Issue 15 of Gold Keys Comics version of Star Trek was written, like all the previous tales, by Len Wein, with art by Alberto Giolitti and a cover painting by George Wilson. It hit comic spinners for August of 1972. The story is similar to one that would be featured in an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series that aired in November of 1973, The Time Trap. The Enterprise, which looks great in this panel, is moving to intercept a Klingon cruiser that has entered Federation space. Unfortunately, the Klingons are using a cloaking device which is making the ship difficult to track.
In Arroyo-Castro v. Gasper, U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell issued a detailed opinion rejecting claims by longtime teacher Marisol Arroyo-Castro that her free speech and religious exercise rights were violated when she was instructed to remove a nearly foot-high crucifix she prominently displayed on a wall near her desk at DiLoreto Middle School in New Britain, Conn.
The court correctly found that Arroyo-Castro was acting in her capacity as a government employee when she decorated her classroom, meaning her religious display constituted government speech — not private expression. The judge further ruled that the district acted reasonably to avoid violating the Establishment Clause by preventing a teacher from displaying a Christian symbol to a captive audience of students during instructional time.
“This decision is a victory for every student’s right to a public education free from religious pressure or indoctrination,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “A public school classroom is a place for learning, not for preaching. Author Ruth Hurmence Green has referred to crosses as ‘Christian torture symbols,’ and this is particularly true of crucifixes depicting a writhing human form. It is not only shocking for a public school teacher to affix such a sectarian symbol on a classroom wall, but it is also highly insensitive.”
Gaylor also pointed out that the actions of the teacher, who is Catholic, show a clear preference for Roman Catholicism since crucifixes are the predominant Catholic symbol although some non-Catholic Christians use the crucifix. The vast majority of Connecticut citizens are not Catholic, but even if they were, the constitutional separation between religion and government clearly interdicts such a display in a public classroom.
The case arose after Arroyo-Castro refused repeated requests from administrators to remove the crucifix, even after being told she could keep it in a private space, such as inside a desk or car. When she defied those directives, the district placed her on paid leave. Assisted by the Christian nationalist legal group First Liberty Institute, Arroyo-Castro sued the district earlier this year.
The court concluded that allowing the crucifix to remain “runs a substantial risk of incurring a violation of the Establishment Clause.” It clarified that the Supreme Court’s 2022 Kennedy v. Bremerton ruling — which allowed a football coach to pray privately after games on a high school football field — did not apply. As Judge Russell explained, “Unlike the students in Kennedy, who were engaged in other activities while the coach prayed, Ms. Castro’s students received the religious message when they were required to be present in the classroom receiving instruction from Ms. Castro.”
In September, the district released a report by an independent investigator detailing concerns from students and staff about Arroyo-Castro’s religious conduct in the classroom. According to the report, Arroyo-Castro reprimanded students by saying things like, “I hope papa God helps you with your lies” and “Go find God.” The investigation concluded that her behavior made many students uncomfortable and that her repeated use of religious language in a public school setting created an environment that alienated much of her class.
FFRF commends the Consolidated School District of New Britain for upholding its constitutional duty despite outside pressure and for providing a model of how public officials should respond to similar state/church violations.
“This teacher wasn’t punished for being Christian,” Gaylor emphasizes. “She was disciplined for putting her personal faith above the law and her students’ rights. The court rightly reminded her — and all public employees — that no one’s faith gives them permission to violate student rights or blur the wall between church and state.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members nationwide, including more than 500 members in Connecticut. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
The Royse City Independent School District was reminded that any religious groups run through the school cannot be led by adults, in order to protect students’ First Amendment right to be free from religious coercion at public schools.
A local parent informed FFRF that a “Men of Honor” group was planning on holding meetings led by adults at Bobby Summers Middle School in September 2025. An email sent to parents from the school listed the group’s first mission as being “to call young men to a new standard that is Christ-likeness.” The parent-complainant also reported that there was a “Girls 4 God” group at the same school that was seemingly run by adults based on photos of meetings on school social media that showed adults speaking to a group of students.
“Any religious student clubs, such as Men of Honor or Girls 4 God, must be bona fide student clubs that are student-led and student-organized,” FFRF Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude wrote. “Outside adults cannot regularly attend Men of Honor or Girls 4 God activities and any school staff in attendance may only participate in a supervisory capacity.”
The district reached out to the Abernathy Roeder Boyd Hullett law firm for guidance on the issue. In response to FFRF’s letter, Lucas Henry clarified that both clubs are student led and were only hosting guest speakers in compliance with district policy. However, the district did take note of the concerns and promised that these clubs would not tread over the line into a constitutional violation.
After hearing from FFRF, Golden Corral put a stop to a practice that favored religion over nonreligion by offering free meals to religious preachers.
FFRF learned that the Golden Corral in Beckley, W.Va., offered financial advantage to some customers solely on the basis of their religion, in the form of a free meal to “preachers of all denominations” every Sunday from March to April of 2025.
“Golden Corral’s restrictive promotional practice favors religious customers, and denies customers who do not proselytize, as well as nonbelievers, the right to ‘full and equal’ enjoyment of Golden Corral,” FFRF Staff Attorney Madeline Ziegler wrote.
Though Golden Corral never offered an official response to FFRF, FFRF learned from WV News, a local news organization, that the promotion had been suspended as of Aug. 4. The announcement came from franchise owner Eddie Torrico via Facebook, and he did not indicate if the offer would be resumed in the future.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has recently obtained three notable victories in its efforts to chase coercive religion out of our secular institutions.
Stopping middle-school recruitment in Oklahoma without parental approval.After a parent informed FFRF that Pansy Kidd Middle School, part of the Poteau Public Schools system in Oklahoma, was permitting a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club to operate and recruit students in the morning during school drop-off hours, FFRF took action. Specifically, the parent reported that their student attended the club without their knowledge or consent during morning drop-off hours, when parents were told students were under school supervision while waiting for classes to start. The parent only learned of the practice when the student came home with a bible. Students were led in prayer and other religious activities.
When the concerned parent contacted the school, the school reportedly stated that it was not required for students to produce permission slips to attend the Fellowship of Christian Athletes gatherings or to notify parents about its meetings, even though the school was allowing the group to lure, interact with, and distribute food and religious literature to students on school grounds. The parent reported that, although they identify as Christian, there are differences among denominations, and they didn’t know which devotionals were being held, which churches were involved, or what was being taught to their child. They felt their parental rights were being violated.
FFRF agreed and took action. “Pansy Kidd Middle School’s practice of giving the FCA preferential treatment and allowing the FCA’s religious representatives unique access to its students to promote Christianity signals clear unconstitutional favoritism for religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to Superintendent Scott Kempenich.
FFRF’s legal complaint letter resulted in the district promising to make adjustments, such as ensuring that any religious meetings held before school are led by students and that parental permission is obtained for participation.
FFRF keeps Ga. school staff free from religion at mandatory events.FFRF has made certain that employees in the Dalton Public Schools system in Georgia will not be forced to attend a Christian church for a mandatory staff event.
A concerned community member reported that in late July, the district held a training event for the entire staff inside a church. FFRF was told that the following day, at the annual staff convocation event held in the Dalton High School gym, a speaker delivered a prayer to the audience as part of opening remarks.
“DPS employs a diverse body of staff, including those who are nonreligious and members of minority faiths, as well as Christians who simply do not believe in public prayer,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district’s attorney.
In response, the official counsel assured FFRF that the district was taking steps after both violations to avoid an appearance of preferential treatment toward Christianity. FFRF was informed that the superintendent has met with the principal, and that future mandatory gatherings will take place at the high school gym. Additionally, a moment of silence will replace a prayer at future staff convocation events.
Texas city parks and recreation department affirms secular nature of pickleball league.A concerned resident in Georgetown, Texas, reported that the Georgetown Parks & Recreation official Facebook page posted about a “church pickleball league” in late August. The post read, “Calling all churches — join us for fun, fellowship and friendly competition on the pickleball court! Open to beginner and advanced beginner players, this new league is a great way for local churches to connect while enjoying pickleball.” FFRF’s complainant, who is not a member of a church, reported feeling excluded and concerned about a city-sponsored church event..
FFRF stepped in to ensure that the club was not an exclusive benefit for religious residents. “This discrimination on the basis of religion unnecessarily marginalizes those residents who are among the 37 percent of Americans who are non-Christians, including the nearly one-in-three adult Americans (28 percent) who are religiously unaffiliated,” FFRF Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude wrote.
The director of the Georgetown Parks and Recreation department assured FFRF that the league had no preferential treatment for religious organizations. “I am writing to inform you that while the name indicated religious affiliation, no residents would have been/were excluded from playing based on religious affiliation or nonaffiliation,” Director Kimberly Garrett responded. Garrett also confirmed that the league’s name was changed to remove the religious reference.
“These types of religious intrusions are unfortunately all-too-common,” notes FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “Creating a city-sponsored event advertised only to church-goers left us with a very sour taste. We are pleased the recreation department recognized the problem by deleting the religious title, and clarifying officially that all are welcome to its pickle ball league.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With over 41,000 members in all 50 states, including more than 1,800 members in Texas and hundreds of members in Oklahoma and Georgia, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
FFRF reminded the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District that religious events taking place at school districts must be student-led and free from staff participation to ensure students are safe from coercive religious practices by employees.
A district parent reported that East Middle School’s Sept. 17 announcements included an advertisement for a See You at the Pole event on Sept. 24, stating: “[An adult] will lead prayer at the flagpole from 8-8:20 a.m. All students and staff are welcome to join. … We hope to see you there!”
“A public school district promoting and leading a religious event on school property alienates nonreligious students, teachers, and parents, such as the family who contacted us, whose religious beliefs are inconsistent with the message being promoted by the school staff,” FFRF Staff Attorney Madeline Ziegler wrote.
After getting FFRF’s letter, District Superintendent Daniel Thielen reached out to FFRF via email to clarify the situation at hand. “As we have students who participate in this yearly, reminders have gone out to all district staff that they are not to be involved and this is a strictly student-led event,” he wrote. “A separate reminder from the principal at Oak Crest East Middle School especially emphasized this as well.”
FFRF made sure that Bellefontaine, Ohio, state property is not used to advance one religious group’s beliefs upon all other residents.
FFRF was informed by a resident that a “Jesus Saves” sign had been posted on an electrical pole in Bellefontaine.
“This religious display sends an exclusionary message that needlessly marginalizes Bellefontaine residents and other Ohioans and travelers who are non-Christians, including the nearly 30 percent of the population who are not religious,” FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Kyle J. Steinberg wrote.
While FFRF never received an official response from the city, four days after FFRF sent its letter, the complainant emailed back with good news, informing that the correction had taken place. “The sign has come down,” the complainant wrote, adding that he appreciated FFRF’s work.
