The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a Florida city's bid to fend off a lawsuit by atheists accusing officials of violating constitutional limits on government involvement in religion by staging a prayer vigil following gun violence that wounded three children.
At the prayer vigil, police chaplains in Ocala Police Department uniforms "preached Judeo-Christian religion to the crowd in a style consistent with revivalist and evangelical religion," "participated in religious worship" and encouraged the crowd to engage in "responsive chanting," according to the plaintiffs' filings in the case.
A judge in 2018 ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and awarded them nominal monetary damages of $1 each. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last July threw out that judgment in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in June 2022 expanding religious rights in the case of a Washington state public high schoolwho had been suspended for refusing to stop leading Christian prayers with players on the field after games.
Hale has argued that by violating the establishment clause the city injured her by favoring religion and excluding atheists like her from participating in the hour-long vigil focused exclusively on prayer. The case has been narrowed to two plaintiffs, Hale and Art Rojas, and a single defendant, the city.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Supreme Court declines to hear Florida prayer vigil disputeSupreme Court declines to consider a case that could have made it harder for people to sue over alleged government endorsement of religion in violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment.
Read more »
U.S. Supreme Court must stop Biden’s $400 billion transfer of wealthAs 17 states, led by Utah, said in a brief to the Supreme Court: “The President is attempting one of the largest wealth transfers in American history.”
Read more »
How Biden’s student-loan relief plan could survive a Supreme Court setbackIt’s ‘more possible than I thought’: Even if the justices knock down the initiative, there could be room for the White House to keep pushing.
Read more »
Naira redesign no more: President’s directive canned by Nigerian supreme courtThe supreme court of Nigeria has ruled that the old naira notes remain in circulation, effectively nullifying the naira redesign previously announced by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
Read more »
Opinion | This bill to 'cancel' Florida Democrats is tragically cleverHayes Brown: This asinine Florida bill 'banning' Democrats perfectly embodies the guiding ethos of today’s GOP. And worse still, it’s exceptionally clever.
Read more »