‘We Dissent’ tackles the Supreme Court case on “conversion therapy”
The newest episode of “We Dissent” takes on a difficult topic — the potential overturn of a ban on “conversion therapy” for minors.
On Episode 48, FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and Americans United Legal Director Rebecca Markert cover Chiles v. Salazar, the case before the Supreme Court seeking to strike down a Colorado law banning mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on children. They explain the details of the case and discuss the hypocrisy of a ruling striking down the ban. The duo also recounts the Oct. 7 oral arguments, where the majority of justices signaled support for a ruling that will nullify state laws in half the country protecting LGBTQ-plus youth from these discredited and harmful practices.
“We Dissent,” which first aired in May 2022, is a legal affairs show for atheists, agnostics and humanists, offering legal wisdom from the secular viewpoint of women lawyers. The show is a collaboration of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Americans United.
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!
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Freethought Radio – November 20, 2025
Herb Silverman tells us how he fought the state of South Carolina to allow atheists to run for public office, and Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, describes the state of abortion rights across the country.
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Liberals rejoice after Clinton judge blocks Texas law requiring 10 Commandments in schools
Blaze Media
By Joseph Mackinnon
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Texas Judge Orders Removal of Ten Commandments Displays in Schools
El-Balad
By Bassyonni
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Federal judge orders schools from 14 Texas districts to remove Ten Commandments displays, citing First Amendment
Click 2 Houston (Houston, TX)
By Isa Gonzalez-Montilla
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Judge orders Texas schools to remove Ten Commandments displays
The Christian Post
By Ian M. Giatti
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More Texas school districts ordered to take down Ten Commandments displays
K-12 Dive
By Anna Merod
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Parents’ rights groups, backed by conservative funders, bring the fight to Maine school boards
Central Maine
By Emily Duggan
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DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of November 20, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
FFRF’s ‘Secular Spotlight’ explores biblical misconceptions with a bible scholar
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker and IT Director Scott Knickelbine are joined on the latest episode of Freedom From Religion Foundation’s “Secular Spotlight” by bible scholar and media personality Dan McClellan.
The trio discuss McClellan’s critiques of common religious dogmas like biblical inerrancy, divine inspiration and the belief that the bible speaks with one unified voice. McClellan explains how these ideas aren’t supported by evidence and are often used to reinforce power structures such as Christian nationalism. He also shows how certain believers selectively reinterpret or ignore conflicting passages to fit their ideology.
In the interview, McClellan offers this insight: “[The bible] has no inherent meeting; we’re the ones generating meaning. And that also means that pretty much every interpretation is debatable and we can come up with all kinds of ways to overrule or sidestep the most likely reading if we find it problematic for whatever reason.”
You can catch “Secular Spotlight” on YouTube. Previous episodes include an interview with Genetically Modified Skeptic Drew McCoy, and an episode with highlights from FFRF’s 48th Annual Convention. See our full playlist for more videos!
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members nationwide. 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.
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FFRF op-ed featured in Dayton, Ohio, newspaper
Ohio’s Dayton Daily News has published an op-ed written by a Freedom From Religion Foundation staffer warning against passage of a particularly troubling piece of legislation.
“Benjamin Franklin died in 1790. Yet Ohio House Bill 486, the ‘Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act,’ urges teachers to tell students that Franklin urged Thomas Paine to burn ‘The Age of Reason,’ a book Paine didn’t begin writing until 1793,” FFRF Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens begins his column.
Dollens’ op-ed digs into the problematic bill by detailing the myriad historical inaccuracies it uses in an attempt to instill Christian nationalist teachings on Ohio public school students:
The bill’s sponsors claim teachers need extra permission to discuss religion’s positive role in history. However, Ohio’s current learning standards already require comprehensive instruction on religious influences throughout American history, from the “Pilgrims” in Grade 5 to the “Impact of Religion in Society” in high school. As Lucas George, Ohio’s 2022 History Teacher of the Year, confirmed: “We teach these topics because Ohio’s Learning Standards already require it.”
So why introduce legislation solving a nonexistent problem? The answer lies in what the bill actually does: It provides political cover for teaching a whitewashed, factually incorrect version of American religious history.
Beyond the Franklin impossibility, it claims that his prayer motion at the Constitutional Convention led to the hiring of chaplains. In reality, the convention rejected prayer. As Franklin himself wrote, “Everyone except for three or four persons, thought prayers unnecessary.” No chaplains were hired. The convention proceeded without prayer.
The bill references the “Black Robe Regiment,” which Ryan Jayne of the Freedom From Religion Foundation has pointed out is “a myth propagated by disgraced pseudo-historian David Barton.” No Revolutionary-era source uses this term. It’s modern fiction presented as historical fact.
These fabrications matter because they’re part of a larger pattern of distortion. The bill encourages teaching about the Puritans’ religious faith while ignoring the fact that they banished Roger Williams for promoting religious tolerance and fined anyone celebrating Christmas. As Lutheran Deacon Nick Bates testified in criticism of the bill, “presenting the Pilgrims as champions of religious freedom when they imposed a 5 shilling fine on people who celebrated Christmas” is historically dishonest.
The bill celebrates religious influences on civil rights without acknowledging what Bates revealed: “The majority of the church lined up against the Civil Rights Movement.” It’s particularly troubling that legislation named after someone who called the Civil Rights Act “a mistake” and an “anti-white weapon” claims to honor Martin Luther King’s legacy.
It has long been documented that key figures among the Founders, besides Paine, such as Thomas Jefferson, Franklin and James Madison, were deists who rejected revealed religions. The Declaration’s few references to “Nature’s God” were deliberately non-Christian, while our Constitution (the actual governing document) contains zero references to deities or Christianity.
