Houses of Worship Hit by Sandy Face Difficulty Obtaining FEMA Relief

The Jewish Daily Forward has a piece in this week’s issue highlighting the challenges posed bythe Federal Emergency Management Agency’s bar on grants to houses of worship. Jewish agencies are helping synagogues apply and challenge the policy.
HT to  Howard Friedman’s Religion Clause.

Don't kidnap your youth group, even to teach a lesson

Religion Clause has this entry demonstrating why it's a bad idea to try a mock kidnapping: Pastor and Church Indicted Over Mock Kidnapping Of Youth Group Members

Indiana Town Asks Church to Remove Cross from Public Property

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that the Hoosier town of Dugger has asked Faith Community Church to remove a cross that says “Jesus Saves” after the town council received a letter from Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The Dugger Town Council unanimously voted to ask the church to remove the cross. Apparently the council sought to avoid a legal battle, which the town could not afford. The church’s pastor, Shawn Farris, is considering options.

The Star included comments from Americans United’s Executive Director, Rev. Barry Lyn, who said the group is “trying to provide a voice for the minority.” The report does not mention anyone in the community for whom Americans United was specifically referring to or to any comments supporting the measure on anything but financial grounds.

Dugger is located about thirty miles south of Terre Haute.

Teacher Files Suit after Roman Catholic School Fires Her for IVF Treatment

CNN reports that a teacher who was fired after receiving fertility treatments has sued the St. Vincent de Paul and the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend. This could be a test of the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, which held that a teacher could not sue after being fired for threatening to bring suit against the school against church teachings because the teacher fell within the definition of minister.

Indianapolis TV station WRTV has coverage here.

The Huffington Post has a very good story here.
The Indiana Law Blog posts the complaint here.

Court allows challenge to intracongregational dispute

Religion Clause posts this: Court Decides It Can Adjudicate Church's Factional Dispute
This is a very interesting decision based on the absence of religious arguments in the parties' dispute.

Reuters: Record-high Church Foreclosures

Here’s the Reuters story: Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers

Scientology Church-arbitration Clause Upheld

Religion Clause posts about a very interesting case upholding an arbitration clause requiring disputes be decided by a panel of three church members. Court Upholds Scientology Church Arbitration Clause

NYC church's access to public schools extended

How Appealing collects two articles covering the Second Circuit's refusal to prevent churches meeting in public schools from continuing to do so while the courts consider the question. "Court extends NYC church access to public schools"

Personal Property Follows Real Estate

Religion Clause has the following post about a Virginia court ruling that Episcopal congregations that left the denomination cannot take their personal or real property with them. Break-Away Churches Want Court To Reconsider Personal Property Ruling

Slate: A Shunning in Seattle

Slate magazine has a thoughtful story about a former member of Seattle megachurch Mars Hill who instead of submitting to church discipline left. Church discipline, including shunning, is commonly litigated in the courts through defamation and similar claims. It is also an important issue for church leaders to deal with apart from the legal implications. This story gives a window into how Mars Hill handles these issues.
Read the story here: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2012/02/mars_hill_pastor_mark_driscoll_faces_backlash_over_church_discipline_case_.single.html

Catholic Bishops Speak up against Healthcare Law

Leaders of the Roman Catholic church have taken a very strong stance against a rule written under the new Affordable Car Act, including recently reading a letter in many congregations. The rule requires all employers, including religiously run hospitals, to provide insurance for contraception. The rule’s exemption for religious employers does not apply if the organization employs a certain number of people of different faiths.

Here is a collection of recent stories covering the controversy, including a very good piece on this morning’s Morning Edition by NPR’s Barbara Bradley Haggerty: 

• Catholic Bishops Revolt Against Birth Control Rules, Barbara Bradley Haggerty, Morning Edition Feb. 2, 2012  
• White House Press Secretary Responds To Bishops' Criticism of HHS Policy, Religion Clause, Howard Friedman, Feb. 1, 2012 
• Catholics hear anti-Obama letter in church, Brian Montopoli,CBS news, Jan. 30, 2012 
• Contraceptive mandate could face tough sledding in Supreme Court, David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 2012  
• Obama Reaffirms Insurers Must Cover Contraception, Robert Pear, New York Times, Jan. 20, 2012

SCOTUS holds Hosanna-Tabor teacher is a minister who cannot sue church school.

Here is an excerpt from the official syllabus: Because Perich was a minister within the meaning of the ministerial exception, the First Amendment requires dismissal of this employment discrimination suit against her religious employer.
Here is the link to the opinion: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/10-553.pdf