Federal Court Allows Tennessee Parents and Faith Leaders to Participate in Lawsuit to Oppose Religious Public School

ACLU
By Staff

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Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville v. Knox County Board of Education

ACLU
By Staff

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Civil Rights Groups Urge Oklahoma Officials to Reject Application for Ben Gamla Religious Public Charter School

ACLU
By Staff

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Freedom From Religion, Interfaith Alliance Call Out DHS

Daily Kos
By Anonymous

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Despite Delay, Texas Republicans Push Proposal Forcing Students to Read Bible in School

Common Dreams
By Brett Wilkins

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FFRF’s ‘Secular Spotlight’ tackles recent ICE conflicts in Minnesota

Two secular legislators and a Freedom From Religion Foundation staff member from Minnesota offer their perspectives for the latest episode of “Secular Spotlight” on the ongoing ICE crisis.

FFRF Legal Fellow Kyle Steinberg, who grew up in the Twin Cities, speaks with Minnesota state Rep. Andy Smith and Oklahoma state Rep. and FFRF Regional Governmental Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens about the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. They cover what’s happening on the ground, the constitutional violations tied to ICE raids and how communities and lawmakers are organizing and pushing back against the use of religion and Christian nationalism to justify state violence.

“Some conservative Christian outlooks tend towards authoritarianism. They take this view of God and his ultimate authority and apply it to men at times,” Smith reflects. “They’re prone to that loyalty to such an extent that they will allow that authority to call evil good and good evil.”

You can catch the latest episode of “Secular Spotlight” on FFRF’s YouTube channel, as well as by watching on your smart TV after downloading FFRF’s free app, Freethought TV, which also highlights FFRF’s other video programming. Previous episodes include one hosted by FFRF’s legislative team that dives into the Secular Student Bill of Rights, and FFRF Legal Intake Assistant Daniel Dossey and FFRF IT Director Scott Knicklebine interviewing ex-Mormon Britt Hartley. See our full playlist for more videos!

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 41,000 dues-paying members, FFRF is the largest freethought association in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

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AU files third lawsuit over Trump’s Anti-Christian Bias Task Force executive order

As part of an investigation into the Trump administration’s dangerous “Anti-Christian Bias” executive order, Americans United for Separation of Church and State today filed a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is AU’s third lawsuit against the Trump administration for violating federal law by refusing to fulfill AU’s public-records requests for information on how departments are responding to President Donald Trump’s mandate to investigate alleged anti-Christian bias. AU filed similar lawsuits against the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of State last year; those cases are still pending.

AU is investigating HHS’s implementation of Trump’s mandate in a February 2025 executive order filled with disinformation about purported anti-Christian bias. In December 2025, Americans United learned HHS asked all employees to report “anti-Christian or anti-religious bias” in response to Trump’s order.

AU sought reports of ‘anti-Christian bias’ from HHS

On Dec. 11, Americans United filed a FOIA request with HHS, seeking a copy of the “Anti-Religious Bias Survey” emailed to all HHS employees and all survey results received. Also, AU sought all reports within HHS of anti-Christian or anti-religious bias dating back to Jan. 1, 2017. AU also requested records related to the department’s response to and implementation of Trump’s Anti-Christian Bias executive order and communications with the task force mandated by the executive order. The department failed to respond to AU’s request within 20 business days, as required by federal law.

“The Trump administration created the Anti-Christian Bias Task Force based on the false claim that there’s rampant Christian persecution within the federal government. We’ve called their bluff and demanded that they prove it – show us the evidence of widespread anti-Christian discrimination. After multiple public-records requests and now three pending lawsuits, we have yet to see any evidence of this alleged Christian persecution in the federal government,” said Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser.

“The Department of Health and Human Services employs people of all religions and none. Rather than protect everyone’s religious beliefs, this administration is misusing department resources and the principle of religious freedom to justify bigotry, discrimination, and the subversion of our civil rights laws,” Laser added. “This executive order is not a response to Christian persecution; it’s an attempt to advance Christian Nationalism. Not on our watch. Americans United will not stop fighting for church-state separation and for this nation to live up to its promise of freedom without favor and equality without exception.”

