Legal

Cranford, NJ—American Atheists announced today that is has dismissed its lawsuit against the City of Kansas City (Missouri) over a $65,000 grant that the city’s Neighborhoods Tourist Development Fund had awarded in April to Modest Miles Ministries for the 2016 National Baptist Convention in September. American Atheists sued based on…...

Harrisburg, PA—American Atheists joined with Americans United for Separation of Church and State in filing a federal lawsuit today challenging a policy prohibiting atheists from offering invocations to open Pennsylvania House of Representatives sessions. The five individual plaintiffs in the case, including two members of Pennsylvania Nonbelievers, an American Atheists…...

Chattanooga, TN—American Atheists and Bradley County and the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office have reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations of the U.S. Constitution by Bradley County and Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson. As part of settlement agreement, the new official Bradley County Sheriff’s Department Facebook…...

Cranford, NJ—Today American Atheists and two Kansas City residents filed a complaint in federal court asking for a temporary and permanent injunction to prevent the City of Kansas City from giving $65,000 to Modest Miles Ministries, Inc. (Rev. Miles is shown above) for the National Baptist Convention to be held…...

Bradley County, TN—American Atheists today filed an amended complaint in the lawsuit challenging the unconstitutional actions of Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson, adding resident Joseph Stephens as a plaintiff in the case. American Atheists and an anonymous Bradley County resident, referred to in court documents as “Jane Doe” because she…...

Knoxville, TN—During a hearing today in U.S. District Court of Eastern Tennessee, Senior District Court Judge Thomas Phillips asked the lawyer for Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson to explain how the sheriff appearing in uniform and espousing his religious beliefs didn’t represent the county....

Bradley County, TN—American Atheists along with a resident of Bradley County, Tennessee filed suit in federal district court in Eastern Tennessee today against Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson for violations of the First Amendment. The purpose of the suit is to stop the sheriff’s policy of censoring comments that are…...

Cranford, NJ—In an amicus brief filed yesterday, American Atheists urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject attempts by religious employers to use the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to deny contraceptive coverage to employees, even through third-party providers....