In West Portsmouth, Ohio, FFRF put a stop to the Washington-Nile Local School District Board of Education’s longstanding practice of opening board meetings with a prayer delivered by sitting board-members.
A district community member reported that the Washington-Nile Board of Education had been opening meetings with prayer. A review of available minutes from the board’s 2024 meetings revealed that each meeting had been beginning with a prayer led by a board member.
“It is coercive, insensitive and intimidating to force nonreligious and non-Christian citizens to choose between making a public showing of their nonbelief by refusing to participate in the prayer or else display deference toward a religious sentiment in which they do not believe, but which their school board members clearly do,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the board’s president.
In response to FFRF’s letter, District Superintendent Christopher N. Rapp addressed the situation to confirm that action had been taken. “The Washington-Nile Local Board of Education no longer opens with prayer,” he wrote.
The Corry Area School District in Pennsylvania agreed to make sure that a religious club taking place at a district school was completely student run and would not allow the participation of outside adults, thanks to FFRF’s vigilance.
A district community member informed FFRF that outside adults were allowed to enter Corry schools to lead meetings of Impact Campus Fellowship, a Christian club. FFRF learned that the club was meeting on Thursdays during the lunch period, and no other groups were meeting in this manner.
“Schools cannot constitutionally allow religious organizations to treat schools as a recruiting ground for their religious mission,” FFRF Staff Attorney Madeline Ziegler wrote. “The district’s practice of allowing outside religious representatives unique access to its students demonstrates unconstitutional favoritism not only for religion over non-religion, but in this case Christianity over all other faiths.”
After FFRF’s letter, the district did take action, conducting an investigation of the situation. Jennifer E. Gornall of KnoxLaw confirmed that the club was student initiated, and it did not appear that an outside adult was regularly attending meetings. Regardless, the district did take steps to ensure that clubs would be monitored to ensure constitutional compliance. “Moving forward, the district will ensure that all activities of the club (and any other non-school-sponsored clubs) are led by the student members of the group only and that the meetings and activities will not be directed, conducted, controlled or even regularly attended by individuals from outside the district,” Gornall wrote.
The Cumberland County Schools system in Crossville, Tenn., has stopped using an elementary school’s social media account to promote the views of the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club.
A community member reported that Homestead Elementary School had been preferentially promoting the FCA on the official Facebook account. Posts went beyond announcements about FCA events and veered into promoting the religious ideas and viewpoints espoused by FCA, such as thanking adults for coming to talk to FCA about “finishing out the year strong in the Lord” and “being a light.” Posts additionally praised individual students for attending and speaking at the club.
“If the school claims to maintain a neutral policy of providing information on all clubs and their meetings, then the school cannot constitutionally give FCA preferential treatment by over-promoting the FCA’s events and specifically promoting its religious viewpoints and messaging,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote.
The district reached out to legal counsel to seek guidance on how to correct the violation. The attorney then spoke with Lawrence directly and agreed that the school should not have been promoting the FCA on social media. He spoke with the district and confirmed that the district would no longer be promoting religious clubs on social media.
FFRF made sure that the Huntsville Independent School District in Texas was respecting students’ freedom of conscience by not sponsoring prayer events and keeping students from being forced to pray at extracurricular clubs.
A parent reported that Estella Stewart Elementary (ESE) hosted an official prayer event on Aug. 5. The complainant additionally stated that ESE’s robotics club sponsors force students to pray, and has forced their child to pray twice.
“To respect the First Amendment rights of students within the District, ESE staff should be counseled to refrain from discussing religion with students,” former FFRF Patrick O’Reilly Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi wrote. “That includes ceasing prayer and proselytizing during school hours, during a school activity, on school property, by school staff.”
The district reached out to legal representative Briah Gray from the Walsh Gallegos law firm in order to clarify the situation.
Gray confirmed that the prayer event was sponsored by the host church, Elkins Baptist Church, and the event was only held in the school’s cafeteria so attendees could be provided with air conditioning. Gray additionally stated that students were not required to or demanded to participate in the robotics club prayer. Regardless, Gray concluded by confirming that action had been taken to protect students’ rights going forward, as “the district has amended its practices and policies, as well as incorporated training to ensure staff do not engage in prayer or other religious activities during club meetings.”
The Monrovia Unified School District in California has informed football coaches at Monrovia High School that leading student-athletes in prayer is a violation of students’ rights.
A district parent reported that the high school football coaches were regularly leading student-athletes in prayer on the field prior to football games for at least several years. FFRF’s complainant-parent stated that the prayers were making their child “uncomfortable,” but they did not dissent or sit the prayers out for fear of retaliation from the coaches.
“When coaches lead the team in prayer, students, such as our complainant’s child, will no doubt feel that participating in that prayer is essential to pleasing the coaches and being viewed as a team player,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to Superintendent Paula Hart Rodas.
FFRF’s letter did its job, as Rodas responded to confirm that the administration of Monrovia High School had been notified of the letter and was directed to investigate the matter. “The administration was given instruction to direct all football coaching staff to cease and desist any coach-led prayers or prayerlike activity that could be assumed to be of religious character,” Rodas wrote. “By the close of the investigation, all football coaches had been given the directive that coach-led prayer is not permissible at any time.”
FFRF was happy to learn that the New Haven Unified School District in Union City, Calif., was willing to take action to stop an employee from including religious text in their email signature.
FFRF learned that the district’s substitute placement clerk sent an email with a religious signature to a substitute teacher applicant. The email signature quotes Hebrews 6:19, which reads “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure, which enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.”
“When a district employee includes biblical scripture in their official email signature, it sends the message to all recipients that the district prefers religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
District Superintendent John Thompson agreed with FFRF, and was thankful that the concern had been brought to his attention. “The employee in question has removed the content from their email signature,” Thompson wrote. Thompson also shared a district-wide communication sent by the assistant superintendent, which instructed all employees to refrain from including religious taglines, quotations, or symbols in school district emails to avoid personal religious expression from being interpreted as representing the views of the district as a whole.
FFRF made sure that employees in the Dalton Public Schools system would not be forced to go to a Christian church for a mandatory staff event.
A community member reported that on or around July 30, the district held a training event of the entire staff inside of the church. It was unclear at the time if the district provided staff with an explanation for why the training event was held at the church instead of a secular location, as FFRF’s complainant explained that past training events had taken place in the high school gym.
Additionally, FFRF was told that the following day at the annual staff convocation event held in the Dalton High School gym, a speaker delivered a prayer to the audience as part of opening remarks, and it was reported that events such as staff convocation are typically mandatory.
“DPS employs a diverse body of staff, including those who are nonreligious and members of minority faiths, as well as Christians who simply do not believe in public prayer,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district’s attorney.
Thankfully, the district’s attorney ensured FFRF that the district was taking steps after both violations to avoid presenting an image of preferential treatment toward Christianity over all other religions. “In an effort to change the normal practice, the principal wanted to hold this meeting at an offsite location. Christ Church allowed the high school to use its facility at no cost to the district,” Legal Representative Cory O. Kirby wrote. “It is our understanding there was no posterization at this meeting, however, the superintendent has met with the principal, and future meetings will take place at the high school gym.” Additionally, Kirby confirmed that a moment of silence would be provided for future staff convocation events instead of a prayer.
A math and science teacher took down Christian displays in their classroom after FFRF informed the district of the First Amendment violation they created.
A parent reported that a teacher at Bremen Academy had biblical scripture and religious iconography on display in their classroom in view of students. The complainant observed the display during a recent open-house event. The items on display included a framed Latin cross with the biblical quote “I can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens ME Philippians 4:13,” written across it and a second Latin cross with the words “Faith,” “Hope,” “Believe,” Love,” “Trust,” and “Grace” written on it.
“I’m happy for my child to learn about all religions from a historical perspective, but this seems to be about the teacher making a religious statement. Additionally, this teacher’s subject areas are math and science,” the complainant reported. Because this teacher does not teach history or a related topic, it appeared that there was no academic reason as to why they would display the religious writings or symbols in the classroom.
“Here, by displaying biblical scripture and Latin crosses in [their] classroom in full view of students, [the teacher], and thus the district, signals clear favoritism toward religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district’s legal representative.
FFRF received confirmation from District Legal Representative Cory O. Kirby that the letter had been received. “The superintendent and school administration have met with the teacher, and [they] removed the scripture and cross from [their] classroom,” Kirby wrote. “A discussion of the First Amendment as it relates to the Establishment and Free Exercise of Clause was had with the educator, as well.”
Owosso Public Schools in Owosso, Mich., was reminded by FFRF that students were not to be exposed to proselytizing messages from churches while at school.
A concerned Owosso Public School parent informed FFRF that they discovered fliers for Grace Pointe Wesleyan Church that were placed on the front table at Bryant Elementary School encouraging students to go to service and youth group on Sundays. The complainant additionally reported that donations to Bryant Elementary from a church last year included religious materials tucked inside.
It appeared that the district maintained a policy by which any organization could distribute materials to students, subject only to the superintendent’s approval. Per Owosso Public Schools Permission to Distribute form, “Permission to distribute information to Owosso Public Schools must be granted by the superintendent.”
“It’s concerning that the district’s current policy does not lay out any neutral guidelines or generally applicable rules that organizations must follow,” FFRF Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude wrote to Superintendent Steve Brooks. “Instead, it appears that which outside materials are approved for distribution is left up to the personal opinion of a single administrator.”
Thankfully, Brooks responded to FFRF’s complaints to ensure that the district would no longer disregard the First Amendment.
Brooks investigated the situation and confirmed that he did not approve the fliers through the central office, and had not received a request for them. “As soon as we became aware, staff immediately removed the flyers and conducted a sweep of the building to ensure no additional flyers or posters were present,” Brooks wrote. “None were found. The building administrator also reminded staff that only district-approved flyers may be distributed.” Brooks concluded by stating that it was unclear who had printed the fliers.
Writer Dick Wood and artist Alberto Giolitti continue Gold Keys Comics journeys with the U.S.S. Enterprise with When Planets Collide. It was released for December 1969. And that had to be horrible for Trek fans. It’s December, 1969. There’s been a grand total of six issues since October 1967! The dramatic opening splash page has an image that looks very much like the bridge, except for the wheels and levers all over the place. And the ship’s hull is being punctured by a meteor shower!
FFRF received a report concerning disciplinary action related to students in Parkers Chapel School District in Little Rock exercising their freedom of conscience. Students had been reprimanded by district teachers for choosing not to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance. As a result of this constitutional violation, FFRF’s parent-complainant reported that their child had been singled out in school and received threats from fellow students due to their refusal to participate in the exercise.
“Students have a constitutional right not to be forced to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district. “Students may not be singled out, rebuked, told they must stand, or otherwise penalized for following their freedom of conscience.”