The piece ends with a message regarding the true purpose of public education: “Students need critical thinking skills to understand how religion has both inspired and oppressed, how our secular Constitution protects everyone’s freedom of conscience, and how historical truth is often more complex than politically convenient narratives. When students are taught fairy tales instead of facts, they are robbed of the tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex world. Ohio lawmakers should reject House Bill 486 and let teachers continue teaching actual history, not politically motivated fiction.”
You can read the full op-ed here.
This column is part of FFRF’s initiative to engage with pertinent national and state issues and spread the messages of freethought and nontheism to a broader audience.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including over 1,100 members and two chapters in Ohio. 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.
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San Antonio federal judge shuts down plan for Comal ISD, other districts to install Ten Commandments
San Antonio Current (San Antonio, TX)
By Sanford Nowlin
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Christian band faces pushback over public school concerts
Mission Network News
By Katey Hearth
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Federal judge orders some Texas schools not to display Ten Commandments
Express News
By Liz Teitz and Barry L. Harrell
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Federal judge blocks Ten Commandments display at Texas school districts like Conroe ISD
Houston Chronicle (Houston, TX)
By Haajrah Gilani
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Federal judge orders removal of Ten Commandments from some North Texas schools
Fox 4 KDFW (Dallas—Fort Worth, TX)
By Peyton Yager and Mack Shaw
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Texas Judge Blocks Law on Displaying Ten Commandments in School
Bloomberg Law
By Mallory Culhane and Ryan Autullo
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Judge orders Texas school districts to remove Ten Commandments displays from classrooms
KHOU 11 (Houston, TX)
By Ben Sawyers
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Florida attorney general sparks debate on religious discrimination
The Palm Beach Post (Palm Beach, FL)
By Stephany Matat
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Jim Johnson!
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Happy birthday to Jim Johnson!
Jim Johnson is the author of the Pistols and Pyramids weird Western series, the Potomac Shadows urban fantasy trilogy, and is the project manager and line editor for the Star Trek Adventures roleplaying game published by Modiphius Entertainment. When he’s not wrangling words or managing writers, Jim plays board games, card games, the occasional video game and reads as much as possible. He lives in historic Alexandria VA with his family and two marmalade cats. For more information, check out www.scribeineti.com. It might actually be updated by the time you visit.
Check out the Jim Johnson credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
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Judge orders Texas school districts to remove Ten Commandments displays
A federal judge today issued a preliminary injunction requiring certain public school districts in Texas to remove Ten Commandments displays by Dec. 1 and prohibiting them from posting new displays.
The order, a win for religious freedom and church-state separation, is in response to a new lawsuit filed Sept. 22 by a group of 15 multifaith and nonreligious families with children attending schools in the districts. In his order, U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia wrote that “displaying the Ten Commandments on the wall of a public-school classroom as set forth in SB 10 violates the Establishment Clause.” He added, “It is impractical, if not impossible, to prevent plaintiffs from being subjected to unwelcome religious displays without enjoining defendants from enforcing SB 10 across their districts.”
The order came in the case Cribbs Ringer v. Comal Independent School District, which was filed after the defendant school districts installed or were about to install Ten Commandments posters. The districts were proceeding with the displays despite Judge Fred Biery’s Aug. 20 order in a separate lawsuit, Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights ISD, in which he called the Texas law requiring the displays “plainly unconstitutional.” After that order was issued, the organizations representing families in both lawsuits sent letters to all Texas school districts urging them not to implement the law.
While today’s preliminary injunction directly applies to the defendant school districts named in the Cribbs Ringer lawsuit, the organizations behind the lawsuit are urging all Texas school districts not to implement SB 10. All school districts, even those that are not parties in either ongoing lawsuit, have an independent obligation to respect students’ and families’ rights under the U.S. Constitution, which supersedes state law.
The plaintiffs in both cases are represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel.
“I am relieved that as a result of today’s ruling, my children, who are among a small number of Jewish children at their schools, will no longer be continually subjected to religious displays,” says plaintiff Lenee Bien-Willner (she/her). “The government has no business interfering with parental decisions about matters of faith.”
“We’re extremely happy to have secured this victory for the plaintiff families we represent,” says Sam Grover (he/him), senior counsel, Freedom From Religion Foundation. “But Texas never should have put parents and students in this position in the first place. The law is quite clear that pushing religion on students in public school is unconstitutional.”
“Today’s ruling is yet another affirmation of what Texans already know: The First Amendment guarantees families and faith communities — not the government — the right to instill religious beliefs in our children,” says Chloe Kempf (she/her), staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas. “Our schools are for education, not evangelization. This ruling protects thousands of Texas students from ostracization, bullying, and state-mandated religious coercion. Every school district in Texas is now on notice that implementing S.B. 10 violates their students’ constitutional rights.”
“Once again, a federal court has recognized that the Constitution bars public schools from forcing religious scripture on students,” says Daniel Mach (he/him), director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. “This decision is a victory for religious liberty and a reminder that government officials shouldn’t pay favorites with faith.”
“All Texas public school districts should heed the court’s clear warning: It’s plainly unconstitutional to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms,” says Rachel Laser (she/her), president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Families throughout Texas and across the country get to decide how and when their children engage with religion — not politicians or public-school officials.”
“We are grateful to the court for its swift and decisive action,” says Jon Youngwood (he/him), global co-chair of Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department. “This ruling reaffirms a foundational principle: families — not public schools — have the right to determine how and when their children engage with matters of faith. The Constitution protects that choice, and schools should not be impeding it.”
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 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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“Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman’s Trek” Review by Deepspacespines.com
Deepspacespines.com has added a new review for Nana Visitor‘s “Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman’s Trek”:
Occasionally, on Deep Space Spines and in meatspace, I have been accused of expressing certain ideas in a way that makes it clear that I have no interest whatsoever in discussion or debate. The specific word that gets used in most such cases tends to be strident. I’ve dialed the attitude back some as the years have passed, but I still let it poke unassumingly out of its burrow from time to time. Except for today, when I’m grabbing it with both hands, dragging it fully out, and holding it aloft like Rafiki in The Lion King to say this:
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Alan Dean Foster!