The lawsuit, Americans United for Separation of Church and State v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was filed in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. It argues that the department unlawfully withheld records related to the response to and implementation of Trump’s executive order, which HHS was required to disclose under the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. § 552. To date, HHS has not even bothered to respond to the FOIA request.

AU Senior Litigation Counsel Amy Tai is the lead attorney on the case.

Americans United denounces National Prayer Breakfast as Christian Nationalist event

Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the National Prayer Breakfast will return to its roots as an unholy alliance between government officials and the Christian Nationalist organization The Family, also known as The Fellowship or the Fellowship Foundation:

National Prayer Breakfast flouts church-state separation

“The National Prayer Breakfast is deeply problematic because members of Congress are directly involved in hosting a religious event – one that overwhelmingly favors one narrow version of Christianity at the exclusion of all other beliefs. Add a Christian Nationalist organization directing the event from the shadows and President Trump habitually using the platform to launch partisan attacks on his political opponents, and you have an event that corrupts rather than celebrates religious freedom. The National Prayer Breakfast has flouted America’s promise of church-state separation and religious freedom since the event began during a wave of Christian Nationalism in the 1950s. 

“Members of Congress and faith leaders who truly care about protecting freedom of religion, preventing government corruption of religion, and safeguarding our pluralistic democracy should boycott the National Prayer Breakfast and instead join Americans United’s call for a national recommitment to church-state separation. As America’s founders knew, the separation of religion and government is the only true guarantee of religious freedom.”

Court allows Tenn. taxpayers to participate in religious public school lawsuit  

Five taxpayers in Knox County, Tenn., who support public education and church-state separation have been granted permission by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to intervene in a lawsuit against a proposed religious public school.

In Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville v. Knox County Board of Education, the court determined that these taxpayers — all parents of current or former Knox County public school students — had a legal right to participate in the lawsuit, which centers on the constitutionality of a religious public charter school attempting to open in Knox County. These taxpayers, who are also parents of current or former Knox County public school students,  are now intervenor-defendants in the lawsuit.

In response to their motion filed last week, the court ruled that the parent taxpayers “demonstrated direct and concrete interests in: (1) preventing the potential unlawful use of taxpayer funds to establish religion and (2) ensuring that their children’s education is not diminished by the diversion of funds to religious schools.” The court also noted the serious stakes of the case and the fact that no other party planned to defend the constitutionality of Tennessee law forbidding religious charter schools.

As a result, the court determined that these taxpayers had a legal right to participate in the lawsuit.

The intervenors are represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Education Law Center, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the law firm Morrison Foerster pro bono. The counsel team issued the following statement:

“There is no question that Knox County taxpayers, including our clients, have a substantial interest in preventing their tax dollars from illegally funding a religious public school. Likewise, public school parents have a clear interest in preventing already-scarce funding from being diverted away from their children’s schools to pay for religious instruction.

“We are pleased that neither side opposed our clients’ participation in the Wilberforce Academy lawsuit, and that the court immediately recognized our clients’ right to assert a vigorous defense of the laws forbidding religious public education.

“Someone needs to stand up for the cherished and longstanding American principle of church-state separation and for the public schools that are the cornerstone of our democracy. We’re proud to represent these clients, who have stepped up to do just that.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

Education Law Center (ELC) pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right to a high-quality education in safe, equitable, nondiscriminatory, integrated and well-funded learning environments. ELC seeks to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. Visit edlawcenter.org.

Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm. Morrison Foerster lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living the firm’s values and enhancing their ability to provide top-class legal services for our clients. For more information, visit www.mofo.com.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. Learn more at www.au.org.

For more than 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has worked in courts, legislatures and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all. For more information, visit www.aclu.org.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) is an affiliate of the national ACLU. For more than 50 years, ACLU-TN has worked to defend the principles of liberty, equality, and justice guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Learn more at www.aclu-tn.org.

