Tag Archives: State: Tennessee

USA Today: Now he says the mosque is part of a plot to destroy America. He claimed the mosque is “built on a foundation of lies” in a recent op-ed piece at the anti-Islam site Jihadwatch.com.

TimesFreePress.com: Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin Taylor opened Wednesday’s commission meeting with a prayer in Jesus’ name. He finished the invocation with “All these blessings we ask in your son Jesus’ name, amen.”

Washington Post: A judge in Tennessee ruled Tuesday that the public wasn’t properly notified about a meeting where local officials approved the plan for a proposed mosque, meaning construction of the disputed project will be stopped.

Religion Clause Blog: Plaintiff claimed that the Diocese terminated her employment in retaliation for her refusal to remain silent about the misuse of $50,000 raised by parents to purchase computer equipment for student use.

Chattanoogan: A group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation is objecting to the practice of the Hamilton County Commission opening its meetings with prayer.

LA Times: The 33-year-old Knoxville, Tenn., resident has reportedly set a Knox County record for his ability to reproduce. He has 30 children with 11 women. And nine of those children were born in the last three year . . .

AP on One News Now: Dozens of members of Congress have sent a second letter urging Vanderbilt University to change a policy that requires campus groups to let any student become a member or leader.

Baptist Press: Even though Baptist Collegiate Ministry was approved as a recognized student organization on the campus of Vanderbilt University, the BCM will decline that status.

Fox News: A yearbook profile about a homosexual student’s experiences at Lenoir City High School, in east Tennessee, has ignited protests among students and parents as well as calls for an investigation from some school officials.

Christian Post: Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday that he will veto a House bill that seeks to override Vanderbilt University’s new all-comers policy that some students say discriminates against faith groups.

David French at National Review: Faced with this pattern of behavior, last night the Tennessee legislature came through, passing by overwhelming margins a bill that would force Vanderbilt either to apply the alleged all-comers policy to fraternities and sororities or grant Christian groups the right to choose leaders that share the group’s faith. The bill (which also protects religious liberty at state public universities) now goes to Governor Haslam for his signature.

Knox News: The Lenoir City school system is again under fire from a secular organization that alleges it recently promoted an inappropriate religious assembly.

TIME: The state has passed a long-mocked bill allowing parents to sue teachers and other outside parties for “promoting or condoning ‘gateway sexual activity’ by students.” The controversial measure is intended to curb teen pregnancy and is an offshoot of the state’s growing abstinence-based sex education program.

Travis Barham at the Speak Up Movement University Blog: Everything changed last week when the group learned that it would not be recognized unless it made one change to its constitution. How did Vanderbilt want the group to change? It must stop requiring leaders to have a “personal commitment to Jesus Christ.” The University dictated that this ministry can only select leaders based on “level and quality of past involvement, commitment to the organization, and demonstrated leadership ability.”

USA Today: The divided response has prompted at least one public tongue-lashing. Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain, the adviser of the Vanderbilt Christian Legal Society, alleged on Twitter and in a Christian magazine that the Baptist Collegiate Ministry and the Reformed University Fellowship betrayed their faith by complying with the university

David French at Minding the Campus: For generations, universities have sought to expand state power, confident in their autonomy and in the enduring power of their “university values.” But what if “university values” are not state values? Legislation protecting religious liberty at public universities has been enacted in Ohio and is now proposed in Tennessee. What if taxpayers decide that they no longer want to pour vast sums into institutions that reject and despise their values and traditions? The state, after all, is a jealous state. And you shall not put “university values” before it

WKRN.com: A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of a Christian evangelist seeking to speak at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville. | McGlone v. Bell | See also Religion Clause Blog post: 6th Circuit: Evangelist Has Standing; Campus Speaker Rule Unreasonable

Deseret News: A measure to allow teachers and other school workers to participate in prayer groups and other religious activities on school grounds has been signed by the governor.

LifeSiteNews: The steady stream of legislation strengthening protections for unborn children and draining funds from the abortion industry has continued in recent weeks. Here are a few of the latest developments . . .