(Image Credit: Elf)
Happy birthday to Alan Dean Foster!
Alan Dean Foster is a prolific science fiction and fantasy author. He is credited with writing the story for what became Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Born in New York City, Foster went to the University of California, Los Angeles. He currently lives in Prescott, Arizona with his wife.
As a novelist, Foster wrote Ballantine Books’ line of Star Trek: The Animated Series novelizations, titled the Star Trek Logs, and a new, serialized essay on the writing of those Logs, which was included with the five 2006 trade paperback reprint omnibuses. He also wrote a number of the Star Trek stories released by Peter Pan Records. In 2009, Foster wrote the novelization for J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. Foster also wrote an original novel based on the movie, Refugees, which is currently “on hold” following executive decisions at Pocket. He also wrote the novelization of the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness. Foster had the chance to watch the films before writing their novelizations, which according to Greg Cox is unheard of in the industry.
Foster’s best known works are his series of science fiction novels set in the Humanx Commonwealth, an interstellar union of species similar to the United Federation of Planets. He is also known for his novels featuring his two most popular characters, a young empath named Flinx and his companion, Pip. Foster’s most popular fantasy books are those of the Spellsinger series.
In addition, Foster is known for writing novelizations of many feature film screenplays. Among these is the novelization for the 2007 film Transformers and the sequel Revenge of the Fallen, which, like Star Trek, were based on screenplays by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Other film scripts he has novelized include Star Wars: Episodes IV – A New Hope and VII – The Force Awakens, the first three Alien films, John Carpenter’s The Thing, The Last Starfighter, Alien Nation, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Terminator: Salvation.
Check out the Alan Dean Foster credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Alan Dean Foster’s work on Amazon.com
Preview of “Star Trek: The Last Starship #2”
Here’s a preview of Star Trek: The Last Starship #2 by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing which is due to be released this Wednesday on November 19, 2025 at your local comic shop and digital retailers:
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.
DTI Treklit Investigation for the week of November 18, 2025
Here’s a look at the books printed this week in the past.
Supreme Court protects students’ rights in rejecting loudspeaker prayer push
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to leave in place a sound victory for the rights of students and families to be free from state-conveyed religious coercion.
The court’s denial of certiorari — issued with no noted dissents — in Cambridge Christian School v. Florida High School Athletic Association lets stand both its landmark 2000 ruling in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, barring school-sponsored prayer at football games, and a strong 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision finding that pregame messages over the public-address system at state championship games constitute government speech. The Supreme Court’s quiet refusal to take the case is a loud affirmation that public school events cannot be transformed into religious revivals.
“This is an important win for the constitutional rights of students and their families,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The Supreme Court’s refusal to revisit Santa Fe makes clear that public school athletic events are not opportunities for government-sponsored prayer.”
The Tampa-based Cambridge Christian School has spent nearly a decade attempting to force the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to broadcast its prayer over the stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 championship football game. The school argued that denying it access to the PA system violated its free speech and free exercise rights. But as both the district court and the 11th Circuit held — and as the Supreme Court left untouched — the PA system at a state-sponsored, neutral-site championship is government-controlled and used solely for government speech.
FFRF filed an amicus brief with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2022 urging the court to reject Cambridge Christian’s demand for special treatment: “A private religious school does not have a constitutional right to commandeer the PA system at a state-sponsored athletic competition. The Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment only protects private speech, it does not implicate government speech.”
“This whole case was an example of Christian privilege run amok,” says FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover, who drafted FFRF’s amicus brief. “If the Florida High School Athletic Association had opened its loudspeaker for private messages, Cambridge Christian could have claimed a right to equal access. But that wasn’t the situation. The loudspeaker was for government use only. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case demonstrates how utterly wrong Cambridge Christian was on the law.”
The Supreme Court’s denial ensures that the constitutional guardrails around public school events remain intact. Students and families at state-organized athletic contests are entitled to enjoy the game without being subjected to religious proselytizing by a government-controlled PA system.
“This case was a blatant attempt to force a captive audience into Christian worship at a public event,” Gaylor adds. “The First Amendment protects us all — Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, and everyone else — from exactly that kind of state-sponsored religious coercion.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 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.
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“Star Trek: 86 My Brother’s Keeper Book 2: Constitution” Review by Deepspacespines.com
Deepspacespines.com has added a new review for Michael Jan Friedman‘s “Star Trek: 86 My Brother’s Keeper Book 2: Constitution”:
In today’s episode, when Kirk lets everyone know he’ll be alone in his bunk, he means it. But when the line of succession leaves him in the hot seat on the bridge, he has to learn on the fly who to sacrifice and when. Do Jim and Gary still have the romantic chemistry they had at the Academy? What’s up with all the cover-ups? And is there a satisfying secret option for Kirk to take this time? All this and more in Constitution, the book that wants to know if you would like to know (what’s) more.
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Religious freedom fight grows in Massachusetts community over statues honoring police and firefighters
Fox News
By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten
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“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire” Review by Positivelytrek.com
Positivelytrek.com has added a new review for David Mack‘s “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire”:
In this episode of Positively Trek, hosts Dan Gunther and the returning Bruce Gibson welcome special guest David Mack back to the show! He’s here to discuss his latest novel: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire!
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“Star Trek #9” Review by Themindreels.com
Themindreels.com has added a new review for Len Wein‘s “Star Trek #9”:
Len Wein takes over writing duties for Gold Keys Star Trek title, while Alberto Giolitti continues delivering wonderful art (even if the characters and locations don’t always look the way the should). Found on comic spinners for February 1971, Wein’s first story was The Legacy of Lazarus.
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Jeff Bond!
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Happy birthday to Jeff Bond!