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Judge rules FFRF hometown case against religious tax exemptions may proceed

A judge issued a ruling on Friday allowing a lawsuit to move forward that the Freedom From Religion Foundation and three Madison, Wis., residents filedagainst an unconstitutional tax exemption benefiting the rental properties owned by two religious entities in their hometown.

The suit challenges a property tax exemption that was created and then amended to benefit specific church-owned rental properties to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. The Pres House and Lumen House Apartments, both serving student renters and owned by two of the defendants, are explicitly relieved of paying their share of taxes.

The judge denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss and the case will proceed — a big step toward securing a decision that will end the unconstitutional exemption.

The exemption is unlawful under the Wisconsin Constitution on several counts, the plaintiffs contend. The exemption harms property tax-paying plaintiffs Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, FFRF co-presidents, and David Peterson, by forcing them and all other city of Madison property taxpayers to pay higher property taxes to make up for the unlawful omission of these properties from the tax rolls. Further, the exemption harms plaintiff FFRF, by favoring rental properties owned by two religious nonprofit organizations to the exclusion of all other nonprofits that may desire to run student apartments in the future.

“The court can make the reasonable inference that the exemption as it exists today does not have a reasonable relation to a legitimate purpose of government,” Dane County Circuit Judge Julie Genovese writes in her court order. “As such, plaintiffs have alleged facts sufficient to support a claim that the exemption violates the Uniformity Clause” of the Wisconsin constitution.

The Wisconsin Legislature enacted the property tax exemption in 2009 to benefit the Pres House Apartments owned by the Presbyterian Student Center Foundation. The Legislature approved an amendment in 2013 to benefit the Lumen House Apartments, owned by St. Raphael’s Congregation within the Diocese of Madison. The Legislature at that time adopted language to prevent additional properties from ever qualifying for this property tax exemption. No other properties in Madison or Wisconsin can ever benefit, and the exemption specifically targets properties serving University of Wisconsin-Madison students to the exclusion of students at all other colleges.

The Pres House Apartments’ current market value likely exceeds $25 million, with estimated property taxes owed in excess of $300,000 annually. The Lumen House Apartments’ current market value likely exceeds $7.6 million, with estimated property taxes exceeding $94,000 annually. Based on their combined estimated $33 million in value, omitting these properties from the tax rolls is approximately the equivalent of exempting an entire neighborhood from paying property taxes, FFRF asserts in the legal complaint.

The city of Madison, which is also named as a defendant in the suit, is unwilling to cease applying this unlawful tax exemption. On April 4, 2024, FFRF’s counsel sent a letter to the city of Madison assessor, Michelle Drea, laying out the legal reasons why the exemption is unlawful under the Wisconsin Constitution. Within hours, Drea replied strongly disagreeing.

The tax exemption that the Pres House and Lumen House Apartments benefit from is unconstitutional for multiple reasons, the plaintiffs contend. The exemption violates the Uniformity Clause of the Wisconsin Constitution, which states, in part, “The rule of taxation shall be uniform.” The exemption breaches, too, the Equal Protection Clause set forth in Article I, Section 1 of the Wisconsin Constitution by creating a distinct classification, student rental properties meeting extremely specific criteria and treating this class significantly differently from all other similarly situated properties. And the exemption is in contravention of Article IV, Section 18 of the Wisconsin Constitution, which states: “No private or local bill which may be passed by the Legislature shall embrace more than one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.”

Judge Genovese recognized the validity of three claims that FFRF and its co-plaintiffs have put forward, but granted dismissal of the claim that the laws grant unlawful “preference” to religion under Article I, Section 18 of the Wisconsin Constitution.

“We are pleased to move forward with this case,” said FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott. “This suit serves all taxpayers in Madison and ensures that the State Legislature is not allowed to favor specific churches for special tax benefits.”

Plaintiffs Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker are city of Madison, Wis., residents and property owners. Plaintiff David Peterson, as representative of the David Peterson Revocable Trust, is a city of Madison, Wis., resident and property owner. Plaintiff the Freedom From Religion Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit headquartered in the city of Madison, Wis. FFRF works as an umbrella for those who are free from religion and are committed to the cherished principle of separation of state and church.

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