Month: September 2016
Protecting Minors Is More Important Than Having A Costly Transgender Bathroom That Religious Institutions are Not Required To Provide
Those who operate churches, religious schools, or other religious institutions may have followed recent news and wondered whether they should install bathrooms to accommodate persons who claim to be “transgender.” Because of the First Amendment right to freely exercise religion without government interference, and to avoid potentially devastating legal liability if a minor is sexually assaulted by a “transgender” person, the answer is “no.”
The Little Sisters Of The Poor Obamacare Contraception Mandate Case: A Victory For Religious Liberty This Year.
In Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell, a 2016 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the “HHS mandate” in the Obamacare law and the “accommodation” to that contraception mandate that the Obama administration put forward for the Little Sisters of The Poor and other similarly situated religious organizations. The HHS mandate requires employers to include in their insurance offerings coverage for contraceptives, including products that can induce early-pregnancy abortions. The Court vacated the lower…
The Status Of The “Sweet Cakes By Melissa” Christian Bakery-Gay Wedding Case In Oregon
Readers of this newsletter may have seen in the news that on July 2, 2015 – the week after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized gay marriage nationwide, Brad Avakian, Oregon’s BOLI (Bureau of Labor and Industries) Commissioner, issued his Final Order in a BOLI case entitled In the Matter of Melissa Elaine Klein, dba Sweet Cakes by Melissa.
In Oregon, Keep In Mind That Churches And Other “Bona Fide Religious Institutions” Are Exempt From Laws That Prohibit Employment Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation Or Marital Status
Oregon and most other states have laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or marital status. However, Oregon has a statutory exemption to these laws for churches and other religious institutions.