Jeff Bond is an American magazine editor and writer, currently editor in chief of Geek Monthly. He is perhaps best known for the many reviews and columns he wrote as contributing editor for Film Score Monthly starting in the mid 1990s; as well as liner notes for CD film score releases, for example the 40th Anniversary editions of the James Bond movie scores. He is the author of The Music of Star Trek: Profiles in Style (1999). Jeff Bond lives in Burbank, California.
Check out the Jeff Bond credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
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“Star Trek: 85 My Brother’s Keeper Book 1: Republic” Review by Deepspacespines.com
Deepspacespines.com has added a new review for Michael Jan Friedman‘s “Star Trek: 85 My Brother’s Keeper Book 1: Republic”:
In today’s episode, Kirk is wracked with guilt when he has to put an old friend down. But when Spock decides that giving his captain an opportunity to yap about his feelings will help him understand humanity better, he ends up getting an earful about a former boyfriend. Where did James “R.” Kirk come from? Do aunts and uncles make better parents? And what makes someone a “walking freezer unit”? All this and more in Republic, the book that has no time for people who can’t make the jump.
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Carlson–Fuentes controversy reveals the antisemitism embedded in Christian nationalism
The Heritage Foundation, which brought us Project 2025, is deservedly reeling from the backlash over its support for Tucker Carlson’s recent friendly interview with hatemonger Nick Fuentes.
During Carlson’s interview, Fuentes, known for his antisemitic views and unabashed advocacy of white nationalism, advocated for a “pro-white,” Christian movement, saying that “organized Jewry” undermines American cohesion. Fuentes, 27, leads a white, male, Christian movement known as “Groypers,” and has leveraged his sizable online platform to spread racist and extremist rhetoric — including a 2021 interview with Alex Jones in which he claimed that non-Christians, including Jews, have no place in Western civilization. During the Tucker-Carlson conversation, Carlson neither addressed those past remarks nor challenged Fuentes, a notorious Holocaust denier, when he asserted that Jews are not loyal Americans. The interview, which lasted more than two hours, has been seen over 20 million times.
Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, chief architect of Project 2025 and a devout Roman Catholic, initially defended Carlson for hosting Fuentes. After an immediate blowback began against Carlson for giving Fuentes a platform, Roberts charged on a social media post on Oct. 30 that a “venomous coalition” was trying to cancel Carlson and vowed: “The Heritage Foundation didn’t become the intellectual backbone of the conservative movement by canceling our own people or policing the consciences of Christians, and we won’t start doing that now.”
After saying “antisemitism should be condemned,” Roberts went on to use an antisemitic dog whistle — referring to “the globalist class” — and promised that Carlson would always be a friend.
When at least five staff members of the Heritage Foundation resigned over Roberts’ social media post, Roberts walked back some of his comments. Facing calls to resign from his $800,000-a-year post, Roberts subsequently pleaded ignorance, blaming an aide, who later resigned, for writing the post.
Justice requires that this debacle should result in Roberts losing his position at the Heritage Foundation. But don’t hold your breath. Roberts kept his position even after warning last year of violence against the left: “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
Fuentes targets not only Jewish people but anyone outside his narrow religious framework. In 2023, Fuentes called for the death penalty for all non-Christians: “There is an occult element at the high levels of society, and specifically among the Jews, and you know, whenever I see that stuff that just makes me want to proclaim louder and more firmly and more rigidly that it is nothing other than Jesus Christ. No, no pagan stuff, no false gods, no deities, no demons. It is Jesus Christ and we need to start saying that name.”
Fuentes went on to declare that those who “worship false gods” or “practice magic or rituals” should be executed “when we take power.” He later expanded on his vision of a theocratic America: “We need to put up a crucifix in every home, in every room, in every school and every government office to signal Christ’s reign over our country. … This is not the domain of atheists or devil worshipers or perfidious Jews. This is Christ’s country. … You must be a Christian. And you must submit to Christianity.”
Notably, Donald Trump invited Fuentes to dine with him in 2022.
Antisemitism, which is rising in America, must be condemned unequivocally, as the Freedom From Religion Foundation has consistently done. That condemnation must also extend to Nick Fuentes, his supporters, and the broader movements of white supremacy and Christian nationalism. Antisemitism is not an accident within white Christian nationalism; it is baked into an ideology that insists political power in the United States should belong only to certain white, male Christians.
“The controversy highlights a moral crisis among public figures who continue to blur the line between faith and fanaticism — and it also shows the grave danger of normalizing those who preach bigotry in the name of religion,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “If mainstream conservative leaders can’t draw the line at hobnobbing with Hitler buffs, much less open calls for execution and theocracy, where do they draw the line?”
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 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
Photo Attributions:
Roberts: Gage Skidmore / CC 2.0
Carlson: Gage Skidmore / CC 4.0
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“Klingon Next Door: Off Duty the Warrior’s Way” Review by Geekgirlauthority.com
Geekgirlauthority.com has added a new review for Joey Spiotto‘s “Klingon Next Door: Off Duty the Warrior’s Way”:
Are you a Trekkie on the lookout for an adorable picture book that will give you a few chuckles (and a cursory introduction to the Klingon language)? Then beam aboard Star Trek: Klingon Next Door: Off Duty the Warrior’s Way by Joey Spiotto. And if not for yourself, this cute and occasionally groan-worthy (complimentary) picture book could be a perfect gift this holiday season.
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Middle School Teacher Ordered to Stop Teaching About Creationism
Todd Starnes
By Todd Starnes
The post Middle School Teacher Ordered to Stop Teaching About Creationism appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
ACLU sends letter urging Kern County Board of Education to oppose Ten Commandments display at its schools
KGET 17 News (Bakersfield, CA)
By Sangmin Kim
The post ACLU sends letter urging Kern County Board of Education to oppose Ten Commandments display at its schools appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Kern County Board of Education delays decision on Ten Commandments display
ABC Bakersfield 23 (Bakersfield, CA)
By Madi Vollmer
The post Kern County Board of Education delays decision on Ten Commandments display appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Should The Ten Commandments Be Displayed In Schools?
