Featured Articles

California Home School Case May Now Be Moot

Howard M. Friedman
July 13, 2008 03:13

In California, the future of a pending reconsideration of a home schooling case is now in doubt. In a controversial March decision, a state court of appeals held that parents could not home school their children without hiring a credentialed tutor. It rejected a claim that the Free Exercise clause...

Recent Articles

Non-Liturgical Navy Chaplains Can Move Ahead On Some Claims, But No Reconsideration of Establishment Clause Ruling

Howard M. Friedman
March 22, 2012 13:52

In In re Navy Chaplaincy, (D DC, March 21, 2012), is another chapter in the long-running litigation by chaplains, endorsing agencies and churches claiming that the Navy discriminates against members of “non-liturgical” religions in its promotion, retention and separation  of chaplains. In this...

California Mosque Sues Over Zoning Denial

Howard M. Friedman
March 22, 2012 11:00

Annenberg TV News yesterday reported that in Los Angeles, California, the Council on Islamic American relations has filed a lawsuit challenging the city of Lomita's refusal to grant a permit for a renovation project for the South Bay Islamic Center. The city says the project would violate building...

Recent Prisoner Free Exercise Cases-- Week's Second Installment

Howard M. Friedman
March 21, 2012 11:15

In Washington v. Caldwell, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33670 (ED MI, March 12, 2012), a Michigan federal district court adopted a magistrate's recommendation (2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33657, Feb. 21, 2012), and permitted an inmate to file an amended complaint in a case in which plaintiff argued that...

Hebrew Charter Schools Walk Church-State Line

Howard M. Friedman
March 21, 2012 11:10

New York Jewish Week yesterday carried a lengthy article on the 4 (soon to be 5) Ben Gamla Hebrew charter schools in Florida. The article says in part:As taxpayer-funded institutions, the Ben Gamla schools — which collectively enroll nearly 1,400 children this year — do not teach religion....

USCIRF Releases Annual Report With Unusual Spat Over Whether Turkey Should Be Named As A Country of Particular Concern

Howard M. Friedman
March 21, 2012 11:09

Today the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released and transmitted to the President its 2012 Annual Report (full text)(appendices) reviewing religious freedom abuses in 25 countries around the world.  The report recommends that the State Department designate 16...

New Money Laundering Concerns About Vatican Bank

Howard M. Friedman
March 21, 2012 11:05

International Business Times yesterday reported that the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR)-- also known as the Vatican Bank-- is facing a possible money-laundering scandal as JP Morgan Milan takes steps to close IOR's account with it. IOR has failed to provide JP Morgan with information about...

Christian Churches Sue In Israel Challenging Discriminatory Property Tax Law

Howard M. Friedman
March 21, 2012 11:00

YNet News reported last week that 5 foundations representing Christian communities in Israel have petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice challenging changes made in 2010 to Jerusalem's municipal tax laws. Under those amendments, all the properties of synagogues, including space used for...

New Online IRS Tool For Searching Out Tax-Exempt Organizations

Howard M. Friedman
March 20, 2012 15:45

The Internal Revenue Service last week announced the launch of a new online search tool for finding information about tax-exempt organizations. The one-stop Exempt Organizations Select Check allows the user to determine if a particular organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible...

Venice Commission Criticizes Parts of Hungary's New Law ON Legal Status of Churches

Howard M. Friedman
March 20, 2012 11:36

The Venice Commission is the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional law. Yesterday, responding to a request from the government of Hungary for an advisory opinion, the Commission issued a 15-page report on Hungary's 2011 Act On the Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion and...