FFRF received a response from the district’s legal representative, Phillip M. Brick Jr. from the Bequette Billingsley Kees law firm. Brick confirmed that the issue regarding teachers disciplining students for not standing during the pledge had been resolved. “One of the individuals identified as having allegedly disciplined a student is a substitute teacher,” Brick wrote. “The district has instructed its staff, including this substitute teacher, that they cannot discipline a student who chooses not to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.”
FFRF successfully encouraged the Brookland Public Schools in Arkansas system to remove displays containing bible verses and explicitly Christian language from two schools.
A parent reported that Brookland Middle School and Brookland Junior High School were displaying religious messages around the schools, including in hallways. Some of the messages invited students to contribute prayers and encourage religious participation. Messages included bible verses and encouraging students to “remember Jesus,” and that “God is looking out for [students] and will provide all [they] need.” FFRF’s parent-complainant also stated that teachers have invited students to participate in church services, and the messaging makes them feel uneasy and worried about the potential influence it would have on their children.
“The bible quotes and religious messages displayed in Brookland Public Schools needlessly marginalize any students and families, such as our complainant and their children, who do not subscribe to Christianity,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote.
Rebecca Worsham of the Mixon & Worsham PLC responded on behalf of the district, confirming FFRF’s claims. The district removed such displays, and principals have been directed to monitor compliance to ensure that postings don’t happen again. “In addition, the district will provide administrators and staff with updated guidance reinforcing constitutional requirements of religious neutrality in public schools,” Worsham wrote. “This guidance will make clear that district personnel may not promote religion, invite students to religious activities or otherwise give the appearance of school endorsement of religious practice.”
With Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire, veteran Star Trek novelist David Mack returns to the final frontier, proving once again his masterful ability to capture the voice and spirit of a Star Trek crew. The novel is a taut, escalating thriller that successfully translates the high-stakes, character-driven adventure of the television series to the page, even if its central emotional conflict doesn’t quite resonate with the depth it aims for.
Armin Shimerman is the actor who was best known in the Star Trek universe for his portrayal of the Ferengi bartender Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is one of only six actors to appear in three different live action Star Trek series (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager) as the same character. Prior to assuming the role of Quark, however, Shimerman earned the distinction of being among the first to ever portray a Ferengi in the Star Trek franchise when the race first appeared in the Next Generation episode “The Last Outpost”. Shimerman went on to make two more appearances on TNG (including a second time as a Ferengi in the episode “Peak Performance”) and to star on Deep Space Nine for its entire seven-year run (1993 – 1999). He also co-wrote the Trek novel The 34th Rule.
Check out the Armin Shimerman credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Phil Farrand is an American computer programmer and consultant, webmaster and author. He is known for his Nitpicker’s Guides, in which he nitpicks plot holes and continuity errors in the various Star Trek television programs and movies, and for the creation of Nitcentral, a website devoted to the same activity. Subsequent to his Nitpicker’s Guides, he has ventured into fiction as a novelist.
Check out the Phil Farrand credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Kathy F. Oltion lives in Eugene, Oregon with her husband, Jerry Oltion, with whom she co-wrote a TOS novel. She also entered the the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds writing contest and two of her short stories were chosen for publication.
Along with her husband, she is a member of the Wordos writing group, which specializes in science fiction.
Check out the Kathy Oltion credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Ian R. Spelling is a freelance journalist and entertainment writer for numerous Star Trek related interviews for magazines, websites, and newspapers. He served as the editor of StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek site, from 2010 to 2019.
Check out the Ian Spelling credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Ensigns Raad and Miller find themselves on a dark ship and face to face with…Klingons. The two red shirts are accused of being spies, and their captors brutalize and torture them for any information they can get on how the Romulans were able to access a Starfleet subspace antenna feed. Meanwhile, DeMatrio, Amiga, and Lanier engage in a tense starship battle with a Romulan Bird-of-Prey.
If all six remaining red shirts are going to make it off Arkonia 89 alive, someone is going to have to make a sacrifice—but for what? How many red shirts have died to ferret out the Romulans? There must be more to the story than Starfleet is letting on…
The beleaguered crew of the U.S.S. Voyager are back in comic book stores today. Now trapped in Fluidic space and staring down an invasion force of Species 8472 ships. Captain Janeway is backed into a corner and looking for a way to save her family. With few options and even fewer allies, the second issue of Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming ratchets up the tension and reminds us why we fell in love with these characters.
After the release of the stellar Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming, IDW has released its new flagship Star Trek series, The Last Starship. I’ve been waiting for this new series to drop ever since I first heard about it, and I was so excited for the chance at an early peek.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may be off our screens for another year but that doesn’t mean it’s away from comic book stores. The second issue of Robbie Thompson’s brilliant away mission-centric Seeds of Salvation releases today. Issue #2 expands heavily on Thompson’s cool concept, giving context to the series’ title and putting the entire crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in mortal danger. What more could a Star Trek fan want on a dreary Wednesday?
Freedom From Religion Foundation, Madison, Wisconsin, 1976, when she was a college student, with her mother Anne Nicol Gaylor. Annie Laurie first joined FFRF’s staff in 1985, and served as editor of Freethought Today until 2009. The Foundation incorporated as a national nonprofit educational organization with two purposes in 1978 under the leadership of Anne Nicol Gaylor and works to protect the constitutional principle of state/church separation and to educate about nontheism.
Former EDITOR
Freethought Today, the only freethought newspaper in the United States, which is published ten times a year by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. Annie Laurie edited it from 1984 to 2009, when she became an executive editor.
Annie Laurie has appeared on national TV talkshows, including Tom Snyder’s former “Tomorrow” Show, Sally Jessy Raphael and Donahue’s “Last Word,” as well as many regional and local TV and radio shows.
Annie Laurie, with her husband Dan Barker, co-hosts the weekly Freethought Radio, which has broadcast and podcast since 2006, and is co-host of Freethought Matters, FFRF’s weekly TV show.
GRADUATE
1980 Journalism School, University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1978 editorial page editor of campus newspaper The Daily Cardinal, recipient of the Ken Purdy Scholarship.
PREVIOUSLY EDITED
The Feminist Connection, a Madison-based monthly advocacy newspaper Annie Laurie founded, edited and published from 1980 – 1985, which drew warm acclaim for its exposes, perceptive stories and effective advocacy for women. Author Meridel LeSueur called it the “most nonpatriarchal” feminist periodical of its time.
FEMINISM
Annie Laurie was on her first feminist picketline at age 14. Her most recent activism included spearheading, with her mother, the movement to keep the “Forward” statue, a monument dedicated to women, outside the Wisconsin State Capitol where it has been for a century, which included collecting more than 6,000 signatures. She was co-chair for more than a decade of the Feminist Caucus of the American Humanist Association, which bestows an annual ‘Humanist Heroine’ award at AHA conferences.
Annie Laurie served on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Medical Fund for 30 years, the longest continuously-operating abortion rights charity in the nation, founded by her mother, Anne Gaylor, Prof. Robert West and the late Peg West (all atheists). She served as secretary and also became a co-administrator after Anne’s death in June 2015, serving until 2020. The all-volunteer Fund has helped more than 25,000 indigent Wisconsin-area women exercise their constitutional right to safe abortion care. She remains a donor.
PERSONAL
Annie Laurie is married to Dan Barker, a musician and former evangelical minister, who is now a freethought author and FFRF co-president. They have a daughter, born in 1989, plus Dan has four children from a first marriage, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
FFRF, Inc.
PO Box 750
Madison WI 53701
Annie Laurie consented to have her picture taken with Isaac Asimov, at the New Jersey FFRF chapter “winter solstice banquet,” 1985, where both of them were speakers.
A protest that went ’round the world 1977
Annie Laurie as a nun?
Annie Laurie called the first picket against Dane County (WI) Judge Archie Simonson for making his infamous 1977 statement that “Rape is a normal reaction.” The statement and others blaming rape on women and their attire, was made at the sentencing of three juveniles who gangraped a teenaged girl at their Madison high school. The victim was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved turtleneck.
Annie Laurie’s mother Anne Gaylor, on behalf of the local National Organization for Women, issued the first press release demanding Simonson’s recall. An outraged community went on to make history and successfully recall the ultra-religious judge, booting him out of office and replacing him with a woman judge.
College students Annie Laurie Gaylor, dressed in a nun’s habit, and Barbara Kavadias, in orange-juice-can curlers and frumpy bathrobe, shared a sign asking “Is this what you had in mind, Judge?” at one of the protest rallies. Annie Laurie’s effigy of Simonson in a “merry widow” garment was titled “le provocateur.” A similar photo was picked up by worldwide media and Time magazine. Photo credit: Norris J. Klesman, 1977
Annie Laurie Gaylor, after receiving the 2010 Humanist Heroine award by the American Humanist Association, pictured with Jafsica Freitag. Annie Laurie shared the honor with Meg Bowman, an FFRF member who co-chaired the AHA Feminist Caucus with Annie Laurie for many years.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation stepped in to defend the rights of students to be free from religious indoctrination when a Vista Unified School District teacher used his position to teach religious beliefs, including creationism, as facts.
A concerned district parent reported that a middle school science teacher at Vista Innovation and Design Academy (VIDA) was teaching religiously motivated intelligent design content in class. The parent-complainant stated that at the beginning of the 2025–26 school year, the teacher told students that he was “a man of faith” and “declared his intentions to teach them religiously motivated content,” with the parent adding that the teacher “went as far as to tell the children that he finds the Big Bang theory to be problematic.” Further, at a back-to-school event, he reportedly displayed his bible to parents to “show his faith.”
The teacher was teaching the students “sacred geometry” and “related spiritual concepts as scientific fact.” Sacred geometry is the belief that certain geometric shapes, patterns and proportions found in nature and civilization contain symbolic, sacred and religious meaning. The concept is a belief associated with creationism, intelligent design and divine creation. “Sacred geometry” is not a scientific or evidence-based theory or fact, but rather a religious belief.
FFRF learned that the parent-complainant and other parents expressed concerns to the school’s administration regarding the science teacher’s unconstitutional actions, but the administrators did not take appropriate action, citing the teacher’s “academic freedom.” Reportedly, Vista Innovation and Design Academy moved several students to a different science class in response to parent complaints, allowing the teacher to continue presenting religious content in place of an actual science-based curriculum. FFRF’s complainant explained their desire for their children to be taught a proper, evidence-based science curriculum and was alarmed that the school thought it was acceptable to allow a teacher to present alternative religious ideas to children as scientific fact.
FFRF stepped in to remind the district of its duty to remain secular.
“The district has an obligation under the law to make certain that its teachers are not violating students’ rights by proselytizing or pushing their personal religious beliefs on students in the guise of science class,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
Parents, not public schools, have the constitutional right to determine their children’s religious or nonreligious upbringing, FFRF emphasized. A science teacher telling students that the Big Bang theory is “problematic” and teaching wholly spiritual concepts like “sacred geometry” to students undoubtedly interferes with parents’ rights to control their children’s religious education. Moreover, promoting creationism, intelligent design or any of its offshoots in public schools is unlawful because creationism is based solely on religion, not scientific fact. Additionally, the science teacher, and thus the district, was displaying blatant favoritism toward Christianity, sending the clear message to students that the district favored religion over nonreligion, and Christianity above all other faiths. The teacher’s actions needlessly marginalized and excluded those students, such as our complainant’s child, who have no religious affiliation, today constituting 45 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds.