KVPR Valley Public Radio (Fresno, CA)
By Jonathan Linden and Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado
The post Should The Ten Commandments Be Displayed In Schools? appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“Star Trek: Khan” Review by Musingsofamiddleagedgeek.blog
Musingsofamiddleagedgeek.blog has added a new review for David Mack and George Takei and Kirsten Beyer and Maury Sterling and Mercy Malick and Naveen Andrews and Nicholas Meyer and Olli Haaskivi and Sonya Cassidy and Tim Russ and Wrenn Schmidt and Zuri Washington‘s “Star Trek: Khan”:
“Star Trek: Khan” was conceived as a live-action Paramount+ miniseries that would be written by writer/producer/director Nicholas Meyer (“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”) which would chronicle the exile of Star Trek antagonist Khan Noonian Singh and his genetically-engineered ‘augment’ loyalists on the doomed planet of Ceti Alpha V (following the events of the Star Trek TOS episode “Space Seed” from 1967). Meyer wrote three script treatments before the project was ultimately cancelled. However, longtime Star Trek writer/producer Kirsten Beyer (“Star Trek: Voyager” “Star Trek: Discovery”) and Trek novelist David Mack took Meyer’s treatments and expanded them into a cheaper-to-produce audio drama podcast for curious fans. The podcast series would also be available for free via YouTube, Apple Podcasts and other venues.
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Freethought Radio – November 13, 2025
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie tells us how we can defend democracy against the threat of Christian nationalism.
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“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire” Review by Scifichick.com
Scifichick.com has added a new review for David Mack‘s “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire”:
I know I’ve been reviewed several Star Trek books lately… What can I say? It’s a good time to be a Trekkie with all of this new content!
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FFRF and allies urge Calif. education board to reject 10 Commandments displays
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the ACLU of Southern California, the national ACLU, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, have sent a joint letter to the Kern County Board of Education urging it to reject a proposed resolution mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in county schools.
The board is scheduled to consider the measure at its meeting in Bakersfield tonight, Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m. The proposal would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed alongside other documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, in five of the district’s six alternative education schools. The board will also consider whether to hire the Christian nationalist Liberty Counsel to represent the board.
This is a renewed drive by some on the board. Last December, the board considered posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom, but did not move forward with the proposal after strong pushback from FFRF and local community members.
In the letter, the groups explain that requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools would violate both the California Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. The California Constitution’s “No Preference,” “No Aid” and “Teaching Religious Doctrine” clauses provide even stronger protections for state/church separation than the federal Establishment Clause — and clearly prohibit government bodies from promoting religious texts.
“The Ten Commandments are not a set of universal civic principles,” the letter states. “Requiring students of faiths that do not recognize the religious symbolism of the Decalogue to be forced to come into contact either in school lobbies, classrooms, or other places in schools with a religious display that is of no religious significance to them and daily observe the Ten Commandments demonstrates a clear preference for those religions that revere the Commandments.”
The letter points out that California courts have already ruled that such displays violate the state Constitution, citing the DiLoreto v. Board of Education decision, which held that posting the Ten Commandments in public schools favors Judaism and Christianity to the exclusion of other faiths. The groups also note that the displays would run afoul of longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent, including Stone v. Graham (1980), which struck down a nearly identical law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
Beyond the legal violations, the letter warns that forcing religious symbols into schools would divide the community and marginalize students of minority faiths and nonreligious families: “Many students and families will oppose the displays, not because they are anti-religion, but because they hold dear the ability to determine their religious beliefs and practices for themselves, without the government’s interference or pressure.”
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor comments, “This proposal isn’t about history — it’s about using the machinery of government to promote a specific religion. Kern County has no business telling a captive audience of children how many gods to worship, which gods to worship or whether to worship any gods at all! The First Commandment is the antithesis of our First Amendment and clearly shows why it does not belong in our public schools.”
FFRF emphasizes that the government has no authority to impose or favor any particular set of religious beliefs, and that students in California’s public schools are entitled to an inclusive environment free from religious coercion.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 5,300 members and two local 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.
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FFRF investigates ‘America 250’ partnership with Christian nationalist Sean Feucht
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling for transparency and accountability following revelations that the Trump administration is planning a series of taxpayer-supported Christian nationalist “revival” events tied to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Earlier this year, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner joined Christian nationalist worship leader and political activist Sean Feucht to host a worship service on the National Mall — an event that FFRF criticized at the time as an egregious misuse of government authority to promote religion.
Now, Feucht has publicly boasted that he is working directly with members of the Trump administration to stage similar worship events across the country in conjunction with America’s 250th anniversary celebration. Speaking during his “Courageous Christianity Tour” at a California church in October, Feucht claimed that “the U.S. government invited us” to hold worship services and that he recently met with the federal “America 250” team to plan “revival meetings sponsored by the U.S. government all across the nation,” including a large-scale “Let Us Worship” rally at Mount Rushmore.
“These are deeply alarming claims,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The United States government has no business sponsoring Christian revival events — period. The 250th anniversary of our founding should celebrate freedom, reason and equality, not serve as a pulpit for religious proselytizing.”
FFRF is filing Freedom of Information Act requests with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Education and other federal offices to determine the extent to which taxpayer resources or official support are being used to promote or facilitate these sectarian worship events. The state/church watchdog is prepared to take legal and advocacy steps necessary to challenge federal plans to turn the nation’s semiquincentennial commemoration into sectarian and exclusionary events.
“Our Founders fought a revolution to establish a government free from religious control,” adds FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “The only way to honor the Declaration of Independence is to uphold its spirit of liberty — not to turn national celebrations into government-sponsored church services.”