In order to retain recognition, the group was told it must eliminate the requirement that leaders have a “personal commitment to Jesus Christ.” The university dictated that the following sentence be substituted instead:

David French at National Review Online: One of the (many) great advantages of living in Tennessee is a legislature with a backbone. As regular Corner readers may remember, I’ve been reporting on a showdown here in Tennessee between Vanderbilt University, its religious students, and concerned alumni. The university has decided that its religious organizations are subject to a so-called “all-comers” policy and must be open to non-Christian leadership.

Vanderbilt University students and members of the Nashville community, including singer Ricky Skaggs, will gather on Vanderbilt’s campus to worship and pray that God would bless administrators and members of the Board of Trust with wisdom. The attendees will also pray that God would prepare the hearts of those in the faith community to respond in a way that reflects Christ, no matter the outcome of decisions made in this week’s Vanderbilt Board of Trust meeting, April 19-20.

4,000 MP4 players to be distributed featuring video appeal
to restore university’s religious freedom policy

Baptist Press: Although some religious organizations have said they will not register as campus organizations at Vanderbilt University, the Baptist Collegiate Ministry has applied to remain a registered campus organization.

One News Now: Eleven Christian organizations at Vanderbilt University have united to issue a statement of opposition to the new university policy that undermines religious freedom.

International Business Times: Soon Tennessee classrooms wilI be able to debate the merits of creationism and evolution side-by-side, after Gov. Bill Haslam on Tuesday refused to sign a controversial proposal dubbed the “Monkey Bill”, but allowed it to become law anyway.

Findlaw: For those not in the know, Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law filed an antitrust suit against the American Bar Association after being denied accreditation in December.

The Boston Globe reports the bill would allow criticism of evolution in schools.

Tennessean: Residents in Loudon County gathered at their courthouse to pray in support of their religion after complaints were made about prayers before school board meetings and at high school football games.

LifeNews: The Tennessee state House has approved legislation making it so abortion practitioners can’t abandon women after failed abortions by not having admitting privileges at a local hospital when botched abortions occur.

Religion Clause Blog: The Tennessee legislature this week gave final passage to HB 368, on the teaching of scientific subjects such as biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning that may cause debate and disputation.

AL.com: Currently, the patch is embroidered around the edge with “Lenoir City Police Department” with a triangle center of the scales of justice bordered the words “Industry, Religion, Education.”

Tennessean: About 500 people packed the steps of the state Capitol for the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rally, held this afternoon to oppose the federal health care mandate.

Elizabethton Star: The Senate has passed a proposal that would allow school personnel to participate in student-initiated religious activities on school grounds.

Christian Post: Jonathan Scruggs, Alliance Defense Fund Litigation Staff Counsel who represented the Whitson family in court, told The Christian Post that he was “disappointed with the ruling.” “But it’s important to note that the 6th Circuit did agree with us that errors were made in the jury trial. The 6th Circuit just ruled that those errors were ‘harmless’ and did not necessarily affect the outcome of the jury’s decision,” said Scruggs.
“We certainly agree that errors were made, but we also believe that these errors did in fact affect the outcome and deprived the Whitsons of a fair trial.”

KnoxNews.com: The Lenoir City School Board has ceased opening its meetings with a prayer in a response to secular organizations who allege that prayer at board meetings and other school functions violates the Constitution.

OakRidger.com (AP): Attorney Jonathan Scruggs, who represents the Whitsons, works for the Christian legal group the Alliance Defense Fund. In a phone interview from his Memphis office, Scruggs said that he was disappointed with the ruling but said he needs time to digest it before he can say whether he would recommend appealing. | Whitson v. Knox County Board of Ed.

Religion Clause Blog: The state’s Attorney General has issued Opinion No. 12-29 (March 2, 2012), concluding that a proposed amendment to the bills that would exclude partnership agreements with political or religious non-profits (and their affiliates) is constitutionally defensible

The Tenneessean: Senate Bill 893, sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, protects teachers who want to debate evolution, climate change and other widely accepted science in the classroom.

