Cases & Advocacy
Meriwether v. Shawnee State University
Jane Doe filed a Title IX complaint with Shawnee State University after Professor Meriwether refused to use female honorifics and pronouns when referring to Jane in class. When the university placed a discipline letter in his personnel file, Meriwether sued the university claiming that the disciplinary action infringed on his First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion, among other violations of federal and state law.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Vlaming v. West Point School Board
John Doe is a transgender student at West Point High School. Despite repeated requests, John’s French teacher, Peter Vlaming, refused to use male pronouns when referring to John. Vlaming was fired in December 2018 and subsequently sued the West Point School Board for allegedly violating his constitutional right to free speech and free excerise of religion, among other claims.
MoreCases & Advocacy
New York v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Other Lawsuits Challenging the “Denial of Care” Rule Amicus
- Relationships & Family > Reproductive Justice
- Discrimination > Healthcare
- Discrimination > Faith & Religion
In 2019, NCLR filed four amicus briefs in eight federal lawsuits challenging a regulation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care.” The Trump Administration’s regulation, more aptly referred to as the “denial of care” rule, would allow health care professionals to deny certain medical treatments or services to patients based on the provider’s own religious or moral beliefs.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Minton v. Dignity Health Amicus
- Discrimination > Housing & Public Accommodations
- Discrimination > Healthcare
- Discrimination > Faith & Religion
NCLR filed an amicus brief in Minton v. Dignity Health, a case brought by Evan Minton, a transgender man whose hysterectomy was suddenly cancelled by a Dignity Health hospital due to religious reasons after the hospital learned Mr. Minton was transgender.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Fulton v. City of Philadelphia Amicus
- Youth > Foster Care
- Discrimination > Housing & Public Accommodations
- Discrimination > Faith & Religion
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia that the City of Philadelphia violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment by failing to give Catholic Social Services (CSS) an exemption from the nondiscrimination provision in city contracts, even though the contract authorized exemptions and the City had granted exemptions to other providers.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission Amicus
In 2012, Colorado residents David Mullins and Charlie Craig visited Masterpiece Cakeshop to order a cake for their upcoming wedding reception. Masterpiece owner Jack Phillips informed them that because of his religious beliefs, the store would not serve customers who wanted to order cakes to celebrate a same-sex couple’s wedding. On June 4, 2018, the Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion in this case.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Stormans v. Selecky Amicus
- Relationships & Family > Reproductive Justice
- Discrimination > Healthcare
- Discrimination > Faith & Religion
In 2007, The Washington State Board of Pharmacy began requiring that pharmacists provide patients with prescribed medications if those medications are in stock. Additionally, pursuant to a long-standing rule governing which medications a pharmacy should have on its shelves, pharmacies would have to begin stocking Plan B, a prescription contraceptive. A pharmacy and two pharmacists sued the Washington State Board of Pharmacy alleging that its rules violated their religious liberty.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Christian Legal Society v. Martinez
Like many public schools, the University of California – Hastings College of the Law allowed law students to organize student groups that could apply for university funding and other resources for group-related events. In 2004, the Christian Legal Society (CLS) filed a lawsuit against Hastings, arguing that the nondiscrimination policy violated the group’s First Amendment right to discriminate against LGBTQ and non-Christian students.
More
