School District Gets a Lesson on What the Constitution Says
Big win this week for our client, LifeWise Academy.
A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction that stops the Everett Public School District from enforcing discriminatory regulations against LifeWise. The ruling affirms that it’s unconstitutional to target a program simply because it is religious.
LifeWise is a nonprofit with a mission to bring Bible teaching to children in public schools through an off-campus, voluntary released-time program. Despite having strong parental support, the school district has created obstacles for families who want their children to participate.
One of the school board members openly admitted he does “in fact hold animus toward LifeWise Academy.” Members of the community echoed those comments, likening LifeWise to the Nazi party.
The preliminary injunction is a first win that will allow LifeWise to continue its work as the case proceeds in court. But it’s far from over. Our federal lawsuit against the district is still pending, and there’s a lot of work ahead before a final victory.
LifeWise is counting on your continued support. Your gift is essential in making sure this ministry can keep bringing the Bible to children and families. Please give to First Liberty today.
DOJ Report: Biden Administration Really Didn’t Like Christians
This week, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias published a 600-page report detailing hundreds of examples of government hostility toward Christians under the Biden administration.
The report makes one thing clear: the fight for religious liberty in America is real.
President Trump established the Task Force “to identify where religious discrimination may have informed the Biden Administration’s policies, practices, or decisions; and to take immediate steps to rectify weaponization of government and unlawful conduct affecting Christians.”
According to the report, the Task Force found that the Biden administration policies “regularly clashed with a Christian worldview” and that the administration “penalized Christians who lived in accordance with their beliefs” and “Christians who ascribed to traditional Christian morality relating to abortion, marriage, and human sexuality were targeted for their beliefs.”
“The Biden administration’s despicable record of hostility toward Christian Americans should serve as a warning that our First Freedom is fragile and needs vigilant protection,” said Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO at First Liberty.
The report found that, among other instances of anti-Christian actions, Biden’s Department of Justice “pursued aggressive prosecutions against non-violent, pro-life, Christian demonstrators under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.” It also documents how the FBI “investigated, monitored, tracked, and scrutinized traditional Catholics who engaged in no criminal misconduct,” and the “Internal Revenue Service investigated churches because of what their pastors preached and Christian organizations because they applied biblical teachings.”
The report references multiple First Liberty cases, including:
In response to the anti-Christian bias, the report points to the beneficial effect of several Supreme Court victories by First Liberty. As a result of Groff v. DeJoy—our Faithful Carrier case—the Office of Personnel Management updated guidance instructing federal agencies to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs and practices.
The report repeatedly references the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, stating that Biden administration continued to promulgate and enforce “scores of federal regulations that reflect pre-Kennedy Establishment Clause frameworks, including approaches historically associated with the Lemon test, and may warrant modernization to align with current First Amendment doctrine.”
Former First Liberty client and U.S. Navy SEAL Phil Mendes participated in the inaugural meeting of the Task Force. Mendes was one of several Navy special warfare officers to participate in First Liberty’s federal lawsuit against the Navy after they were punished for requesting a religious accommodation to the COVID vaccine mandate.
The report details the Trump administration’s government-wide effort to rectify the injustices of its predecessor. Federal agencies are taking steps to prevent future weaponization of government against religious groups and to better protect the religious liberties of all Americans of faith. This includes “rescinding prior guidance and policies addressed in the report’s findings, issuing new guidance, and opening investigations where merited.”
“All Americans should be free to exercise their faith without government intrusion in school, in the military, in the workplace, and in the public square,” Shackelford added. “We are grateful the Trump administration for recognizing that religious liberty is foundational to all of our Constitutional freedoms and is working to protect our First Freedom.”
The Harmful Side Effects of Government Overreach
We’re about six years past the COVID epidemic. But many Americans are still feeling the lasting effects of religious discrimination that spread during the pandemic. What happened during that time was a constitutional crisis that opened an entirely new line of attacks on religious liberty.
Eight firefighters in Snohomish, Washington asked for a religious exemption from their employer’s vaccine mandate. For that, they were punished and ordered to go home without pay for months. They’re still fighting in court, waiting to be made whole for the discrimination and harassment they faced.
First Liberty recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the Snohomish Firefighters’ case, and to right the wrongs done to our clients.
This case could have broad, national impact. So many people of faith have been harmed by government overreach since the pandemic. Countless Americans were singled out and unlawfully punished because of their religious beliefs on vaccine mandates.
Here’s Senior Counsel Cliff Martin with a quick update on the case—and why winning it would be huge for religious employees across America, ensuring they are given equal opportunity and fair treatment in the workplace.