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 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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“Star Trek #10” Review by Themindreels.com
Themindreels.com has added a new review for Len Wein‘s “Star Trek #10”:
In May of 1971, Gold Keys delivered another installment in their Star Trek adventures. This is story writer Len Wein’s second issue. Alberto Giolitti continues to deliver art that is slowly embracing more of what we have seen in the series (as well as some odd additions). This issue, Sceptre of the Sun eschewed the photo montage for the cover, and featured art by George Wilson.
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DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of November 13, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
“Star Trek: Red Shirts #3” Review by Getyourcomicon.co.uk
Getyourcomicon.co.uk has added a new review for Christopher Cantwell‘s “Star Trek: Red Shirts #3”:
Things are about to get even more complicated for the away team in this week’s Star Trek: Red Shirts. As Christopher Cantwell’s riveting series hits the mid-way point there are yet more twists to be uncovered. But with the enemy still yet to be revealed to our Starfleet heroes. Can the series maintain its momentum amongst all the mystery?
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“Star Trek: Red Shirts #3” Review by Aiptcomics.com
Aiptcomics.com has added a new review for Christopher Cantwell‘s “Star Trek: Red Shirts #3”:
Star Trek: Red Shirts #3, written by Christopher Cantwell with art by Megan Levens and colors by Charlie Kirchoff, continues the greatest Star Trek horror-themed story that you never knew you wanted. 12 Starfleet Security Officers aka “Red Shirts” are on a top-secret mission on the backwater world of Arkonia 89 to capture members of a mysterious alien band of spies trying to steal the Federation’s deepest secrets (including the schematics for the fleet). As issue #3 begins, five members of the Security team have already been killed. Will any of the remaining Red Shirts survive, or will they all die protecting the Federation’s secrets?
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“Star Trek: Lower Decks #12” Review by Getyourcomicon.co.uk
Getyourcomicon.co.uk has added a new review for Tim Sheridan‘s “Star Trek: Lower Decks #12”:
When last we saw the crew of Star Trek: Lower Decks they were arriving in 1985 San Francisco. Tim Sheridan’s hilarious Voyage Home-inspired story continues to show the lighter side of Trek’s social commentary.
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“Star Trek: Voyager Omnibus” Review by Scifichick.com
Scifichick.com has added a new review for Dave Baker and Paul Allor‘s “Star Trek: Voyager Omnibus”:
First, in Seven’s Reckoning, a chance encounter with a reptilian alien race draws Seven of Nine and the rest of the U.S.S. Voyager crew into an ancient class conflict that’s on the brink of exploding into all-out war! Set during Star Trek: Voyager‘s amazing fourth season, Seven finds her newfound humanity in conflict with her commitment to the Prime Directive. When she finally makes her choice, will it have the desired result? And will there still be a place for her aboard Voyager once the dust clears? By writer Dave Baker and artist Angel Hernandez.
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“Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming #2” Review by Comicon.com
Comicon.com has added a new review for Susan Bridges and Tilly Bridges‘s “Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming #2”:
You don’t need to be a Star Trek fan to appreciate this limited series about the prelude to an alien invasion of Earth. It helps, of course, but the story is fast-paced with plenty of strong plot points and mysteries. Some strong art brings the story alive.
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Preview of “The Art of Star Trek: Lower Decks”
Here’s a preview of The Art of Star Trek: Lower Decks by Megan Treviño which is due to be released this Tuesday on May 5, 2026 at your local book stores, comic shops, and digital retailers:
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the art of this fan-favorite series!
Climb aboard the U.S.S. Cerritos with its crew in this special look at the art of the critically acclaimed animated series. With special sections focusing on characters, ships, backgrounds, and scenery, you’ll know the lower decks better than the crew!
Also included will be interviews with members of the art team, who provide special insights into the making of the series and the art process.
Star Trek Books Coming In The Next 30 Days, as of November 11, 2025
Fiction
By: Greg Cox
November 18, 2025This all-new Star Trek novel celebrates the 60th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series—continuing the legacy of Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise. 2269: The prospect of peace had seemed unattainable until the assistance of the Federation. Finally, countless ancient enemies have stopped their conflicts simply by listening to […]
Comics
By: Tim Sheridan
November 12, 2025It’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 […]
By: Robbie Thompson
November 12, 2025Aboard 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 […]
By: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing
November 19, 2025In 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 […]
By: Susan Bridges, Tilly Bridges
November 26, 2025To 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 […]
By: Christopher Cantwell
December 3, 2025Only 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 […]
By: Robbie Thompson
December 12, 2025The 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 […]
DTI Treklit Investigation for the week of November 11, 2025
Here’s a look at the books printed this week in the past.
FFRF cheers Supreme Court refusal of appeal to undo marriage equality
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to reject a misguided appeal seeking to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 ruling that guaranteed marriage equality nationwide.
The court declined to hear Davis v. Ermold, an appeal by former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who was seeking to escape liability for denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of the law and a federal court order back in 2015. The denial brings a decisive and welcome end to a long-running effort by Davis and her backers at the Christian nationalist legal outfit, Liberty Counsel, to undo one of the most significant civil rights victories in modern history.
“The Supreme Court’s refusal to revisit Obergefell is a reaffirmation that our government must treat all families equally, regardless of religion,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Love won a decade ago — and love wins again today.”
FFRF is honored that Obergefell v. Hodges plaintiff Jim Obergefell will be a featured speaker at FFRF’s 49th Annual National Convention next October in Milwaukee, receiving its “Forward” Award.
Davis became infamous for defying her oath of office and refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the Obergefell decision. Her refusal violated a federal court order, led to several lawsuits and, ultimately, hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and legal fees. Liberty Counsel — one of the nation’s most aggressive Christian nationalist legal organizations — has spent years trying to use Davis’ case as a vehicle to roll back LGBTQ-plus rights and impose religious privilege in public office.
