Category Archives: Lawsuits

The Aftermath of a School Prayer Case and a Judge’s Awesome Statement

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

Last year, Christa and Danny Schultz sued the Medina Valley Independent School District in Castroville, Texas because they knew their son’s high school graduation ceremony would include a prayer. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery agreed with them, saying that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, General, Lawsuits, Politics | 5 Comments

Court Says Company Was Right to Fire Anti-Gay Counselor

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Carrie

An federal appeals court in Georgia recently affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of the case of Marcia Walden, a counselor employed by contract with the Centers for Disease Control, saying she did not have a valid free exercise claim against the … Continue reading →

Posted in General, GLBT, Lawsuits | 79 Comments

Anonymous Woman Sues City Over Prayers, but Judge Won’t Proceed Unless She Reveals Her Identity

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors in Virginia has a nasty habit of beginning meetings with prayers explicitly referencing Jesus Christ. (That’s even worse than the typical non-denominational prayers local government officials often get away with…) So one local resident … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Lawsuits, Politics | 34 Comments

Bible Man Better Be Able to Deflect Lawsuits

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

For decades now, Horace Turner (a.k.a. “Bible Man”) has been making appearances in Jackson County elementary schools in Alabama. When the Freedom From Religion Foundation received a complaint from a local parent, they sent the school district a letter informing … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, FFRF, General, Lawsuits | 82 Comments

Cranston School District Owes ACLU $173,000

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

That’s the amount of money the Rhode Island ACLU has billed the Cranston School District for their court costs. And they’re being generous: In a release, Steve Brown, executive director of the RIACLU, said the amount includes major discounts for … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, General, Lawsuits | 83 Comments

New York Times Editorial Supports Jessica Ahlquist

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

Today’s edition of the New York Times includes an editorial that defends Jessica Ahlquist‘s lawsuit: The anger and hatred directed at Ms. Ahlquist — she was called “an evil little thing” on talk radio by a Cranston state representative — … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist Generosity, Education, General, Lawsuits | 20 Comments

Death Row Inmate Argues That Prosecution Favored Mormon Jurors, ‘Blood Atonement’

Posted on January 31, 2012 by katherine

A Utah man convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to death has appealed his conviction, arguing in part that potential jurors were discriminated against on the basis of their religion.   After Von Lester Taylor pled guilty to … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Lawsuits | 21 Comments

Jessica Ahlquist Featured in the New York Times

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

The New York Times‘ Abby Goodnough has a summary of Jessica Ahlquist‘s lawsuit in Friday’s paper and Jessica comes out of it looking exactly like the hero she is. (Her opponents, not so much.) Atheists don’t always get positive coverage … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist Generosity, Education, General, Lawsuits | 38 Comments

Moderate Religious Leaders Come to Jessica Ahlquist’s Defense

Posted on January 26, 2012 by jesse galef

by Jesse Galef – Perhaps I’d gotten too cynical, but I didn’t see this good turn of events coming. As announced yesterday, religious leaders in Cranston, Rhode Island stepped up to defend Jessica and speak out against the hateful comments, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist/Christian Cooperation, Education, General, Jesse Galef, Lawsuits | 40 Comments

Evil Little Shirts and Young Turks

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

The Young Turks (Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur) spent some time talking about the over-the-top responses from some Christians to the Jessica Ahlquist story: On a side note, the Providence Journal had a nice, short article about the “Evil Little … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist Generosity, Education, General, Lawsuits | 13 Comments