Vista Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Rachel D’Ambroso responded to FFRF in a letter informing it of an investigation in response to the violation. According to D’Ambroso, the district took corrective actions, including reviewing relevant contract provisions with the principal and reinforcing compliance with board policies related to the Constitution. “These policies ensure that science instruction remains aligned with district-adopted curriculum and state standards, and that religious or philosophical content is not promoted in science classes,” she wrote.
FFRF is glad to see students’ rights being brought back into focus in the district.
“A public school science teacher using his position to preach creationism is the antithesis of the job he was hired for,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said. “Public school students deserve a secular education and to understand evolution, and we’re pleased the district has taken corrective action.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 5,300 members and two chapters in California. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
DAN BARKER is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. A former minister and evangelist, Dan became a freethinker in 1983. His books, Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children and Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher To Atheist are published by the Foundation. His newest book, Free Will Explained: How Science and Philosophy Converge to Create a Beautiful Illusion, was published by Sterling Publishing in February 2018. His other books include GOD: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction (Foreword by Richard Dawkins) (Sterling 2016), Life Driven Purpose: How an Atheist Finds Meaning (Pitchstone Publishing 2015), The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God (Ulysses Press 2011) and his autobiographical book Godless: How An Evangelical Preacher Became One of America’s Leading Atheists (Ulysses 2008). His other two books for children are Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide For Young Skeptics (Prometheus Books, 1990) and Maybe Right, Maybe Wrong: A Guide for Young Children (Prometheus Books, 1992). A graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a degree in Religion, Dan now puts his knowledge of Christianity to effective freethought use. A professional pianist and composer, Dan performs freethought concerts and is featured in the Foundation’s musical cassettes, “My Thoughts Are Free,” “Reason’s Greetings,” “Dan Barker Salutes Freethought Then And Now,” a 2-CD album “Friendly Neighborhood Atheist,” and the CD “Beware of Dogma.” He joined the Foundation staff in 1987 and served as public relations director. He was first elected co-president in November 2004.
DAN BARKER is Freedom From Religion Foundation co-president and co-host of Freethought Radio and FFRF’s Freethought Matters (TV program, 2018—2025). A former minister and evangelist, Dan became a freethinker in 1983. His books, Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children and Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher To Atheist (1992), are published by FFRF. Other books include Godless (Ulysses Press, 2008), The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God (Pitchstone Publishing, 2011), Life Driven Purpose: How an Atheist Finds Meaning, Pitchstone Press (2015), GOD: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction (Sterling Publications, 2016), and Free Will Explained: How Science and Philosophy Converge to Create a Beautiful Illusion. (2018). His most recent book is “Contraduction” (2024). A graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a degree in religion, Dan now puts his knowledge of Christianity to effective freethought use. A professional pianist and composer, Dan performs freethought concerts and is featured in FFRF’s musical CDs, “Friendly Neighborhood Atheist,” “Beware of Dogma,” and “Adrift on a Star.” He joined FFRF’s staff in 1987, serving as public relations director. He first became co-president in November 2004, speaks widely and has engaged in more than 125 debates about religion. See Dan’s full bio…
Dan Barker can be reached at:
FFRF, Inc.
PO Box 750
Madison WI 53701
(608) 256-8900
The Freedom From Religion Foundation excoriates President Trump’s dangerously sectarian remarks threatening military action against Nigeria in the name of “protecting Christians.”
Trump has declared on social media that he is ordering the Pentagon “to prepare for possible action” to “wipe out Islamic terrorists” in Nigeria, claiming without evidence that the country’s government is failing to protect “our cherished Christians.” He described a potential attack as “fast, vicious, and sweet.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly echoed the threat, saying the Pentagon was “preparing for action.”
“These statements are not only reckless and inflammatory — they are also steeped in Christian nationalist ideology,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Threatening military action on religious grounds is the antithesis of American constitutional principles. The United States is not a Christian nation, and our military is not a religious weapon.”
FFRF emphasizes that U.S. foreign policy must remain secular and grounded in human rights, not religious favoritism. The situation in Nigeria is complex, involving ethnic, political and economic factors, as well as extremist violence that has victimized both Muslims and Christians. Framing it as a holy war endangers civilians and fuels sectarian tension worldwide.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pushed back on Trump’s depiction of the country in a statement on X, “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
“Invoking Christianity to justify military aggression is how crusades start — not how peace is made,” adds FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “This rhetoric endangers innocent lives and undermines America’s credibility as a nation committed to religious liberty for all.”
The U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion by mandating government neutrality toward faith. When political leaders treat one religion as “cherished” and others as expendable, they betray that founding ideal and imperil global stability.
Gaylor also observed that all violence targeting individuals for their religion is deplorable and must be condemned, including the fact that both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have been targeted for violence. Muslim so-called “apostates” and atheists also face special dangers in certain Nigerian states. FFRF recently conferred its Avijit Roy Courage Award on Nigerian Mubarak Bala, who served five years in prison in his native country for “blasphemy.”
FFRF calls on all elected officials, the Pentagon and the international community to reject Trump’s threats and reaffirm America’s commitment to diplomacy, secular governance and universal human rights — not holy war.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan discuss the final book, What Lay Beyond. They discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly, and talk about their vision for the series were it to be written today. Also covered is The Lore War comics, the concluding crossover between the Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant comics from IDW.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is castigating Vice President JD Vance for his recent false and alarming statements dismissing the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.
At a Turning Point USA event a few days ago, a student asked Vance what he thought about the idea that “requiring Christianity in public schools goes against the Founding Fathers’ wish of freedom of religion.” Vance responded that he makes “no apologies” for promoting Christian values in government and claimed that those who believe the Constitution requires separation of church and state are “lying.” Vance further argued that the Supreme Court made a “terrible mistake” by enforcing this foundational protection.
“Vance’s comments show a reprehensible disregard for one of our nation’s most essential founding principles,” she says. “The United States was first among nations to deliberately and purposefully adopt a godless constitution and found a secular government predicated not on a deity or religion, but on ‘We the People.’ It is this wise and all-American principle of separation between religion and government that guarantees true religious freedom for believers and nonbelievers alike.”
The Supreme Court historically did not, as Vance claims, “throw the church out of every public place.” Landmark rulings upholding the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause have ensured that students are not subjected to indoctrination or religious coercion in our public schools. These decisions protect the rights of everyone, including Christians and other believers, to practice their religion voluntarily rather than through a state mandate. They also protect parental rights to determine religious instruction for their children.
“Vance has it exactly backward,” adds FFRF legal counsel Chris Line. “The Establishment Clause exists to keep the government neutral on matters of religion. That neutrality is what allows religious liberty to flourish. When the government sides with one faith, freedom suffers for everyone else.”
FFRF emphasizes that America’s Founders intentionally built a secular government rooted in reason.
The U.S. Constitution’s only references to religion in government are exclusionary, such as mandating “no religious test shall ever be required” for public office (Article VI). In our nation, citizens can be of any religion they like or none at all. Non-Christians and nonbelievers are not second-class citizens, and our government and its representatives may not take sides on religious matters.
“Separation of church and state is not a mistake — it’s one of America’s greatest achievements,” says Gaylor. “Public officials like Vance who want to tear down that wall are attacking the very freedom they claim to defend.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
Vulcan’s Heart is a pretty expansive story, and a good one, even if it felt a little overlong at times. Set in the 2340s, the novel ties in a number of classic episodes into one tale. There is The Enterprise Incident from The Original Series, and The Next Generation episodes Yesterday’s Enterprise and the Unification storyline.
Gold Keys Comics continued its Star Trek adventures, with The Flight of the Buccaneer, its twelfth issue, which hit comic spinners for November of 1971. Len Wein once again served as the storyteller, Alberto Giolitti continued to work as artist, and George Wilson painted another cover. This one ends up just being a silly pirate story. Pirates are sailing the star systems, and they even have treasure maps.
Lorraine Anderson grew up on a free-range chicken ranch in Cupertino, California, in the days when the Santa Clara Valley was still known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. (It’s now known as Silicon Valley.) She freelances as a writer and editor in Corvallis, Oregon.
Check out the Lorraine Anderson credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
This month’s ebook deals have landed with 21 books on sale for $1.99 – $14.99 each, books that have never been on sale are in bold:
Watch the prices on these, they’re being advertised as being on sale, but a couple of them are a pretty extreme $14.99, with only three books at the “normal” $1.99. Maybe the prices will drop?
If all six remaining red shirts are going to make it off Arkonia 89 alive, someone is going to have to make a sacrifice—but for what? How many red shirts have died to ferret out the Romulans? There must be more to the story than Starfleet is letting on…
Jean Lorrah is the creator of the Savage Empire series and co-author of the Sime~Gen series created by Jacqueline Lichtenberg. She is also a screenwriter, with an optioned screenplay, Coal for Christmas, written with Lois Wickstrom. Be sure to look for her Nessie’s Grotto books with Lois, and folk tale favorite Rooster Under the Table. Besides all that, Jean has a one-off vampire novel, Blood Will Tell.
Jean specializes in Intimate Adventure, stories in which people with opposing points of view must resolve the conflict by working together, usually with lives at stake.
Check out the Jean Lorrah credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
It’s five years since the end of the Dominion War. Jake Sisko is back on Earth after a long journey round the Gamma Quadrant, finishing up his book about what life is like out there after the collapse of the Dominion. It looks like Jake has a great life—travel, success, and a writing career that’s going from strength to strength.
The only problem is—everyone wants a piece of Jake Sisko. Whether it’s Starfleet Intelligence, full of questions about his trip through the wormhole, or the Bajoran people, anxious to be close to the son of their departed Emissary, Jake is struggling to carve out space for himself.
Then there are the rumors Jake heard out in the Gamma Quadrant. Rumors about Starfleet, and his father, and their conduct during the war. Rumors which—if they turned out to be true—would rock the very foundations of Jake Sisko’s world…
Jake accepts an invitation to an arts festival on Cardassia Prime, hoping to get some distance between himself and his worries. But even here, the past won’t leave him alone. Starfleet Intelligence are still interested, and there are people on Cardassia, too, for whom Jake Sisko seems to offer unique opportunities to advance their agendas. Jake flees into the Cardassian desert, joining a tour of ancient archeological sites.
And then, when the party is isolated from the rest of the world, the murders begin…
The book is currently scheduled to be published on August 4, 2026
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is a co-sponsor of “No Kings” events, is passing on an urgent call for a “No Kings Alliance National Days of Action” in response to the looming crisis of 42 million working families set to lose food assistance via SNAP on Nov. 1.