“Liberty Counsel’s crusade to overturn marriage equality is about one thing: imposing its narrow religious perspective on everyone else, and the Supreme Court was right to reject that,” adds FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line, who predicted that the court would reject Davis’ appeal.
The Obergefell decision, authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy in 2015, remains one of the great affirmations of personal liberty in American history. Nearly 600,000 same-sex couples have since married, strengthening families and communities across the nation. The ruling stands as a testament to the Constitution’s promise of equal protection and the importance of keeping religion out of government.
“Jim Obergefell has truly moved society forward,” says Gaylor. “We can’t wait to celebrate his legacy — and today’s reaffirmation of that legacy — with him in person.”
FFRF remains vigilant as Christian nationalist groups continue to attack LGBTQ-plus rights under the guise of “religious freedom,” and will continue defending true religious liberty — the right of all Americans to live free from government-imposed religion and religious discrimination.
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.
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February 6-7, 2026 – Dan Barker to Debate at The Gospel Truth Conference 2026 in Dallas (Rowlett, TX)
The Gospel Truth has announced the lineup for its upcoming Gospel Truth Conference 2026, set to take place at Restoration Church Dallas in Rowlett, Texas. The two-day event will feature some of the nation’s most prominent Christian and secular thinkers in a series of live debates, including Dan Barker, Co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). Barker, a former evangelical minister turned atheist, will take the stage opposite Elias Ayala for a debate titled “Does God Exist?”
The conference will also include debates between:
- Dr. James White and Dr. Dustin Smith – Does the Bible Teach the Trinity?
- Anthony Rogers and Trent Horn – Sola Scriptura
- Avery Austin (God Logic) and Jake the Muslim Metaphysician – Does Islam Teach the Entire Bible Is True?
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with debaters, enjoy local food trucks, and explore differing perspectives on theology, faith, and reason!
Event Details:
February 6–7, 2026
Restoration Church Dallas, 4309 Main Street, Rowlett, TX
Tickets: $70 | Free parking | Refunds up to 7 days before the event
For tickets and full schedule information, click here.
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FFRF honors all veterans — including ‘atheists in foxholes’ — on Veterans Day
It’s never been more important to acknowledge nonreligious and non-Christian veterans — including the proverbial “atheists in foxholes” — given the Pentagon’s recent attacks on the constitutional separation between religion and government.
Journalist Ernie Pyle regrettably promulgated the myth during World War II that “there are no atheists in foxholes.” In actuality, more than 20 percent of FFRF’s 42,000 members are veterans, and a quarter of active duty military identify as nonreligious or “no religious preference.” Nonreligious military and vets historically have gone unacknowledged or subjected to proselytizing.
That situation has grown worse recently, as the Pentagon becomes infused with religion and Christian nationalism under “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth’s misdirection. Hegseth hosted an evangelical prayer service during the middle of the workday at the Pentagon in May, called the “Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer and Worship Service.” Hegseth said at that event that “this is precisely where I need to be, exactly where we need to be as a nation, at this moment in prayer, on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Hegseth, on his official “X” site, published a prayer and video of himself reciting the Lord’s Prayer. At the memorial for Kirk, Hegseth declared that the United States is in a “spiritual war.” He urged viewers to “put Christ at the center of your life.”
Religion News Service reports that the Department of Defense has featured at least three videos with faith themes, including one quoting from the bible, captioned, “We are One Nation Under God.” Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told the news agency that the videos exemplify Hegseth’s efforts to celebrate the country’s Christian roots “despite the Left’s efforts to remove our Christian heritage from our great nation,” adding that “Secretary Hegseth is among those who embrace it.”
FFRF’s unique monument is made of the same granite as Mount Rushmore. It serves as a testament to the U.S. military’s diversity in the face of Hegseth’s theocratic propaganda. It is found in FFRF’s Rose Zerwick Memorial Courtyard and Patio outside Freethought Hall, FFRF’s bustling office building in downtown Madison, Wis. (World War II veteran Joseph Cunningham, a nonagenarian longtime FFRF member and former Board member, is pictured in front of the monument.)
Veterans, their families and active duty freethinkers are cordially invited to come visit and contemplate FFRF’s “Atheists in Foxholes” monument, which honors freethinking veterans and their service.
The words, penned by FFRF principal founder Anne Nicol Gaylor, read:
In Memory of
Atheists in Foxholes
And the countless freethinkers who have served this country with honor and distinction.
Presented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation with hope that in the future humankind may learn to avoid all 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 about 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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“Star Trek #13” Review by Themindreels.com
Themindreels.com has added a new review for Len Wein‘s “Star Trek #13”:
In February of 1972 the Enterprise continued to boldly go. Dark Traveler was written, once again, by Len Wein, featured art by Alberto Giolitti and another painted cover by George Wilson.
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Dean Wesley Smith!
(Photo by JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US)
Happy birthday to Dean Wesley Smith!
Dean Wesley Smith is a science fiction author, known primarily for his Star Trek novels, film novelizations, and other novels of licensed properties such as Smallville, Spider-Man, X-Men, Aliens, Roswell, Men in Black, and Quantum Leap. He is also known for a number of his original novels, such as The Tenth Planet series, on which he collaborated with his wife, author Kristine Kathryn Rusch. They have also collaborated on other novels, including some of their Star Trek books.
Smith’s film novelizations include Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, The Rundown, Steel, The Core, and X-Men.
His Star Trek novels include original books in series adapted from all five of the live action television series: the original series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. He has also written books in the Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers series, and has edited the contest anthology series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Smith’s stories can also be found in almost 20 different anthologies, such as Journeys to the Twilight Zone (1992), The Book of Kings (1995), and Past Lives, Present Tense. He also wrote 4 books with his wife under the name Sandy Schofield.
