Oklahoma Company Settles Religious Discrimination Suit with EEOC

Written by Don Byrd
The Voss Lighting Company tried to hire an operations supervisor that conformed to certain religious beliefs of management, even advertising the position in a Baptist Church. When the only qualified applicant, Edward Wolfe, did not answer religious questions satisfactorily in interviews, he was not hired. Religious discrimination of that sort in hiring is prohibited by the Civil Rights Act, according to the EEOC, which filed a lawsuit on Wolfe’s behalf.

Questioning the Impact of State RFRA Laws

Written by Don Byrd
Advocacy groups are pressuring Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to veto a recently passed religious freedom bill. House Bill 279 is essentially a state version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which requires the state to demonstrate a compelling government interest to maintain a substantial burden on religious exercise. A dozen or so other states have similar provisions.

In a column this morning for the Lexington Herald-Leader, religion reporter Peter Smith notes research that suggests these laws have probably not been as helpful as its proponents argue, nor as troublesome as its detractors warn.

Ohio School Moves Controversial Jesus Portrait

Written by Don Byrd
A quick update of a story I have been following here at the blog (earlier post here). A portrait depicting Christ hanging in the hall of a Jackson, Ohio middle school and the subject of a church-state lawsuit, has been moved to the high school. The School District’s primary defense is an argument that the portrait is owned by a student club, and therefore not government speech. The only problem? No members of that club are in the middle school where the portrait hangs.

Brief Makes Religious Liberty Argument Against Louisiana Vouchers

Written by Don Byrd
Religious liberty advocates are joining the dispute over school vouchers in Louisiana. The program was ruled an unconstitutional diversion of funds away from the public school system back in December. In a friend of the court brief filed Friday, organizations including the Interfaith Alliance urged the state’s appeals court to affirm the trial court’s ruling, and gave them an additional reason: the program improperly funds religious exercise.