The No Kings Alliance has successfully and peacefully mobilized people power to declare with one voice: America has No Kings. Now, the No Kings Alliance seeks an urgent, nationwide action in response to the government shutdown. Public officials, including among them Christian nationalists, are refusing to protect critical health care and nutrition programs.
Here are three ways the No Kings Alliance suggests taking immediate action to support your community:
Donate to your local food bank. Support a local food bank or mutual aid network with a financial gift to help feed families directly impacted by the shutdown.
Collect and distribute to your local community shelter. Donate food, clothing, menstrual products and other essential supplies to existing local food banks or shelters. Check with local organizations first to see what they need most.
Host a give-back drive in your community. Visit NoKings.org to learn more and start a food/supply drive.
In anticipation of increased need next month, FFRF has already moved up the schedule part of our usual end-of-year donation to our local Feeding America (Second Harvest Foodbank) charity.
Over 7 million people showed up on Oct. 18 to defend democracy. Please join FFRF and the No Kings Alliance on Saturday, Nov. 1, to support our communities and protect democracy.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national state/church watchdog based in Madison, Wis., is calling out Dane County Supervisor Jeff Weigand for his attempt to impose his personal religious beliefs on county policy.
FFRF has sent a letter to Weigand condemning his proposed operating budget amendment that would have defunded two public health nurse positions in the Public Health Madison & Dane County department. Weigand’s stated reason for introducing the amendment was that he believes “abortion is murder” and that he “does not support [his] taxpayer dollars going toward the aiding and abetting of murder.” He further justified his position by quoting from the bible, writing that “God’s Word tells us in Psalm 127 that ‘Children are a heritage from the Lord. … Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.’”
Weigand’s amendment targeted nurses after Public Health Madison announced that, in response to Planned Parenthood’s temporary pause in abortion services, registered nurses would be available to help residents locate abortion care. These nurses were fulfilling their lawful and ethical duties by providing accurate health information and ensuring that patients could access medical services.
“Supervisor Weigand’s attempt to punish nurses for helping patients access reproductive care exposes the danger of letting personal religion dictate public policy,” Gaylor adds. “This is why we separate state and church.”
FFRF’s letter reminds Weigand that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits government officials from using their office to advance or justify policy based on religion. The U.S. Supreme Court has long affirmed that “the First Amendment mandates governmental neutrality between religion and religion, and between religion and nonreligion.”
“Supervisor Weigand continues to demonstrate his erroneous belief that Dane County is a theocracy where public officials are empowered to enforce a fundamentalist biblical viewpoint,” the letter concludes. “The bible may guide his private life, but it has no place in secular governance. Dane County residents deserve leaders who base public health policy on science and compassion — not sectarian dogma.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members nationwide, including more than 1,800 members in Wisconsin and hundreds in Dane County. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
On October 8, 2025, FFRF filed a lawsuit on behalf of South Carolina resident Jim Reel. Reel sought to become a poll worker for the 2024 election. While he completed the required online training, he was not allowed to substitute a secular affirmation for the religious oath that was required as part of the application process. Reel is an atheist and due to his sincerely held convictions, he is unwilling to swear “so help me God.”
Reel asked the Greenville County voter registration and elections office whether a secular affirmation was available for poll workers in lieu of the religious oath. The office responded that a secular affirmation without “so help me God” would not be accepted. FFRF then sent a letter on Reel’s behalf to the State Election Commission, noting that Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from requiring any kind of religious test for public office. The director of the commission responded, in part, that “the County Boards must require it to be signed before trained candidates are appointed poll workers.” FFRF then followed up with the county election board and filed a lawsuit after the county refused to offer a secular alternative.
FFRF’s complaint argues that the defendants are coercing a statement of belief in a monotheistic deity, thereby denying nontheists or those worshiping more than one deity the right to serve as poll workers. Not only is Reel, as an atheist, barred from becoming a poll worker under this policy, but the rights of other South Carolina citizens who have no religious affiliation are also injured. Additionally, the defendants are denying Christians who belong to sects that eschew swearing oaths to a deity, such as some Mennonites, Baptists and Quakers, the right to serve as poll workers.
This lawsuit was filed in the US District Court of South Carolina. South Carolina attorney Steven Edward Buckingham is acting as local counsel, with FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover and Legal Fellow Kyle Steinberg acting as co-counsel.
Connecting with the voyages of the ongoing Star Trek comic series, Defiant, Vol. 5 delves into intrigue and rebellion!
Spock and Sela are trapped in the belly of the Romulan warbird Taredrix and General Revo’s coup. The three of them are the only living souls who know of the impending Romulan supernova. With Revo offering Sela the choice between death and a seat at the head of the empire itself, Spock will learn the answer to the question of what drives the universe ever forward: sheer willpower or blood?
Meanwhile, it’s up to Worf, B’Elanna, and Ro to save the pastoral planet Antara from the hostile Romulans seeking to take it as their own.
A federal court on Friday issued a temporary restraining order blocking Lakeside School District No. 9 from displaying the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. This marks the third time the court has blocked school districts from implementing Arkansas’ Act 573, the law requiring schools to post a government-chosen version of the Ten Commandments.
Friday’s order, issued by U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, follows a supplemental complaint filed by the plaintiffs in Stinson v. Fayetteville School District No. 1 — represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the ACLU of Arkansas, ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP — to add Lakeside School District and new plaintiffs to the ongoing litigation.
The court issued the temporary restraining order less than 24 hours after plaintiffs requested it. The court’s swift action requires Lakeside to remove all Ten Commandments displays from classrooms and libraries immediately, reaffirming that Act 573 and its enforcement violate the First Amendment’s guarantees of religious freedom and church-state separation.
“This order is yet another reminder that public schools cannot impose religion on students,” said John Williams, legal director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “Even after repeated rulings, the state continues to look the other way and some school districts continue to violate students’ rights. We’re proud to stand with Arkansas families defending their right to a public education free from government-sponsored religion and will continue to do so.”
“Today’s decision should make it abundantly clear to all Arkansas public schools that pushing bible edicts on a captive audience of students will not be tolerated,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“Today’s order ensures that our client, and all Lakeside students, will no longer be forced to submit to government-imposed scriptural displays as a condition of attending public school,” said Heather L. Weaver, senior counsel for the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. “Public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must comply with the First Amendment.”
“All Arkansas public school districts should heed the court’s clear warning: Displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms is ‘obviously unconstitutional,’” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Families in Lakeside School District, throughout Arkansas, and across the country decide how and when their children engage with religion – not politicians or public school officials.”
“We appreciate the court’s well-reasoned decision granting this temporary restraining order,” said Jon Youngwood, global co-chair of the Litigation Department at Simpson Thacher. “The ruling reaffirms a fundamental constitutional principle: that public schools should not advance or endorse any particular faith. Families — not the government—must have the freedom to decide how and when their children engage with religion.”
Families in Lakeside and across Arkansas who encounter Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms are encouraged to contact FFRF’s coalition partners at www.acluarkansas.org/get-help.
The lawsuit, Stinson v. Fayetteville School District No. 1, challenges provisions of Act 573 of 2025 mandating the posting of the Ten Commandments in every Arkansas public school classroom and library. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses.
Since the case was filed, the federal district court has issued multiple injunctions protecting students and families’ First Amendment rights — first against the original four districts (Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville and Siloam Springs), followed by Conway, and now Lakeside.
FFRF is proud to announce the awarding of $16,250 to the nine top winners and four honorable mentions in the 2025 Cornelius Vander Broek Graduate/Older Student Essay Competition.
Students were asked to write on the topic: “State/church issues endangered by the Trump administration’s capitulation to Christian nationalism.” Student essays were asked to be focused on one issue that mattered to the contestants under threat in the current administration due to its Christian nationalist policies.
The winners, their ages, the colleges or universities they attend, and the award amounts are listed below.
FIRST PLACE Julis Calvert, 26, University of North Texas, $3,500. SECOND PLACE Kyria Santa, 24, Emory University, $3,000. THIRD PLACE Ian Webb, 29, Georgia Institute of Technology, $2,500. FOURTH PLACE Bailee Roberts, 23, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, $2,000. FIFTH PLACE Jacqueline Thomas, 25, University of North Texas, $1,500. SIXTH PLACE Claire Rosemary Lewis, 24, Duke University, $1,000. SEVENTH PLACE Ione A. Rodriguez, 30, University of Texas at San Antonio, $750. EIGHTH PLACE Megan Lyman, 29, Michigan State University, $500. NINTH PLACE Michael Richardson, 25, Berklee College of Music, $400. TENTH PLACE Matthew Reyes, 28, University of Texas at San Antonio, $300.
HONORABLE MENTION ($200 each) Bailey Diaz, 25, San Jose State University Lewis Luis, 27, City College of New York Jeremiah J. Moore, 31, University of North Carolina At Pembroke Morgan Wegner, 26, Upper Iowa University
FFRF thanks Lisa Treu for managing the details of this and FFRF’s other student essay competitions. We also would like to thank our volunteer and staff judges, including: Adeola Abilawon, Paul Baker, Dan Barker, Jon Galehouse, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Richard Grimes, Tim Hatcher, Linda Josheff, Tori Mizerak, Chris O’Connell, Brian Gillaspie, Ricki Grunberg, Katya Maes, Kurt Mohnsam, Brooks Rimes, PJ Slinger and Karen Lee Weidig.
FFRF has offered essay competitions to college students since 1979, high school students since 1994, grad students since 2010, one for students of color since 2016 and a fifth contest for law students since 2019.
“FFRF is happy to see another generation of freethinkers raising their voices in protest against the continuing threat of Christian nationalism,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The next generation promises to have the greatest population of freethinkers yet, and FFRF is proud to lend its support to keep student advocacy alive and thriving.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The aliens of Star Trek get their due in this collection of comics featuring Orions, Vulcans, Tribbles, Klingons, and more! Presented in a convenient-to-read pocket-sized (6 x 9) format!
In the vast Star Trek universe, many aliens abound! Read issues featuring the Gorn, Vulcans, Andorians, Orions, Borg, Romulans, Cardassians, Klingons, Q, Tribbles, Ferengi, and Tril! These one-off stories give fans an inside look at the many characters that make Star Trek so beloved by a wide array of talent!
Features work from Scott Tipton, David Tipton, David Messina, Elena Casagrande, James Patrick, José Maria Beroy, Andrew Steven Harris, Sean Murphy, Paul D. Storrie, Leonard O’Grady, John Byrne, Arne Schmidt, Andy Schmidt, Agustin Padilla, Ian Edginton, Wagner Reis, Keith R.A. DeCandido, JK Woodward, Stuart Moore, Mike Hawthorne, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Timothy Green II, Christina Rice, Andy Price, Jody Houser, Hendry Prasetya, and Rafael Pérez Granados.
