Hosanna-Tabor Reaction Roundup

Written by Don Byrd
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the Hosanna-Tabor case, a dispute centering on the intersection between church autonomy and employment discrimination laws. Here’s a brief roundup of some of the reaction and coverage to the decision, affirming the ministerial exception insulating houses of worship from government interference into hiring practices.

10th Circuit Affirms Injunction Barring Oklahoma’s Anti-Sharia Law

Written by Don Byrd
In an important victory for religious liberty, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously affirmed a lower court’s ruling that put a halt to the anti-Sharia constitutional amendment adopted by Oklahoma voters in 2010. Today’s decision emphasized two conclusions: 1) that the plaintiff Muneer Awad faces very real and imminent damaging consequences if the measure is allowed to become law, and 2) that the amendment improperly targets a single religion without identifying a compelling reason to do so.

Bronx Household Ruling Prompts Protest, Arrests

Written by Don Byrd
The U.S. Supreme Court surprised many, including me, by declining to hear the Bronx Householdcase late last year, leaving in place the 2nd Circuit’s ruling that NY City is within its rights to bar churches from meeting in public school buildings. City officials subsequently notified churches of deadlines to stop using school premises for worship services, but now some are pushing back against the policy. A group of protesters including clergy were arrested last week after attempting to block access to the city’s Law Department.