Dan Gilmore – 6 minutes
With the heat of summer in full effect, we’re excited and hopeful as we await decisions in 10 cases. Here’s a quick legal update on each one. Many are pending just one level below the U.S. Supreme Court.
Please pray for our clients and attorneys. Please also keep the judges in prayer, for wisdom as they write their rulings.
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT:
Cambridge Christian School: Two private Christian schools were told they could not pray over the loudspeaker before the kickoff at their state championship football game. We argued this case in federal appeals court last June.
Alex Smith: Our client is a first responder, pastor and chaplain who’s served his community for more than 20 years, working both for the Atlantic City Fire Department and as pastor of Community Harvesters Church. Alex’s religious beliefs require him to wear a beard. The fire department refused to grant Alex a religious accommodation, even though wearing a beard would have no impact on Alex’s job as an air mask technician. We’ve asked a federal appeals court to hear the case and are waiting on notification of possible oral argument.
North American Mission Board: In April, we argued at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of the North American Mission Board, the missions agency of the Southern Baptist Convention. We made the case that religious institutions have the right to freely choose who will preach their beliefs, teach their faith and carry out their mission. The court’s ruling could impact the autonomy of every church, synagogue or faith-based organization in the country.
Pastor Chris Avell of Dad’s Place Church: Pastor Chris Avell simply wants to keep the doors of his church open 24/7 to minister to and care for anyone who needs help. Because of this, Pastor Chris has been in and out of courtrooms several times. The city wants to pin him as a criminal. We recently filed an appeal in federal appeals court on an emergency posture, arguing that this unlawful harassment must stop.
FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT:
Jace Yarbrough: Major Yarbrough, an Air Force veteran, spoke at a private retirement ceremony. Consistent with his religious beliefs, he warned about the growing “cancel culture” in our country. Someone reported his speech to the Air Force. Military officials sent him a “Letter of Admonishment” that could tarnish his record and ruin his career. We sued in federal court to save Jace’s career. But the lawyers on the other side asked the judge to dismiss the case, which we opposed.
Arkansas Capitol Ten Commandments Monument: We’re fighting to stop the legal attacks by several radical groups against the Ten Commandments monument located outside the Arkansas State Capitol. Both the Constitution and established legal precedent affirm that the monument should remain. We argued the case in federal district court last July.
Heather Rooks: Heather Rooks, a member of the Peoria Unified School Board in Arizona, is being prohibited from referencing Scripture during school board meetings. We’ve asked the court to rule on the case without the need for a trial. We think the facts and evidence favor our client and are enough for the court to issue a decision.
Grace Church New England: We filed a federal lawsuit defending Pastor Howard Kaloogian of Grace New England in Weare, New Hampshire. The church meets in a barn on Pastor Howard’s property, with usually no more than 30 people. Town officials ordered church the gatherings to stop, despite allowing other secular meetings. We had a hearing this week, in which we urged the court to stop the town’s clear religious discrimination.
New Jersey Historic Churches: Two New Jersey churches were excluded from a public grant program intended to preserve historic landmarks. In the past, churches and religious organizations were eligible for and received funding from the program. But because of a bad state court decision, Morris County hasn’t been able to disburse taxpayer dollars for the churches to renovate. We sued in federal court and asked a judge to allow the churches to participate in the program.
STATE COURT:
Sweet Cakes by Melissa: Aaron and Melissa Klein were fined $135,000 by the state of Oregon, because they declined to design and create a custom cake for a same-sex wedding. We’ve been fighting this case for 10 years. Our attorneys most recently argued before the state appeals court in February. We’re waiting for a decision.
 |
|
|