This IDW Classics Collection includes over 400 pages of content from Star Trek: Alien Spotlight volumes 1 and 2 as well as from Star Trek: Aliens, featuring fan-favorite characters from throughout the Star Trek universe.
It’s time for a long-overdue second contact with the species with whom the U.S.S. Cerritos made its first first contact: the Laapeerians. But when the crew arrives on Laapeeria bearing gifts, Freeman and company are shocked to discover the entire planet has been abandoned! While all the dwellings and infrastructure remain, there isn’t a soul to be found… Where have all the Laapeerians gone? And do the Laapoonians on the planet next door know anything about it?
The Cerritos away team begin their investigation on Laapoonia to find out what happened to the Laapeerians. (Don’t get Laapeeria and Laapoonia twisted—it’s not that hard.) Despite their best efforts, and much to Tendi’s chagrin, everyone on the crew except T’Lyn manages to offend the Laapoonians before they can get any answers… How will the Cerritos ever make second contact with the Laapeerians if they can’t even get their first contact with the Laapoonians right?
When Commander Jack Ransom promised Boimler command of the away team on Laapoonia in the event that both he and Sun-Sanchez—his Number One—were taken out of commission, he didn’t think it’d, like, actually happen. But now, Boimler is in charge, and things have gone full-blown Crisis Royale: A planet’s missing population, a big-ass alien warship, and a team at each other’s throats threaten to explosively end the Cerritos’ second-contact mission with Laapeeria. The name’s Boimler. Brad Boimler. And he’s got a license to…mildly delegate while panicking under pressure.
Only two red shirts remain. The other ten crewmembers on Mission Squawkbox have plummeted hundreds of feet to the ground, been eaten alive by giant alien insects, or been exploded into a million tiny bits by falling torpedoes. Each death has dealt a blow to Ensigns Raad’s and Miller’s morale… Is Starfleet really the paragon of cooperation it claims to be? Or is it willing to expend its members’ lives for the sake of peace? With both Klingons and Romulans breathing down their necks, Raad’s and Miller’s loyalty will be tested. Are they for Starfleet? Or themselves?
The doomed Starfleet crew members, the red shirts, must track down spies on an isolated planet in this graphic novel.
Stranded on the snow-ridden planet Arkonia 89, the crew of the U.S.S. Warren has a small window in which to pin down spies seeking to steal classified secrets and keep Starfleet data out of their nefarious hands.
They face threats not only from their faceless enemies but from the brutalizing elements and wildlife of a planet far from home. In this complicated story of betrayal, loss, and redemption, the red shirts’ lives and Starfleet’s sanctity are on the line…and no one is safe.
This heartrending story by writer Christopher Cantwell (Star Trek: Defiant) and artist Megan Levens (Star Trek) marks a new beginning for the Star Trek universe, featuring Starfleet’s most intrepid and doomed crew members: red shirts. Now, finally, they get their own story.
Collects the complete miniseries Star Trek: Red Shirts #1–5.
Aboard the Enterprise, chaos erupts as Poilant drones attack without warning. With the ship under fire, Ortegas must push her piloting skills to the limit to buy Uhura a narrow window—one last chance to reconnect with their stranded crew and unlock the deadly mystery hidden within Poilant’s strange, ancient symbols.
Meanwhile, on a desperate mission to locate a missing Starfleet research team—and their friend Jinare—Chapel, La’An, Una, Spock, Scotty, and their unlikely robotic ally D6 stumble into the clutches of a terrifying parasitic hive-mind known as the Seed. As the alien collective tightens its grip, one question looms: Is this the force behind Jinare’s vanishing…or just the beginning of something far worse?
The Seed has taken hold—body, mind, and soul. Now under its control, Una and Jinare have become relentless drones, driven by vengeance. As Chapel struggles to untangle the lies binding them together, La’An, Spock, Scotty, and D6 fight to reconnect with the Enterprise…but first, they must survive the crushing abyss—and a colossal sentient squid guarding the way to the surface.
Aboard the Enterprise, Uhura intercepts a strange signal pulsing from Poilant’s surface—faint, fragmented, and impossible to trace. But Ortegas spots something else: a glowing red light spreading across the terrain, its shape disturbingly familiar. Is it…a ship? Or something far more dangerous?
Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley is no longer herself. Possessed by the ancient hivemind known as the Seed, she’s turned against her crew—and now, aboard a derelict alien ship, she’s raining destruction down on the Enterprise above Poilant. Captain Pike fights to hold the line, but the ship is slipping through his fingers.
Miles beneath the ice, Spock and D6 seek answers from leviathan squids, while Chapel and Jinare battle a blizzard to save what’s left of a shattered research team. The cold is merciless. The Seed is watching. And hope is fading.
But Chapel won’t back down. If death is coming for her crew…it’s going through her first.
From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season-four writer Robbie Thompson comes a Lovecraftian horror the likes of which the crew of the Enterprise has never seen before!
After plodding through uneventful mission after uneventful mission, Christine Chapel is itching for a real adventure. So, when an opportunity to reunite with her old scientist friend Jinare for research on the planet Poilant crops up, Chapel is excited to finally do what Starfleet does best: explore strange new worlds. However, when the Enterprise arrives in Poilant’s space, they cannot get into contact with Jinare or any of her researchers. Chapel, Una, Spock, La’An, and Scotty beam down, and they are greeted by…nothing…no one…and no signs of what caused their disappearance, only a robot named D6 who urges them to descend into the planet’s depths in search of his friends. But there’s more than scientists lurking in the watery abyss. Ancient life-forms and behemoths await—and they might mean more adventure than even Chapel can handle.
Perfect for fans of the hit television series hungry for more Strange New Worlds action with a focus on beloved characters Christine Chapel and Spock!
In the wake of the cataclysm known as the Burn, the dream of a united Federation stands on the brink of extinction. The only thing holding the Galaxy back from chaos is Captain Sato and the crew of the Borg-enhanced Omega—a ship fueled by transwarp technology and fraught with distrust.
No one on board trusts the Borg…and Captain Sato trusts their mysterious new passenger, bearing the face and name of James T. Kirk, even less. This so-called Kirk speaks of a dark future, but Sato refuses to be guided by fear or prophecy.
When a distress call from the Klingon Empire pierces the silence—urgent, cryptic, and unexpected—Sato doesn’t hesitate. Whatever the risk, he will answer. Because if Starfleet’s legacy is to survive, it won’t be through retreat. It’ll be through action.
The U.S.S. Omega launches into battle! Its adversary? A chaotic Klingon cult whose bloodred path is focused purely on obliterating the remaining vestiges of Starfleet. What’s left of the Federation is falling apart by the moment. Captain Sato, who once dreamed of uniting the galaxy, is now living his worst nightmare. He was raised in a time of peace…but no progress comes without a fight. While the Klingons might be his enemies after centuries of peace, he has Kirk as his ally…and no one knows how to defeat a Klingon better than the Federation’s greatest hero.
First Officer Wowie Carter was once called the child without fear. But with the Federation in freefall and Earth still reeling from a brutal Klingon assault, fear is all that remains—and Wowie is cracking under its weight.
The U.S.S. Omega’s mission is clear: Gather the final delegates for the Babel Conference, the Federation’s last, fragile chance at unity. A future of peace still seems possible…on paper. But every time Wowie returns to Earth, the home they once loved slips further into despair.
As alliances fracture and chaos spreads, Wowie faces a question no one dares ask: What’s left to save when hope is already gone?
Explore the fan-favorite Mirror Universe of The Next Generation in this epic struggle showcasing Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the I.S.S. Enterprise-D in a convenient-to-read pocket-sized (6 x 9) edition!
There is the reality you know. And on another dimensional plane, there exists a dark, twisted reflection of that universe. So familiar, and yet so different. An Empire in place of a Federation, where profit and power take precedence over peace and exploration.
As the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance rules—having overrun the Empire, destroying its fleet and driving it back to Earth—rumors and propaganda spread throughout the Alpha Quadrant about the Empire’s final demise. Those rumors are, however, untrue. A handful of Imperial ships remain, intent on protecting Earth and what’s left of the Empire. And commanding the newest and most powerful of those ships is a man equally intent on seeing it rise again—Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Plus, expand upon the world of The Mirror War in four short stories focusing on some of your favorite characters: Data, Geordi La Forge, Benjamin Sisko, and Deanna Troi!
Collects Star Trek: The Mirror War issues #1–8 and Star Trek: Warriors of the Mirror War issues #1–4 together in one volume for the first time!
To save the Federation—and the entire Alpha Quadrant—Captain Janeway made the ultimate sacrifice: deleting Species 8472’s data on opening a singularity into normal space. Now, Voyager is stranded in fluidic space…and 8472 wants them dead.
Hunted by a relentless alien fleet, Janeway and her crew go on the run, weaving through planets and asteroid fields in a desperate bid to survive. But just as hope begins to fade, Voyager’s sensors detect something unexpected: the wreckage of a Borg cube.
Is it a lifeline back to the galaxy they call home…or the beginning of an even greater threat?
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Captain Janeway and the Voyager crew agree to ally with a collection of Borg deep in fluidic space, and Seven plunges into the collective. They may be Borg, but there’s something…strange about them. Something alluring. Especially when it comes to a particularly individualistic member, Nine. Together, Nine and Seven might be able to build a deflector and help their crew members escape back to normal space—but that’s assuming they stay hidden from Species 8472 bent on their elimination.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation’s 48th Annual Convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C., held Oct. 16-19 was a vibrant reminder that reason and constitutional principles have the power to move hearts as well as stir activism. From Friday’s opening anthem to Saturday night’s standing-room-only finale, the weekend brought together more than 500 secular activists, scholars and performers for two inspiring days of education, laughter and solidarity.
Friday: Freethought and facts
After a late afternoon reception on Thursday, the formal program opened Friday as Dan Barker led the crowd in “Die Gedanken Sind Frei,” the historic 15th-century freethought anthem. FFRF Events Manager Sadie Pattinson kept the energy high with a spirited roll call of the 43 states (plus Washington, D.C.) represented. Matthew Krevat, president of FFRF’s Triangle Chapter in North Carolina, provided a brief pitch on how to find FFRF chapters across the nation. Herb Silverman, president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America, gave a short South Carolina welcome,“Being an Atheist in South Carolina,” blending humor with reflection on decades of activism in the Bible Belt for representation and secular government. He received the 2025 “Freethinker of the Year” Award. FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker followed with their annual “Highlights of the Year,” celebrating major legal victories, FFRF’s significant scholarship program and other outreach and FFRF’s record number of over 42,000 current members. The Godless Gospel singers — Candace Gorham, Cynthia McDonald and Mandisa Thomas — joined Barker for the first of three songs, performing “It’s Only Natural.” Their soulful harmonies turned the ballroom into a celebration of joy without religion.
