News

7 First Liberty Cases Are Now at the U.S. Supreme Court

by First Liberty Institute • 3 minutes

We recently filed two cases at the U.S. Supreme Court—which means there are now seven First Liberty cases pending at the nation’s highest court.

The Court will resume hearing cases in about 30 days. Court analysts at SCOTUSblog have five of our cases on their “Petitions We’re Watching” list.

Our most recent petitions involve religious liberty in education:

College Student Can’t Choose a Religious Major

The state of Virginia told Liberty University student Bethany Hall that she is ineligible for a state grant program. . Why? Because she chose to pursue a “Music and Worship” degree. The program specifically excludes “religious training or theological education.” First Liberty is working with Steve Fitschen of the National Legal Foundation, Troutman Pepper Locke, and others in asking the justices to protect Bethany’s  religious freedom.

The case also presents the Court with an opportunity to reverse a 2004 decision that state-funded scholarship programs can exclude students pursuing degrees in religious studies.

California Discriminates Against Religious Home School Families

John and Breanna Woolard, Hector and Diana Gonzales, and Carrie Dodson are devout Christians. They educate their children at home, at their own kitchen tables. California offers a charter school program in which homeschool families can access public funds to purchase curriculum, other instructional materials, and extracurricular activities.

But the state says parents in the program are not allowed to choose any religious curriculum or school materials — even if they buy them with their own money. We argue that the government is excluding these families from a publicly available benefit, which is unconstitutional.

These are the other cases that we’ve asked the nation’s highest court to hear. Each has major implications for the constitutional rights of Americans when they share their faith, as well as the rights of religious employees and houses of worship.

• Petersen v. Snohomish: Eight firefighters in Washington State were put on unpaid leave for requesting religious accommodations. They’re asking the Court to make it clear that no American should be forced to choose between their faith and their job.
• Missionaries of St. John the Baptist v. Frederic: A Christian organization in Kentucky is currently banned from using its property to build a sacred space in honor of the Virgin Mary. A favorable outcome could set a precedent that strengthens protections for all houses of worship.
• Hershey v. Bossier City: Richard Hershey, a vegetarian advocate from Missouri, was peaceably distributing religious literature at a Christian gathering in a public park. Police forced him to leave and never return. This case can ensure that government officials are held accountable when they violate your religious freedom.
• Perez v. City of San Antonio: The city is telling a Native American church they can no longer worship in the place where they have for centuries – long before the United States was a nation. We’re asking the Court to protect our clients’ constitutional right to practice their religion freely, without government telling them how or where they should worship.
• Cross v. Central Contra Costa Transit Authority: A bus driver was harassed at work for wearing a hijab and then fired after a bicycle collided with her bus, resulting in no injuries. The transit authority discriminatorily applied its standards, treating her worse than other employees. We’re asking the Court to overturn yet another bad 1970s precedent that allows employers to avoid trial when there’s a dispute of facts over religious discrimination that a jury should decide.