Behalf of Christian Valedictorian, Michigan High School Agrees to Stop Censoring Religious Yearbook Entries (05/11/2004)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today announced an out-of-court settlement between the Utica Community School District and a local student over the censorship of her 2001 yearbook entry. The student's entry had been deleted from the yearbook because it contained a passage from the Bible.

ACLU of San Diego Challenges Sectarian Prayers at City Council Meetings on Behalf of Resident (05/05/2004)
SAN DIEGO - Acting on behalf of a local resident, the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego & Imperial Counties today sent a letter to the Mayor of La Mesa and City Council officials, asking them to end the practice of opening Council meetings with sectarian prayers that make specific references to Christianity, and to adopt a policy ensuring that all future invocations will be non-sectarian.

Supreme Court Lets Ban on Coerced Prayer at Virginia Military Institute Stand (04/26/2004)
WASHINGTON -- The U. S. Supreme Court today turned down a request by the Virginia Attorney General to review a federal appeals court decision banning mandatory mealtime prayers at the Virginia Military Institute. By refusing to hear the case, the High Court leaves in place a ruling that such prayers violate the separation of church and state.

Following ACLU Lawsuit, Town Officials Settle Lawsuit Over Denial of Zoning Permit to Pittsburgh Area Church (04/19/2004)
PITTSBURGH - The American Civil Liberties Union of Greater Pittsburgh today announced the settlement of a federal civil rights lawsuit charging illegal race and religious discrimination in a local town's refusal to issue a zoning permit to a predominantly African-American church.

In Final Chapter of San Diego Park Lease Case, Court Rules Against Boy Scouts on All Issues (04/14/2004)
SAN DIEGO -- Addressing the last outstanding issues in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of exclusive preferential leases for the Boy Scouts, a federal district court has found that the lease for the Boy Scouts' free use of aquatic parkland on City-owned Fiesta Island is unconstitutional.

ACLU Files Religious Liberty Lawsuit on Behalf of Native American Who Refuses to Cut Hair (03/31/2004)
ADELANTO, CA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Native American inmate who has faced serious disciplinary sanctions -- including the loss of all visitation rights -- for his refusal to comply with a California Department of Corrections grooming policy requiring all male inmates to maintain hair no longer than three inches in length.