Defending rights and democracy
The first major award of the weekend, the Henry Zumach Freedom From Fundamentalist Religion Award (otherwise known as the “FFRF” Award), honored the Center for Reproductive Rights, with Nancy Northup, president and CEO, accepting the $50,000 ally award on behalf of the center. In “Defending Today, Building for Tomorrow,” Northup traced the global rollback of reproductive freedoms since Dobbs v. Jackson and proclaimed: “Each vote is a story of courage and conscience. Each ballot cast is a reminder that no matter how fierce the opposition, the majority of Americans do stand for reproductive freedom.”
Author and investigative journalist Katherine Stewart followed with “Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.” Drawing on her powerful new exposé, “Money, Lies and God,” Stewart connected dark money, religious lobbying and authoritarian politics, warning, “The concrete is being poured — but it hasn’t hardened yet.” She urged secular Americans to build coalitions and defend democracy at every level.
FFRF’s legal team — represented by Legal Director Patrick Elliott, Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell, Senior Counsel Sam Grover and Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence — then reported on FFRF’s major legal advocacy, including the 10 lawsuits FFRF has filed in the past year to protect the separation of church and state. State Policy Manager Ryan Dudley and Governmental Affairs Director Mark Dann summarized FFRF’s important growing legislative advocacy.
Oklahoma state Rep. Mickey Dollens, who also serves as FFRF’s regional governmental affairs manager, subsequently introduced his F.O.R.W.A.R.D. framework, a practical guide to citizen-driven political change emphasizing: Facts, Opportunity, Rights, Workforce development, Accountability, Respect and Democracy. His upbeat approach drew a standing ovation. Next, FFRF honored Dr. Maggie Carpenter, who is under extradition by the state of Louisiana for prescribing medication abortion to a patient there, with the Forward Award for her courage and achievements, broadcasting an exclusive interview between Dr. Carpenter and Annie Laurie.
The evening featured a chance to socialize at dinner and was followed by the sharp wit of musical satirist Roy Zimmerman, who set the stage for one of the convention’s most anticipated speakers: Mary L. Trump. Receiving FFRF’s Emperor Has No Clothes Award, the psychologist and bestselling author of “Too Much and Never Enough” examined the psychology of authoritarianism and the emotional manipulation fueling Christian nationalism.
“We must refuse at every step along the way to be silenced,” she said. “We must continue to resist no matter the cost and we must reject wholesale their strategy.”
Trump’s candor and humor brought the crowd to its feet before she signed books and chatted with attendees at length during a dessert reception.
Saturday: Youth, activism and ‘No Kings’
Saturday began with FFRF’s nontraditional tradition of a Non-Prayer Breakfast — including a tongue-in-cheek “Moment of Bedlam” instead of a moment of silence — and another rousing performance by the Godless Gospel of Barker’s “Let’s All Give Thanks.” (“Not to religion, not to a god, but to the people who’ve made the world a better place for me and you.”)
Then the day’s celebration of student activism began.
Bailey Harris, a 19-year-old college student, received the $5,000 Diane & Stephen Uhl Memorial Out of God’s Closet Award for her fun children’s books on science. “We are the universe made conscious,” she told the audience.
Eli Frost, an 18-year-old college student and winner of the $5,000 Beverly & Richard Hermsen Award, shared how he persuaded his Minnesota school district to move graduation out of a megachurch. “Walking that stage in a secular space,” he said, “was one of the best moments of my life.”
Essayists and top winners in one of FFRF’s five essay competitions for students — Jaianah Hightower, Gabrielle Williams and Mekah’E LeClair — read powerful and poignant essays on the dangers of white Christian nationalism and the resilience of marginalized communities.
Rafida Bonya Ahmed presented the Avijit Roy Courage Award, memorializing her husband killed for his atheism by Islamists in 2015, to Mubarak Bala, president of the Humanists of Nigeria, who joined virtually from Germany. Having endured five years of imprisonment for “blasphemy,” Bala spoke movingly on the right to criticize.
Writer Chrissy Stroop, honored as Freethought Heroine, followed with “Emptying Pews, Evangelicals and the Fight for American Democracy.” “Use cooperation where we can, stay away from coercion,” she said. “And let’s help get there by bringing counternarratives there.”
Secular governance and the battle for democracy
After lunch, the Godless Gospel returned to open the afternoon sessions with a joyful rendition of “Life Is Good,” followed by FFRF’s Third Annual Secular Legislative Panel. Moderated by Ryan Dudley and state Rep. Mickey Dollens, the panel featured Kansas state Rep. Heather Meyer, Minnesota state Rep. Andy Smith and Vermont state Rep. Monique Priestley. Each nonreligious state legislator shared stories of resisting religious extremism in statehouses and the importance of transparency, science and inclusion in policymaking.
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie then received the Clarence Darrow Award for his clear-eyed writings on democracy and secular governance. The bronze award is a miniature of the statue FFRF erected in front of the Scopes Trial courthouse in Dayton, Tenn., and fittingly, it was handed to him in person by the sculptor Zenos Frudakis. In his spellbinding address, Bouie traced how Christian nationalism shapes political identity and voter behavior.
“I found myself in recent months really going back to the founding vision, not because it’s perfect, not because it’s not without flaw, but because it still stands for something significant and still stands for something meaningful, and the Declaration in particular stands for something significant and stands for something meaningful,” he said.
Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky, co-author of “How Democracies Die,” closed the afternoon with a sober yet hopeful talk, “The Great Abdication: America’s Descent into Authoritarianism.” He warned that the United States is not immune to authoritarianism but praised civic organizations like FFRF as essential guardrails. “Democracy survives,” he said, “when citizens organize to defend it.”
The group ended the afternoon session with an impromptu “No Kings” photo-op on the day of the “No Kings” rallies around the country.
Celebration, laughter, and a call to action
Saturday evening opened with appreciation. Annie Laurie Gaylor thanked the staff, volunteers, captioner Norma Miller and the AV crew led by Bruce Johnson, before the ever-popular “Clean Money” drawing — featuring vintage U.S. bills printed before “In God We Trust” was added.
Comedian, actor and SiriusXM host John Fugelsang closed the convention with his trademark fusion of humor, history and social commentary. Quoting from his new bestseller “Separate Church and Hate,” Fugelsang took aim at hypocrisy within Christian nationalism.
“The only way to follow both Donald Trump and Jesus,” he quipped, “is if you’ve never read either of their books.”
Blending humor and moral clarity, he called for an alliance between progressive believers and atheists: “We need the Christians who actually follow Christ and we need the atheists who actually follow ethics.”
The ballroom rose in a standing ovation as Fugelsang ended with a benediction fit for a secular congregation: “Whether you pray to God or pray to Google or pray to your morning coffee, we are all being called right now, not to convert each other, we are called to protect each other.”
A weekend to remember
Over a weekend, FFRF’s 48th Annual Convention showcased the full spectrum of secular activism — from young science authors and global human-rights defenders to investigative journalists and comedians with a conscience. The message was clear: The fight for state/church separation is inseparable from the fight for democracy itself.
Attendees left Myrtle Beach energized, inspired and ready to carry the freethought flame forward — proof that reason, empathy and a good sense of humor are the true pillars of a free society.
This is the (edited for space) speech given by Ed Larson at the Scopes Trial Centennial convention in Chattanooga, Tenn., on July 19. He was introduced by convention emcee Leighann Lord. (To watch the speech, go to ffrf.org/scopescon. To see photos from the event, go to ffrf.us/scopespics.)
Leighann Lord: When I bring on our next speaker, in the absence of the physical presence of John Scopes or William Jennings Bryan or Clarence Darrow, the best person to have at a centennial conference celebrating the Scopes Monkey Trial, is the guy, like capital T, capital G, The Guy.
He won a Pulitzer Prize in history for his book, “Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion.” He’s also the author of “Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory” and coauthor of “The Essential Words and Writings of Clarence Darrow.” He holds the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law and is a professor of history at Pepperdine University.
He’s taught for 20 years at the University of Georgia, where he chaired the history department. He has served as a visiting professor at several universities, including Yale Law School, Stanford Law School and the University of Melbourne. And he recently published “American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery and the Birth of a Nation, 1765 to 1795.”
Long story short, he literally wrote the book. And that’s why Professor Ed Larson is the winner of this conference’s Clarence Darrow Award.
After reporting state/church victories and complaints in California, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington, Texas and Arkansas, we speak with Mother Jones national correspondent Kiera Butler about her article, God’s “Blank Check”: Christian Zionists Are Pouring Billions of Dollars Into Israeli Extremism.
FFRF learned of multiple instances of Action Church representatives being granted access to public school students and facilities for religious activities, specifically the Lake Howell High School football team and the Winter Springs High School women’s lacrosse team. FFRF was also told that the head coach of Lake Howell was unconstitutionally leading student-athletes in prayer and participating in religious activities, with students being involved in official school-sponsored religious events. Posts on the Action Church’s official Facebook page, Action Church Pastor Eddie Rivera’s Facebook page and the official Lake Howell Silverhawks Football page showed unconstitutional entanglement between Action Church and Lake Howell High School’s athletics program.
Action Church is an evangelical Protestant ministry whose mission is “to reach people where they are and connect them to everything God has for their life.” The Action Church Facebook page had a history of posting about its involvement in district sports, such as a post on Aug. 29 showing Pastor Rivera with the Lake Howell High School Football Team in locker rooms following a game, and a post from Aug. 19 showing Action Church hosting a meal for the football team in the school’s cafeteria with the coach’s participation, reading, “Thank you Lake Howell High School for the continued partnership. Pastor Eddie Rivera prayed over the team as the season began. Go Silver Hawks!” This reflected a pattern of posts by Action Church from May 2023, August 2024 and May 2025 showing a similar meal being held in the school for the football team, with the same coach present.
FFRF was determined to keep students safe from coercive participation in religious rituals at a public school.
“The district should seek to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all student-athletes, not just those who subscribe to a preferred sect of Christianity,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for the district to offer religious leaders unique access to student-athletes in order to indoctrinate them and lead them in prayer, FFRF emphasized. The district cannot allow its athletic programs to be used as recruiting grounds for churches. Public schools may not show favoritism toward nor coerce belief or participate in religion by allowing a church to preach to and convert student-athletes. The district displayed clear favoritism toward religion over nonreligion and Christianity above all other faiths when it specifically invited representatives of Action Church to host events in Winter Springs High School and Lake Howell High School and to pray at students and staff members. FFRF additionally pointed out that the entanglement of churches and coach-led prayer in the district’s athletics program needlessly marginalized students and families who are non-Christian. Twenty-seven percent of adult Floridians have no religious affiliation and the trends show that the youngest Americans are less likely to be religiously affiliated than older Americans, with 43 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds having no religious affiliation.
FFRF’s letter, thankfully, saw the district take corrective action.