WorldNetDaily: Scruggs said the statement that the district has changed its policy is simply not true. “They have never changed their policy. The board considered changing its policy to label recess ‘discretionary time’ which would permit students to have Bible studies during that time, however the policy change was never adopted.” Regarding the monetary claim, Scruggs pointed out the amount his client is seeking is only $1. “What they really want is an admission by the district that they did in fact violate Luke’s constitutional rights,” he said.

One News Now: Burress says he is glad that a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit is taking up the case. “And there’s no question [in my mind] that the Sixth Circuit will reverse this case …” he shares. “In the Sixth Circuit of the state of Ohio we’ve had a lot of good rulings — and I am glad that they took the case, and I look forward to their decision.” The Whitsons’ case is being handled by Alliance Defense Fund.

OakRidger.com: Nathan Kellum, an attorney with the Arizona-based Christian legal group the Alliance Defense Fund, described Luke Whitson as “a Christian who considers Bible study an essential and indispensable component of his faith.” Kellum said the Whitsons didn’t get a fair trial by jury because of multiple errors made by the trial judge.

Christian Post: Jon Scruggs, litigation staff counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, told The Christian Post that the Whitsons’ son, Luke, had every right to read the Bible with friends during recess. “Luke Whitson simply wanted to participate in a Bible study with his fellow classmates and discuss the Bible with them,” said Scruggs. “ADF took on the representation in order to protect Luke’s rights and also the rights of other students.”

DNJ.com: The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Tennessee sent a letter to the superintendent of the Haywood County school district superintendent after receiving reports that a high school principal said gay students are “not on God’s path” and threatened to expel them if they publicly showed affection for members of the same sex

NECN.com: A proposal that would allow school personnel to participate in student-initiated religious activities on school grounds has passed the House.

Elizabethton Star (AP): Nathan Kellum, an attorney with the Arizona-based Christian legal group the Alliance Defense Fund, described Luke Whitson as “a Christian who considers Bible study an essential and indispensable component of his faith.” Kellum said the Whitsons didn’t get a fair trial by jury because of multiple errors made by the trial judge.

KnoxNews.com: A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments over whether a Knoxville student should have been allowed to read and discuss Bible passages during recess.

Religion Clause: In McGlone v. Cheek, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18820 (ED TN, Feb. 15, 2012), a Tennessee federal district court upheld rules at the University of Tennessee that permit outside speakers on campus only if they are sponsored by a student organization

The Tennessean: State Rep. Phillip Johnson has introduced legislation that would allow school employees to participate in student-led religious gatherings that are held before and after school . . . The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, notified the school district in October that Sycamore High School teacher Gwen White Owl had the constitutional right to participate at the Fields of Faith event, which was sponsored by the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and held after-school hours.

Volunteer TV: The Whitsons were backed in the lawsuit by an Arizona-based Christian legal group called the Alliance Defense Fund.

Baptist Press: To show support for a Tennessee town facing legal action against a cross atop its water tower, area residents carried a 12-foot cross nine miles to Whiteville, where it was presented to city representatives during a rally that drew about 350 people.

NewsChannel5.com (includes video): A controversial new policy in the City of Mount Pleasant has people fired up about their religious rights.

WKSR.com: In a news story posted on the WDXE website, Williams believes that a more appropriate time for such prayers would be before 8am or after 5pm. Williams said employees can pray on their own time. She cited separation of church and state for her directive.

The Tennessean | tennessean.com: Former state lawmaker turned Christian conservative activist David Fowler is squaring off in a new fight with gay-rights activists, this time over his effort to change Tennessee’s anti-bullying law for students.

The Cheraw Chronicle: News the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Chesterfield County School District for unconstitutionally promoting Christianity hit the headlines, airways and Internet on Monday — before it hit the superintendent’s desk.

The Associated Press: : A volunteer firefighter in Tennessee says his department is getting ugly threats after a different department in the area allowed a home to burn down because the owner had not paid a fire protection fee.

