First Liberty Institute today announced that Hunter Baker has joined the legal firm’s Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy (“CRCD”) as senior fellow, leading a project designed to bring about a renewal of American citizenship and civics education. Baker comes to First Liberty after serving as provost at North Greenville University since January of 2024.
First Liberty Institute and the University of Texas School of Law’s Law and Religion Clinic filed a petition at the Supreme Court of the United States asking the Justices to reverse a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that affirmed a lower court’s decision to allow the city of San Antonio to destroy and redevelop a Native American sacred religious site.
Today, the President’s Religious Liberty Commission delivered a draft of its final report with recommendations for protecting the right of all Americans to freely exercise their faith without fear or Government censorship or retaliation. Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO, and Chief Counsel at First Liberty and member of the Commission, who attended a White House meeting today to deliver the report
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of two flight attendants, Lacey Smith and Marli Brown, who were wrongfully terminated from their positions at Alaska Airlines, and discriminated against by the flight attendants’ union, because of their faith-based responses on an employee-only online network.
The District Court of Travis County has issued its final judgment in favor of Judge Dianne Hensley, who had been disciplined by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct (“Commission”) for recusing herself from performing same-sex weddings on account of her Christian faith. The final judgment awards Judge Hensley $10,000.00 in compensatory damages under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act — the maximum allowed under the statute — and permanently enjoins the Commission from “investigating, sanctioning, or disciplining Judge Hensley over her refusal to officiate at same sex weddings on account of her religious beliefs.” The court’s judgment also requires the Commission to pay $630,000 for Judge Hensley’s attorney’s fees. First Liberty Institute and Jonathan F. Mitchell of Mitchell Law PLLC represented Judge Hensley.
Attorneys with First Liberty Institute and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP sent a letter to the City of Irvine, California, urging officials to cease penalizing local rabbi, Rafi Dadon, who hosts small, private religious gatherings in his home to meet the religious needs of his family, neighbors, and friends.