The staff counsel for the district emailed FFRF confirming that principals of both Lake Howell and Winter Springs have been informed about the constitutional concerns that arose due to the Action Church social media posts. In turn, both principals addressed the matter with Action Church and their coaches, with the counsel confirming that the Lake Howell coach had been retrained on engagement with religious groups.
FFRF is pleased to see the district take such initiatives.
“Coaches may not coerce their athletes into praying to play in district sports,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “This was a blatant violation of the Constitution and a strong case for why infusing religion into school sports is always a losing practice. We are happy to see our work to protect students’ rights continue to be successful.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 2,000 members and a chapter in Florida. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking a Colorado school district to immediately halt its unconstitutional funding of an explicitly Christian school that claims to be a public institution.
In a letter sent to Superintendent Peter Hilts, FFRF attorneys Samantha Lawrence and Charlotte Gude explain that the School District 49 is unlawfully providing public funds to Riverstone Academy — a self-described “public Christian school.”
Riverstone Academy, which calls itself “the first public Christian school in Colorado,” openly proclaims that it “blends strong academics with classical values, hands-on trade-based learning, and a Christian foundation to help students grow in both knowledge and character.” The Colorado Department of Education has already warned the district that funding Riverstone would violate both the U.S. and Colorado constitutions.
“The district is unconstitutionally giving public funds to a Christian school in direct violation of the First Amendment,” the letter states. “The district’s actions signal an undeniable preference for Christianity over all other religions and nonreligion.”
FFRF’s letter cites decades of U.S. Supreme Court precedent affirming that public schools may not promote religion, provide religious instruction or financially support sectarian institutions. As the Supreme Court made clear as far back as Everson v. Board of Education (1947), “The government cannot … contribute tax-raised funds to the support of an institution which teaches the tenets and faith of any church.”
Lawrence and Gude further point out that the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Carson v. Makin and Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue — often invoked by Christian nationalists seeking public funds — do not apply here. Those cases involved parents’ private decisions to direct state tuition assistance to religious schools, not a public school district directly funding a sectarian “public” school.
“Here, the district is directly funding Riverstone Academy’s religious endeavors: teaching students to believe in Christianity and teaching subjects through an exclusively Christian lens,” FFRF’s letter explains. “Giving public funds to Riverstone Academy violates the Establishment Clause, while refraining from publicly funding this sectarian school would do no harm to the school’s Free Exercise rights.”
In addition to the federal violation, the letter underscores that the district is also running afoul of the Colorado Constitution, which unambiguously prohibits sectarian instruction in public schools and forbids any public funds from supporting schools controlled by religious denominations.
“The Colorado Constitution could not be clearer,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “No sectarian tenets shall ever be taught in public school — yet that’s exactly what is happening here.”
FFRF is urging School District 49 to immediately cease all funding to Riverstone Academy and to affirm its commitment to the constitutional separation between state and church.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 1,400 members and a chapter in Colorado. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
The latest episode of the “We Dissent” podcast takes a look at the long history of how Ten Commandments displays have been kept out of public schools.
On Episode 47, FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and Americans United Legal Director Rebecca Markert break down the strong history of courts rejecting government attempts to display the Ten Commandments in schools. They explain the seminal 1980 case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court cases that have since reinforced that precedent, and the growing number of states passing blatantly unconstitutional laws that force public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
Find previous episodes here, which examine developments affecting the separation of church and state, particularly in the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Past episodes include discussions about court reform, religion behind bars and abortion, and also feature a range of expert guests. Episodes are available at the “We Dissent” website, YouTube channel, Spotify or wherever your podcasts are found. Be sure to stay up to date with the “We Dissent” podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bluesky.
Tune in regularly at “We Dissent” for compelling legal discussion and insights!
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award
Donte, Clark Atlanta University Donte is a freshman at Clark Atlanta University pursuing a dual degree in physics and robotics engineering with a concentration in robotic systems. His fascination with circuits began in childhood and grew into a passion in high school through robotics club leadership, a summer program in embedded systems, and an internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab where he co-created a fall detection device. These experiences cemented his career goal of building reliable systems that serve communities, particularly the Black community, while mentoring younger students from similar backgrounds.
An atheist since childhood, Donte came to secularism by choice and persistence. Free from pressure to conform to religion, he embraced self-determination and the belief that effort — not faith — builds the future. For him, secularism provides freedom from external expectations and a foundation for stability through education and community. His activism has included challenging Christian remarks from administrators, speaking out against stereotypes in class, and supporting classmates facing bias or exclusion. These experiences taught him that activism often begins with small, everyday acts of courage.
FFRF is deeply grateful to Cliff Richards, who phoned FFRF shortly before his death to set up the Cliff Richards Memorial Scholarships to aid freethinking students, expressing special interest in aiding marginalized students.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award
Sariyah, North Carolina A&T State University Sariyah is a student at North Carolina A&T State University, graduating in May 2026, and a leader in a new generation of creative professionals. She is preparing for a career in experiential marketing, a path forged by her entrepreneurial experience as a campus hairstylist and her work in digital brand strategy. Her long-term aspiration is to run her own business, creating opportunities for others while continuing to travel and mentor.
Sariyah identifies as agnostic. From an early age, she questioned Christianity, the most common religion in her community, and resisted pressure to participate in church. She recalls avoiding sleepovers that required attending church services the next day and laughing off teasing from peers who labeled her an atheist. At her HBCU, she has sometimes struggled to find like-minded individuals, but she remains grounded in her authenticity and secular outlook. She defines her beliefs by independence and reason, not by adherence to doctrine.
As a Black woman who does not conform to religious expectations, she is senior class treasurer in the Student Government Association, and helps coordinate large-scale events that bring together students. As marketing director for Aggies Abroad, she promoted study abroad opportunities that expose students to new cultures and perspectives. Travel has been important in shaping her worldview, showing her that life is broader than any single religious framework.
FFRF is deeply grateful to Cliff Richards, who phoned FFRF shortly before his death to set up the Cliff Richards Memorial Scholarships to aid freethinking students, expressing special interest in aiding marginalized students.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Al Luneman Student Activist Award
Rafael, Western Illinois University Rafael is a student at Western Illinois University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics, graduating in July 2026. He previously earned an Associate of Science from Moraine Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Illinois Springfield. His academic goals include earning a Ph.D. in physics and a master’s in engineering. He plans to pursue a career as a researcher and instructor at a government institution while serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Long term, he hopes to run for the school board and local office to defend secular values and protect students’ First Amendment rights.
Rafael identifies as agnostic, a conviction he embraced at 19 after questioning his Roman Catholic upbringing. Influenced by authors such as Carl Sagan and Dan Brown, he began a process of deconstruction that led to living authentically without religion. He now openly identifies as a nonreligious and is a gay soldier in the U.S. Army National Guard, recognizing the importance of visibility in traditionally Christian-normative environments.
As a first-generation Mexican American and gay man, Rafael understands the tensions that arise when religious traditions dominate cultural expectations. Rafael has been deeply engaged in secular activism, co-founding an SSA chapter at the University of Illinois Springfield and organizing discussions on queer and nonreligious identities. At Western Illinois University, he revitalized the SSA chapter, represented the school at Secular Spring Break, and served as treasurer of Unity, WIU’s oldest LGBTQ+ organization. Looking ahead, he plans to secure official recognition for WIU SSA, expand programming with events like Graveyard of the Gods and a Winter Solstice celebration, and grow student participation in national projects. His activism and academic pursuits reflect a dedication to critical inquiry, community building, and the defense of secular values.
FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Al Luneman Student Activist Award
Ava, Manalapan (N.J.) High School Ava is a high school student at Manalapan High School in New Jersey, graduating in 2026. She plans to study psychology and neuroscience, aiming for a career at the intersection of science and empathy through clinical work, research or community-based mental health support. Her long-term goal is to reduce stigma around mental illness and expand equitable access to care through evidence-based practice.
Identifying as agnostic and culturally Jewish, Ava established and leads the Secular Student Activists club at her school, organizing meetings and awareness efforts on secularism, science education, mental health, and state/church separation. This year, Ava plans to expand her club’s programming with events, collaborations, and guest speakers while continuing to publish on secular values and mental health. She hopes to remain engaged in secular and humanist organizations in college and contribute to civic efforts like voter registration.
FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Al Luneman Student Activist Award
Dustin, Lincoln Memorial University Dustin is a student at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, pursuing a Juris Doctor degree with an expected graduation in 2028. With academic interests in constitutional, employment, Title IX and civil law, Dustin plans to practice in Tennessee and beyond, focusing on supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking and other forms of abuse. Dustin also hopes to contribute to law review work on Establishment Clause issues and legal strategies for holding institutions accountable for systemic failures.
Identifying as nonreligious, Dustin’s experiences as a student complainant deepened their appreciation for secular advocacy in protecting religious liberty. Since 2017, Dustin has been active in addressing Establishment Clause violations in public schools and government offices across Tennessee and neighboring states. They have collaborated with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU, American Atheists and the American Humanist Association to push for accountability and uphold constitutional protections. These experiences reinforced their belief that free exercise of religion is a constitutional protection — not a tool for government actors to impose beliefs on others — and strongly influenced their decision to pursue a career in law.
FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
Donte is a freshman at Clark Atlanta University pursuing a dual degree in physics and robotics engineering with a concentration in robotic systems. His fascination with circuits began in childhood and grew into a passion in high school through robotics club leadership, a summer program in embedded systems, and an internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab where he co-created a fall detection device. These experiences cemented his career goal of building reliable systems that serve communities, particularly the Black community, while mentoring younger students from similar backgrounds.
Sariyah is a student at North Carolina A&T State University, graduating in May 2026, and a leader in a new generation of creative professionals. She is preparing for a career in experiential marketing, a path forged by her entrepreneurial experience as a campus hairstylist and her work in digital brand strategy. Her long-term aspiration is to run her own business, creating opportunities for others while continuing to travel and mentor.
Rafael is a student at Western Illinois University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics, graduating in July 2026. He previously earned an Associate of Science from Moraine Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Illinois Springfield. His academic goals include earning a Ph.D. in physics and a master’s in engineering. He plans to pursue a career as a researcher and instructor at a government institution while serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Long term, he hopes to run for the school board and local office to defend secular values and protect students’ First Amendment rights.
Ava is a high school student at Manalapan High School in New Jersey, graduating in 2026. She plans to study psychology and neuroscience, aiming for a career at the intersection of science and empathy through clinical work, research or community-based mental health support. Her long-term goal is to reduce stigma around mental illness and expand equitable access to care through evidence-based practice.
Dustin is a student at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, pursuing a Juris Doctor degree with an expected graduation in 2028. With academic interests in constitutional, employment, Title IX and civil law, Dustin plans to practice in Tennessee and beyond, focusing on supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking and other forms of abuse. Dustin also hopes to contribute to law review work on Establishment Clause issues and legal strategies for holding institutions accountable for systemic failures.
