First Amendment Does Not Protect Criminal Activities By Staff At Religious Organizations

[Adsos Letter]

Source: Americans United for Separation of Church and State

First Amendment Does Not Protect Criminal Activities By Staff At Religious Organizations, Says Americans United

The First Amendment’s religious liberty provisions do not shield houses of worship from liability when their staff members or volunteers commit crimes, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has told the Nevada Supreme Court.

Americans United and several other organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief Dec. 11 in Nevada’s top court asserting that point.

The case in question, Ramani v. Segelstein, deals with a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a cantor at her synagogue after a service. When she reported the assault to the head rabbi, he allegedly ignored the complaint and proceeded to solicit her for sexual favors.

“The principle of religious liberty must not be sullied by making it a shield for criminal activity,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “The First Amendment was never intended to be interpreted that way.”

http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2009/12/first-amendment-does-not.html

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Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

[dysfunctional press]

1. unless they're catholic priests.