The Tennessean | tennessean.com: The Sumner County Board of Education settled a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union over teacher-led prayer and other religious activity in public schools.

Christian Post: The county was represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization that frequently takes up the case of Decalogue displays on public property.
Nathan Kellum, the ADF legal counsel who took the Johnson County case, did not return phone calls by press time.

The Tennessean: The Cheatham County school district has filed a response to the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, after the group maintained that a Sycamore High School teacher had the constitutional right to participate at the recent Fields of Faith event.

The Tennessean: The Alliance Defense Fund was contacted by the FCA Club and community members regarding the restrictions on the participation of faculty at the event, which was held after school hours. “We are concerned that your legal counsel may have provided you with inaccurate legal advice that impermissibly restricted the constitutional rights of teachers and staff to engage in private religious expression,” the letter stated.

WZTV FOX 17 (ADF attorneys Byron Babione and Jim Campbell in the video) Sky Arnold: Attorneys who are fighting a controversial new state law want to see e-mails and documents of those who supported it . . .

LifeSiteNews.com: Pro-life advocates in Tennessee can breathe a sigh of relief, now that their years-long battle to defund Planned Parenthood in the state has reached its conclusion.

The Tennessean: But Byron Babione, an attorney with the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the Family Action Council, said the group’s communications are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to political speech. “Our clients make no apologies for being involved in the political process,’’ Babione said. | Also posted here.

WREG: Town’s residents have placed hundreds of crosses in their yards around the city

ADF letter to Cheatham County School District says no settlement can ban private religious activities of teachers

WREG: The mayor of the town complied in his own way, having one arm of the cross removed as a form of protest.

The Tennessean | tennessean.com: The Monroe County Board of Education has agreed to allow students to wear T-shirts that support of the formation of a gay-straight alliance.

The Tennessean | tennessean.com: Two dozen members of the United States Congress fired off a letter to Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos this month, decrying a university policy that requires student religious groups to adhere to Vanderbilt’s policies on diversity and tolerance.

The Tennessean | tennessean.com: David Cortman, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, said that teachers from Cheatham County have contacted his organization, which is considering a lawsuit. Cortman said Fields of Faith was a community event, and teachers were free to take part in it. He compared the situation to a teacher attending a church that meets in a school. In that case, a teacher would be free to talk about religion to students who attended that church, even though it met in a school. “Otherwise, they would have fewer constitutional rights than an ordinary person,” he said.

LifeNews.com: Shelby County Health Department director Yvonne Madlock had announced in September that , after significant lobbying from pro-life advocates, Christ Community Health Services would receive the $397,000 contract with the county for family planning rather than Planned Parenthood.

The Tennessean | tennessean.com: David Cortman, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, said that teachers from Cheatham County Schools have contacted his organization, which is considering a lawsuit. Cortman said Fields of Faith was a community event, and teachers were free to take part it. He compared the situation to a teacher attending a church that meets in a school. In that case, a teacher would be free to talk about religion to students who attended that church, even though it met in a school. “Otherwise, they would have fewer constitutional rights than an ordinary person,” he said.

NewsChannel5.com : Cheatham County teachers were told they couldn’t speak at an after-school prayer event on Wednesday night. Students organizing the service said that violates the Constitution.

The Jackson Sun | jacksonsun.com: The Board of Aldermen voted last week to let the Alliance Defense Fund look into the town’s options for responding to the complaint about the cross. The board meets the first Monday of each month.

Beliefnet News: The town council has voted to consult with the Alliance Defense Fund about their legal options, “This is their cause in life – to ride up and down the highway and find small towns that maybe have a religious symbol somewhere on public property,” he said.

Fox News: However, the town council voted to consult with the Alliance Defense Fund about their legal options.
“This is their cause in life – to ride up and down the highway and find small towns that maybe have a religious symbol somewhere on public property,” he said. “I have to admit it – checking their website, they’re batting 100 percent on this stuff.”