PURPOSE

The League of Women Voters of Colorado stands for the separation of church and state and religious freedom founded upon individual conscience, free of social or political influence by any state or religious body; these fundamental civil rights are threatened by religious nationalism. 

The First Amendment of the US Constitution reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The League of Women Voters of Colorado believes that the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment are cornerstones of our democracy.  (Position - adopted by LWVCO 4/1/2025)

Meetings for the Religious Freedom Task Force are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm.

Current State-Based Religious Freedom Cases and First Amendment Violations

L O U I S I A N A

On June 19, 2024, Republican Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana signed into law (HB 71) a requirement to post the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms.  At the signing, the Governor said, “Because if you want to respect the rule of law, you got to (sic) start from the original law giver, Moses.”  The images of the Ten Commandments have specific size requirements and will be paid for by private funds.

Opponents of the measure that was signed into law by Governor Landry in June, 2024 filed suit to stop the placement of the Ten Commandments in public schools.  The plaintiffs include The American Civil Liberties Union, American for Separation of Church and State and The Freedom From Religion Foundation.

O K L A H O M A

The Oklahoma State School Superintendent Ryan Walters mandated the Bible and the 10 Commandments must be part of the instruction in  the schools.  Mr. Walters described the Bible as an, “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone.”  Mr. Walters, a conservative Christian, has a history of confrontational issues with LGBTQ groups, individual school districts and even individual teachers.  Although Mr. Walters has no authority to place Bibles in Oklahoma’s schools, he continues with cultural wars pitting conservative Christianity against The Oklahoma Constitution and The U.S. Constitution. 

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has issued a temporary order blocking State Superintendent Ryan Walters from using taxpayer money to purchase Bibles and mandating Bible-infused instructional materials for public schools. This action was taken in response to a lawsuit filed by parents, teachers, faith leaders, and advocacy organizations. The court's decision stems from Walters' mandate to require the Bible in classrooms. 

The Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision comes as part of a larger lawsuit filed by various parties against Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, and related entities. The lawsuit challenges Walters' mandate to incorporate the Bible into public school curricula. 

The court's temporary order specifically halts the state's efforts to purchase Bibles and Bible-infused instructional materials for classrooms. This decision is a significant setback for Walters' plans, which had faced resistance from many quarters, including school districts. 

The lawsuit argues that Walters' mandate violates the Oklahoma Constitution's religious freedom protections, as it involves government spending on religious materials and favors one religion over others. The lawsuit also contends that the mandate violates other state laws related to implementing new policies and spending public money. 

The legal organizations representing the plaintiffs, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans United, have stated their commitment to continuing the fight against Walters' Bible-education mandate. They plan to file additional legal challenges and seek to end the mandate permanently.

Pending Cases

 

The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond

This case is to be heard by SCOTUS 4/31/25.

 

Gentner Drummond, the Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma, filed an action against the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and its members seeking to invalidate their contract with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.  St. Isidore, supported by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, aims to operate as a Catholic virtual charter school.  In creating the contract, the Charter School Board recognized religious rights and entitlements for St. Isidore, which deviated from the standard expectation that charter schools remain nonsectarian under Oklahoma law.

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Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission

Argued before SCOTUS March 31, 2025.  Decision pending.

Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB) is the social ministry arm of the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin, operating since 1917 to provide services to the poor and disadvantaged as an expression of the Catholic Church's social ministry. The organization is controlled by the bishop of the Diocese, who serves as CCB’s president and appoints its membership. CCB’s mission is to provide service to people in need and advocate for justice, with a philosophy rooted in being “an effective sign of the charity of Christ.” The organization makes no distinctions based on race, sex, or religion in its services, employment, or board appointments.

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Tamer Mahmoud v. Thomas W. Taylor

Argued 4/22/2025.  Decision pending.

In October 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland approved LGBTQ-inclusive books for its English Language Arts curriculum. These “Storybooks” featured characters and themes related to sexual orientation and gender identity, including books like “Pride Puppy!” for pre-K students and “Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope” for K-5 students. Initially, the school board allowed parents to receive notice and opt their children out of lessons involving these books, in line with the district’s guidelines for religious accommodations. However, in March 2023, the Board abruptly reversed this policy, eliminating all notice and opt-out options without explanation, though they later cited concerns about high student absenteeism, classroom disruption, administrative burden, and potential stigmatization of individuals represented in the books.

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