At stake in this case are the administration’s final rules on religious and moral objections to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) contraceptive mandate. The federal court issued a nationwide injunction blocking the new rules, which would effectively repeal the contraceptive mandate and broadly allow employers and universities to invoke religion or morality to block their employees’ and students’ contraceptive coverage that is otherwise guaranteed by the ACA. On…

At stake in this case are the administration’s final rules on religious and moral objections to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) contraceptive mandate. The federal court issued a nationwide injunction blocking the new rules, which would effectively repeal the contraceptive mandate and broadly allow employers and universities to invoke religion or morality to block their employees’ and students’ contraceptive coverage that is otherwise guaranteed by the ACA. On…

At issue in this case is the constitutionality of a decision by the City of Boston to reject a request by some residents to raise the Christian flag in front of City Hall, next to the American flag and the Massachusetts state flag. ADL filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, highlighting that the consequence of a finding that Boston’s City Hall flagpoles are a public forum would be that anyone could express any viewpoint from them, subject only to reasonable time,…

At issue in this case is the constitutionality of a Pennsylvania House of Representatives policy barring nontheists from serving as guest chaplains to offer the Chamber’s daily invocation. ADL’s brief asserts that the policy is unconstitutional for two reasons. First, it violates longstanding Establishment Clause precedent prohibiting government from preferring one religion over others. Second, the House’s justification that historically nontheists have not given invocations…

At issue in this case is the constitutionality of a state-sponsored, 40-foot Latin cross that  dominates a veterans memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland dedicated to local soldiers who died during World War I. The brief discusses the power of symbols, particularly religious ones such as the Latin cross, which are laden with history and convey poignant messages to both Christians and non-adherents. It further explains why the memorial conveys a hurtful message of religious exclusion and…

After the City of Philadelphia learned that certain of its foster care providers, including Catholic Social Services (CSS), would not license same-sex couples to be foster parents, the City ceased referring children to these agencies. CSS subsequently sued the City, arguing that it had a constitutional right to reject qualified same-sex couples as a matter of free exercise of religion. ADL filed an amicus brief in support of the City on behalf of a broad coalition of religious and religiously…

At stake in this case are two interim final rules (IFRs) promulgated by the Trump Administration in October 2017 that significantly broadened the religious exemption to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraception mandate. Prior mandate regulations accommodated houses of worship and religiously affiliated organizations. The new exemption, however, effectively repeals the contraception mandate, broadly allowing employers and universities to invoke religion or morality to block their…

At stake in this case are two interim final rules (IFRs) promulgated by the Trump administration in October 2017 that significantly broadened the religious exemption to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraception mandate. Prior mandate regulations accommodated houses of worship and religiously affiliated organizations. The new exemption, however, effectively repeals the contraception mandate, broadly allowing employers and universities to invoke religion or morality to block their…

At issue in this case is the constitutionality of the U.S. House of Representatives’ guest chaplain policy. Because the policy requires guest chaplains to offer a prayer that addresses a “higher power,” as well as to be ordained clergy, it bars non-theists from the invocation opportunity. A Humanist leader challenged the policy under the Constitution’s Establishment Clause. ADL joined a coalition brief asserting that policy is unconstitutional for four reasons. First,…

At issue in this case is the constitutionality of a county commission policy prohibiting non-theists from offering the opening prayer at commission meetings. A lower ruled that the policy violated the Establishment Clause to the First Amendment. ADL filed a brief on behalf of a diverse group of religious and civil rights organizations. The brief asserts that policy is unconstitutional for four reasons. First, it plainly violates the U.S. Supreme Court’s non-discrimination requirement for…

At issue in this case is the constitutionality of a county seal that prominently displays the Latin cross. Although a lower court ruled that the seal violates the Establishment Clause to the First Amendment, a substantial portion of its opinion questioned settled U.S. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals precedent, based on inaccurate descriptions of the history, purpose, and fundamental objectives of the First Amendment. ADL joined an amicus brief filed by a diverse group of religious and civil…

This case raises a novel school prayer issue. Cambridge Christian School (“Cambridge”) is a private religious school and a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association (“Association”), which is a public entity. Cambridge’s football team made it into a division playoff game, which was to be played in a public stadium under the Association’s control. The school requested that the team’s customary pre-game, group prayer be broadcast over the…

Plaintiffs, three houses of worship, challenged a Federal Emergency Management Agency rule, which prohibits houses of worship from obtaining emergency disaster grants. The houses of worship sought such grants for the purpose of reconstructing or repairing buildings primarily used for religious worship damaged by hurricanes. They claim that the rule violates the Free Exercise Clause to the First Amendment. While certainly mindful of the damage suffered by these houses of worship, the amicus…

At issue in this case is the constitutionality of a 34-foot Latin cross displayed in a public city park. The cross is the focal point for an amphitheater designed for hosting worship services on Easter. Although the lower court begrudgingly ruled that the due the display’s clear religious purpose it violates the Establishment Clause to the First Amendment, its decision extensively criticizes long-standing Establishment Clause precedents, which the court was obligated to enforce, and…

This case involves the constitutionality of a Montana Department of Revenue rule, which prohibits the use of “scholarships” provided under a State neo-voucher program to support K-12 religious education. The rule was issued pursuant to the Montana Constitution’s “No-Aid” clause, which requires stronger separation of church and state than the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The neo-voucher program provides a tax-credit to individuals who make a donation…

This case involves the constitutionality of Mississippi HB 1523 — the so-called "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act." HB 1523 provides sweeping, legal exemptions and immunities to public officials, individuals or business who or that hold one of three religious or moral beliefs: marriage should be limited to opposite sex-marriage; sexual relations should be limited to opposite-sex marriage; and "Male (man) or Female (woman) refer to an individual’s…

This case involves a constitutional challenge to a public school board’s policy of opening meetings with prayer by clergy or board members. Prayers made pursuant to the policy are sectarian and the vast majority of them are Christian in nature. Students have been present or participated at every board meeting since the policy went into effect. Some, such as a student representative who sits on the board and students subject to disciplinary hearings, are required to be at meetings. Others…