Rusch and Smith operated Pulphouse Publishing for many years and edited the original (hardback) incarnation of Pulphouse Magazine; they won a World Fantasy Award in 1989. In 1992, Smith was the founding publisher of Tomorrow Speculative Fiction before selling the magazine to editor Algis Budrys’s UniFont.
Check out the Dean Wesley Smith credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
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Preview of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #3”
Here’s a preview of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #3 by Robbie Thompson which is due to be released this Wednesday on November 12, 2025 at your local comic shop and digital retailers:
Preview of “Star Trek: Lower Decks #13”
Here’s a preview of Star Trek: Lower Decks #13 by Tim Sheridan which is due to be released this Wednesday on November 12, 2025 at your local comic shop and digital retailers:
Happy 2025 Birthday to Eric A. Stillwell!
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Happy birthday to Eric A. Stillwell!
Eric A. Stillwell is a producer and writer who worked on a number of television series, made-for-television movies, and motion pictures, including numerous Star Trek series and motion pictures.
Check out the Eric A. Stillwell credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
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New Star Trek Book: “Once Upon a Stardate: Star Trek Fairy Tales”
Once Upon a Stardate: Star Trek Fairy Tales by has been added to the Star Trek Book Club! There’s no official cover yet, so keep an eye on the book page for updates!
The book is currently scheduled to be published on July 21, 2026
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“Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming #2” Review by Fanbasepress.com
Fanbasepress.com has added a new review for Susan Bridges and Tilly Bridges‘s “Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming #2”:
Picking right up after the series finale, Voyager has been seized by Species 8472 and forcibly taken into Fluidic Space. As revealed in the first issue, Species 8472 had infiltrated the Pathfinder Project, assuming the identities of its officers, including Admiral Paris. Species 8472 fears mankind, especially after Janeway betrayed them to the Borg in exchange for safe passage through Borg space. And now with the knowledge that Voyager has brought from the future, thanks to an older Admiral Janeway (You’ve watched the Voyager finale, right?), Species 8472 is even more convinced that humanity is an existential threat that needs to be annihilated. It had seemed in the Season 5 episode, “In the Flesh,” that Captain Janeway had reached an understanding with Species 8472 with the possibility open for peace. In many ways this series serves as a sequel to that episode, one of my favorites, as writers Susan Bridges and Tilly Bridges explore the effect that encounter had on Species 8472 and its own views of the Federation.
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“Star Trek #7” Review by Themindreels.com
Themindreels.com has added a new review for Dick Wood‘s “Star Trek #7”:
Of all the Gold Key stories I’ve read so far, I like this one the least. It’s not very Star Trek, it’s just an issue of silliness using voodoo dolls, chants and magic potions. Not very Trek at all. The writing is once again by Dick Wood, and Alberto Giolittie continues to deliver the art that found this issue on spinners for March 1970.
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Happy 2025 Birthday to William J. Birnes!
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Happy birthday to William J. Birnes!
William J. “Bill” Birnes is an American author and ufologist. A graduate of New York University, he holds a Ph.D in medieval literature (with a dissertation on Piers Plowman) from the same institution (1974) and later earned a J.D. degree from Concord Law School.
Check out the William J. Birnes credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
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“Star Trek #14” Review by Themindreels.com
Themindreels.com has added a new review for Len Wein‘s “Star Trek #14”:
Gold Key Comics Star Trek #14 hit spinners in May 1972. It was once again written by Len Wein, with art by Alberto Giolitti and a cover painting by George Wilson. We find Kirk, Spock and a landing party conducting a survey on Beta II . They decide to cover more ground by splitting up. They agree to stay in touch with their communicators, which once again, look like tricorders.
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Freethought Radio – November 6, 2025
After talking about warning labels on bibles and reporting on state/church news, we hear Brandi Carlile’s new song “Church and State.” FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover joins us to talk about our newest lawsuit with South Carolina plaintiff Jim Reel, who was denied becoming a poll worker because he could not swear “so help me God.”
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“Star Trek #15” Review by Themindreels.com
Themindreels.com has added a new review for Len Wein‘s “Star Trek #15”:
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.
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US appeals court to hear challenges against Texas, Louisiana laws mandating Ten Commandments displays
The Christian Post
By Staff
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DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of November 6, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
FFRF lauds federal court ruling against teacher refusing to remove classroom crucifix
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is celebrating a major victory for secular public education after a federal judge in Connecticut ruled that a teacher was not entitled to display a Christian crucifix on her public classroom wall.
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.
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The Royse City Independent School District was reminded that religious groups run through the school cannot be led by adults (November 2025)
Texas —
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.
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Golden Corral put a stop to favoring religion over non-religion by offering free meals to religious preachers (November 2025)
West Virginia —
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.
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FFRF obtains hat trick of victories across the South
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.
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Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District was reminded that religious events at school must be student-led and free from staff participation (November 2025)
Wisconsin —
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.”
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Bellefontaine, Ohio state property should not be used to advance one religious group’s beliefs. (November 2025)
Ohio —
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.
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Washington-Nile School District Board of Education’s longstanding practice of opening board meetings with a prayer has stopped (November 2025)
Ohio —
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.
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The Corry Area School District in Pennsylvania agreed to make sure that a religious club was completely student run and would not allow the participation of outside adults (November 2025)
Pennsylvania —
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.
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Cumberland County School system stopped using a school social media account to promote the views of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club (November 2025)
Tennessee —
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.
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Huntsville Independent School District is not sponsoring prayer events and is keeping students from being forced to pray (November 2025)
Texas —
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.”
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Monrovia Unified School District informed coaches not to lead student athletes in prayer (November 2025)
California —
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.”
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New Haven Unified School District willing to take action to stop an employee from including religious text in their email signature. (November 2025)
California —
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.
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Dalton Public School system employees not forced to go to a Christian church for a mandatory staff event. (November 2025)
Georgia —
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.
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A math and science teacher at Bremen Academy took down Christian displays from their classroom (November 2025)
Georgia —
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.”
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