Religious Liberty

12.04.19

The “Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act” Explained

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

In March 2019, House Bill 164 aka “The Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act,” was introduced.  In November, it passed the Ohio House and is now on its way to the Senate.

Recently, HB 164 has received lots of statewide and national attention. 

06.11.19

Cleveland Councilman Wanting More Prayer at Meetings Must Support True, Not Token, Religious Diversity

By Celina Coming

The First Amendment guarantees all persons the right to practice their faith without government intrusion, including the right to abstain from religious belief or expression altogether.

This goes to the heart of what it means to be American. The Constitution’s insistence on religious freedom makes our personal liberties genuine.

03.01.17

Religious Liberty Does Not Require Discrimination

By James Kosmatka

After being halted last session, the so-called Pastor Protection Act appears primed to receive a full vote in the Ohio House of Representatives. The stated purpose is to protect religious officials from being forced to perform marriages that are against their beliefs.

08.28.15

Gay Scout Leaders Mostly Welcome in BSA

By Steve David

Brian Peffly

On July 27, a century-old organization made a momentous change in its membership—the Boy Scouts of America lifted the ban on gay adults as Scout leaders and employees. The decision means that more people will be able to remain true to who they are without fear of dismissal.

05.25.15

Does Being in Jail Mean You Give Up Your Religious Rights?

By Shakyra Diaz

Given our state’s overcrowded jails and prisons, it’s only fitting we keep a particularly sharp focus on prisoners’ constitutional rights by guarding their First Amendment right to freedom of religion.

Incident One: December 2014

Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised by the federal lawsuit initiated in December 2014 by a 24-year-old Rocky River woman, who is a Muslim.

04.17.15

Ohio Poised to Censor Crucial Guardianship Information

By Shakyra Diaz

Almost a year ago, The Columbus Dispatch began a series covering alarming gaps and abuse in Ohio’s guardianship system. It didn’t take long for lawmakers to respond and soon we had legislation to help bring reform in Ohio.

Ohio House Bill (HB) 624, sponsored by Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-District 86) during the 2013-2014 legislative session, would have allowed for the distribution of a ward’s “bill of rights,” and to require that a guardian receive the Ohio Guardianship Guide, prepared by the Ohio Attorney General, and acknowledge its receipt.

02.27.15

The Reality for Ohio Women Today

By Ellen Kubit

Last week, the ACLU of Ohio reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a single mother, Jennifer Maudlin.

According to Maudlin, Inside Out, Inc., a Christian-based childcare facility, fired her under an unwritten company policy against non-marital sex after she informed them she was pregnant.

12.24.14

Celebrate the Holidays, But Don’t Let the Government Pick Favorites

By Mike Brickner

It’s that time of year again! It’s the season when sleigh bells ring, halls are decked with holiday decorations, and when talking heads appear on our TV or in newspapers with dire warnings of the “War on Christmas.”

Breathlessly, they exclaim that organizations like the ACLU are attempting to use the courts to take candy canes out of children’s hands, forbid the singing of carols, and dash a few dreidels while we’re at it.

10.20.14

Inspiring a New Generation of Activists

By Jeff Miller

Belle Likover and Susan Galloway

It’s not where you’re from; it’s not where you are—it’s what you do.

Long time ACLU supporters, Ed and Belle Likover are shining examples of activists who truly lived and breathed this sentiment. Ed Likover stood for what he believed in even if he stood alone, and his courage never wavered.

09.10.14

Prayer at Public Meetings? Religious Liberty post-Greece v. Galloway Explained

By Tim Cable

The ACLU believes that the right of every American to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all, is one of the most fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. The Constitution’s framers understood that religious liberty can flourish only if the government plays no direct role in religion.

08.26.14

Upcoming Likover Memorial Lecture Explores Religious Liberty After Greece v. Galloway

By Tim Cable

Save October 12, 2014 on your calendar to learn what religious liberty means post-Greece v. Galloway. Join in the conversation with ACLU of Ohio Staff Attorney Drew Dennis as he discusses the current state of religious liberty with plaintiff Susan Galloway and her choice to speak out against official prayer at public meetings.

07.31.14

FAQ on Town of Greece v. Galloway and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.: Freedom of Religion versus Individual Rights

By Tim Cable

Wilson Huhn is a distinguished professor and C. Blake McDowell, Jr., Professor of Law at the University of Akron School of Law.

In 2014 the Supreme Court issued two significant decisions on Freedom of Religion: Town of Greece v. Galloway and Burwell v.

07.10.14

Jump On the Discrimination Train. Free Rides On the Hobby Lobby Express.

By Tim Cable

The Hobby Lobby decision is only about a week old, but it still promises to steamroll over many people’s rights if left unchecked. Here’s how:

Reproductive Freedom

Let’s start with reproductive rights. Just after the Supreme Court issued its decision in Hobby Lobby, it issued orders for six pending cases all challenging the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on religious grounds.

07.06.14

Corporations Are Now Superior “People.” A Forecast for Other Forms of Discrimination.

By Tim Cable

The Supreme Court, with a narrow majority, has decided that an employer’s religious beliefs are superior to its employees’ beliefs and medical needs. In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., the Court gave a free pass to closely-held, for-profit corporations to violate a law if it does not match with the owners’ religious views.

07.01.14

The Hobby Lobby Decision Explained. A Win For Corporations. A Loss for Employees.

By Tim Cable

The Supreme Court’s decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (formerly Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby) and the companion case Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Burwell, is a hard hit to true religious freedom. It is also a very complex court decision.

06.24.14

Statehouse 2014: Religious Bigotry, Discrimination, Suppression—Oh My!

By Lisa Wurm

It is understandably difficult to keep track of everything that goes on at the Statehouse.  We have a hard time ourselves. The current two-year legislative session is 75% over and, with important elections looming, we expect the Statehouse will be quieter during the fall until the lame duck session.

05.23.14

Separation Between Church & State Still Exists. Some Seem to Forget.

By Tim Cable

Last week I spoke to a group in Oxford, Ohio — a beautiful town in a rural area of southwest Ohio. I drove through several small towns down winding state routes, including Eaton, Ohio, where I was overwhelmed by the town seal painted on a giant water tower.

05.20.14

How Town of Greece v. Galloway Will (and Won’t) Affect Religious Liberty

By Tim Cable

The ACLU works to guarantee that all are free to follow and practice their faith – or no faith at all – without governmental interference.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s May 5 decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway is a disappointing step in the opposite direction – but it by no means signals the unification of church and state.

04.23.14

Ohio Board of Education Refuses to Protect LGBT Educators

By wluby

On April 16, 2014, The Ohio Board of Education (BOE) voted to exclude sexual orientation from its nondiscrimination policy, sending a clear message to LGBT educators; you are not welcome or valued in Ohio classrooms.

Right now in Ohio, teachers can be fired simply for being perceived as gay, lesbian, or transgender.

03.06.14

Religious freedom never should cause harm to other people

By Nick Worner

The Bill of Rights gives us all the freedom to express our beliefs without government persecution.  For some reason, fear has spread around the country that this protection is not enough.  Religious protection bills have appeared around the nation, including the vetoed bill in Arizona and Ohio’s own Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was indefinitely postponed.

11.26.13

Civil Liberties and the Holidays

By Nick Worner

Our nation’s founders understood that true religious liberty can only flourish when the government remains neutral on matters of faith.

With this in mind, people often have questions during the holiday season about the constitutionality of various celebrations going in their towns or schools.