20 States Urge U.S. Supreme Court to Take This First Liberty Case
Attorneys General from 20 states filed a brief supporting our case for Missionaries of St. John the Baptist, Inc., a group that’s currently banned from using its property to build a sacred shrine.
First Liberty filed a petition on behalf of the Christian organization in Park Hills, Kentucky asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse an alarming decision by the Kentucky Supreme Court. It bars the construction of a modest grotto, a cave-like space dedicated for prayer, reflection and devotion.
“Many courts—and now the Kentucky Supreme Court—have misinterpreted the law and infringed on Americans’ religious liberty,” said Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, who led the filing of the brief. “We’re asking the U.S. Supreme Court to provide nationwide clarity and stand with people of faith who simply want to worship without unlawful government interference.”
Additionally, a broad coalition of organizations filed briefs urging the Court to take the case, including:
As the Attorneys General said in their petition, “This issue is too important to go any longer without clear direction from this Court.”
Another Huge Month for Religious Liberty
May is off to a tremendous start! We recently announced big federal court victories for LifeWise Academy in Washington and the Ten Commandments in Texas.
On the heels of those wins, we’ve also filed another case at the U.S. Supreme Court involving eight firefighters who were punished for requesting religious accommodations. That’s a case that will test the impact of the landmark precedent in our “Faithful Carrier” case, Groff v. DeJoy, which impacts all Americans in the workplace.
First Liberty President & CEO Kelly Shackelford shares what’s happening in May:
Leading The Conversation | First Liberty in the News
Podcast | Stop Tolerating It! – President & CEO Kelly Shackelford on FlashPoint TV Network
Podcast | Holly Randall Discusses a Washinton State Court That Is Targeting a Christian Ministry – Counsel Holly M. Randall on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins
Opinion | No One Left Behind – On The Battlefield and Beyond – Executive Director of External Affairs & Senior Counsel Mike Berry in Providence Magazine
Opinion | How to Save the Trump Ballroom – Executive General Counsel Hiram Sasser in The Washington Times
Podcast | The Battle for Religious Liberty and Conservatism in a Secular Age – Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy Senior Fellow Dr. John D. Wilsey on Thinking in Public
To Build a Chapel, This Church is Taking It to the Next Level
Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pennsylvania owns a parcel of land and applied to build a chapel. But city leaders in Collier Township rejected the church’s proposals, imposing harsh restrictions that keep the congregation from using their property for worship.
Meanwhile, businesses and other establishments operate in the same zoning district without any of those limitations. That’s not just wrong, but illegal.
We filed a federal lawsuit on the church’s behalf back in January. A district court ruled against the church and sided with the city. But this legal battle isn’t over yet.
First Liberty is taking this case to the next level. We filed an appeal petition this week asking the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to make it clear that Holy Trinity has a right under federal law and the Constitution to use its property for religious purposes.
Holy Trinity is counting on your support in this next phase of their legal battle. A win for this church could have a huge ripple effect, ensuring that all houses of worship are treated fairly and equally. Please give to First Liberty today.
Religious Liberty is for All Religions
by Josh Blackman, Centennial Chair of Constitutional Law at the South Texas College of Law Houston
I am grateful that First Liberty invited me to write for its newsletter. I have been involved with them for nearly a decade and am honored to support their vital work of protecting religious liberty.
My first contribution will address an important theme: religious liberty is for all religions. Far too often, the mainstream media derides religious liberty, often in scare quotes, as something that only Christians care about. Not so. I am Jewish, and I work to advance the cause of religious freedom with the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty. First Liberty has been an invaluable partner in this fight.
In 2016, a group of poultry activists sued a Rabbi in California on the eve of the Jewish New Year. The Rabbi, preoccupied with important religious observances, did not have time to respond to the last-minute suit. A federal judge didn’t bother to wait and issued an emergency order that prohibited the Rabbi from performing an important ritual that involves chickens.
I found out about the case and stayed up all night preparing a brief in support of the Rabbi. At the same time, the First Liberty swooped in and prepared a representation for the Rabbi in about 24 hours. With little notice, they presented oral arguments over the phone. When no one else was there to defend this Rabbi, they stepped up to the plate. I wrote about the case in the Los Angeles Times.
In 2021, a group of Jewish people in a Houston neighborhood began holding services in a home. Over time, more and more people started to attend this small, friendly minyan. It was called Heimish, which means homey in Yiddish. Some neighbors began to complain about the noise, and the City of Houston threatened to take a zoning enforcement action.
Once again, First Liberty stepped up to the plate, filing a lawsuit. The City of Houston never even bothered to respond to the suit. Instead, the government backed down. To this day, Heimish continues to flourish. First Liberty deserves much credit here.
In August 2025, they also secured a victory for a Jewish student at the University of Wisconsin. The student requested on campus housing in walking distance to a synagogue, so she could walk to Shabbat services. After receiving their demand letter, the University surrendered. There are many more cases: a property dispute for a Chabad synagogue in Long Island, harassment of a Rabbi in Boca Raton, a Jewish prayer group in Hawaii, a Rabbi in Beverly Hills, and many more. I could go on.
Every year I speak at First Liberty’s annual conference, which usually runs over the weekend. For the past few years, I have brought shabbat candles, challah, and grape juice so my family can celebrate Shabbat. This past year, their staff volunteered to coordinate everything and brought all of the things needed to celebrate. It was such a thoughtful gesture, for which I was grateful. Indeed, my kids led a mini shabbat service for many people in attendance, who had never had that experience. It was beautiful.
Religious liberty is for all religions. Indeed, in these precarious times, it is so important to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and defend America’s Judeo-Christian tradition. I am proud that First Liberty will always fight up to defend these deeply rooted values.
Josh Blackman is a national thought leader on constitutional law and the United States Supreme Court. He also serves as a professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston. He holds the Centennial Chair of Constitutional Law.
Editors’ Picks | Stories Around the Nation
Here Are the Big Supreme Court Decisions to Be on the Lookout For – Deseret News
Supreme Court Pregnancy Center Ruling Strengthens First Amendment Association Rights – Washington Examiner
Opinion | Will Massachusetts Sour on Religious Freedom? – The Wall Street Journal
Riley Moore Acts to Protect Catholic Veterans’ Right to the Crucifix – The Daily Signal
Religious Freedom Before Locke – Law & Liberty