Leading The Conversation | First Liberty in the News
DOJ Weaponized Against Pro-Life Americans – Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys in Townhall
Video | America 250: Law and the Pursuit of Happiness – Vice President of Legal Services & Senior Counsel David Hacker in Civitas Institute
Podcast | Fired for Her Faith? – Senior Counsel Cliff Martin & Client Paige Rogers in The Steve Gruber Show
What the Meta-Google Verdict Gets Wrong – Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy Research Associate Logan Tantibanchachai in The Daily Economy
Colorado’s Zeal for Converts – Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy Senior Research Fellow Adam MacLeod in Law & Liberty
The Economic End of History – Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy Executive Director Jordan Ballor in Acton Institute
You Helped an Evangelist Win His Supreme Court Case. What’s Next?
We recently celebrated a big U.S. Supreme Court victory for Mississippi evangelist, Gabriel Oliver. In a unanimous decision, the Court ruled that Gabe, and all Americans, have a right to have their day in court.
So, what happens now? First Liberty is headed back to the lower courts to challenge the city ordinance that bans Gabe from sharing his Christian faith in a public park. He wants to be able to return to sharing his faith without the threat of being arrested again. The next phase of this legal battle is just getting started.
Plus, since winning Gabe’s case, we’ve filed two more cases at the nation’s highest court. The justices also agreed to hear an important case involving Catholic families and preschools that were excluded from Colorado’s public funding programs because of their faith.
As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of independence, 2026 could be yet another historic year that restores our Founders’ vision. These cases could set precedents that impact religious freedom for generations.
Christian Organization Banned from Building Sacred Shrine
A Christian organization in Park Hills, Kentucky is currently banned from using its property to build a sacred space in honor of the Virgin Mary.
We represent Missionaries of St. John the Baptist, Inc. and are asking the nation’s highest court to reverse a decision by the Kentucky Supreme Court that bars the organization from building a modest grotto.
In Catholic tradition, a grotto is a sacred, cave-like shrine that serves as a quiet space for prayer, reflection and devotion. These structures can be found in churches, gardens or even as roadside shrines, creating a focal point for faith and spiritual solace.
We argue that religious organizations are protected by both federal law and the Constitution to use their facilities for religious purposes, as well as a right to be treated fairly and equally to businesses or other secular organizations.
If the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling stands, it will prevent countless congregations in the Bluegrass State from fulfilling their divinely inspired calling. Not only is that illegal, it also goes against everything religious freedom in America is about.
This case presents an opportunity for the Supreme Court to affirm the federal law that protects religious institutions. The outcome could set a precedent that strengthens protections for houses of worship across America.
Washington Firefighters Burned for Their Beliefs
A group of firefighters in Washington state were placed on unpaid leave for eight months after they asked their employer for a religious accommodation.
We asked the Supreme Court to hear their case and make it clear that Americans should not be forced to choose between their faith and their job.
When Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, it put in place a religious exemption process. Eight firefighters requested that exemption. But the fire department ended up denying their requests, claiming that granting an accommodation would be a hardship.
Facing indefinite unpaid leave, the Snohomish Eight found work in other nearby fire departments in and outside the county that accommodated them without a problem. The fire chief eventually decided to bring the firefighters back to work, still unvaccinated. They resumed their jobs without causing any difficulties or added expense.
No doubt, the fire department could have accommodated our clients. Instead, it chose to violate their rights under the law and punish them for their religious beliefs.
Winning this case would right the wrongs done to our clients. Plus, a victory would impact religious employees nationwide, ensuring they are given equal opportunity and fair treatment in the workplace.
Colorado’s Exclusion of Religious Schools Could Impact Millions of Families
The Court recently agreed to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy. Our friends at Becket are representing a Catholic school that’s being blocked from participating in Colorado’s public funding program for preschools.
The 10th U.S. Court of Appeals upheld Colorado’s religious discrimination, punishing faith-based schools and the families they serve for operating according to their religious beliefs.
The Court specifically said it will decide this case based on the precedent set in Carson v. Makin, First Liberty’s “Treat Children Fairly” case. That landmark ruling held that government assistance programs must treat religious organizations the same as everyone else, and funds can’t be denied simply because program participants are religious.
Even though the Supreme Court made it clear that religious families and organizations must be treated fairly, many states are defiant and continue finding ways to target people of faith. The result of this case isn’t just important to schools and families in Colorado. If the Court clarifies or expands the protections in Carson, it could impact Americans and religious schools across the country.
Editors’ Picks | Stories Around the Nation
Opinion | My Year with DOJ’s Religious Liberty Commission: Why I Said Yes – Fox News
Christian Group Denied Public Space Seeks Federal Legal Remedy – Decision Magazine
Opinion | Ex-Conservative Icon Joins Left’s Ruthless Court-Packing Scheme – Fox News
A Refresher on Religious Accommodation – National Law Review
A Fourth Supreme Court Appointment for Trump? History Is on His Side – Newsweek
4 Key Moments from Turning Point USA’s Faith Forward Pastors’ Summit – The Christian Post
