Litigation

Nakashima v. Board of Education

Student Athletes Prevail in Religious Discrimination Case Against OSAA

On August 18, 2010, the Oregon Supreme Court ordered the Oregon School Activities Association to pay $66,230 in attorney fees. This case was on behalf of students at Portland Adventist Academy who sought a reasonable accommodation from the OSAA to compete in the state basketball tournament without having to play during the Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday).

Shepherd v. Oregon Youth Authority

Imprisoned Seventh Day Adventist Allowed to Attend Service

July 13, 2009 - Levi Shepherd is a Seventh Day Adventist inmate of MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, which is administered by the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA). As a Seventh Day Adventist, Mr. Shepherd wants to attend religious services on Saturdays, his Sabbath.

Powell v. Portland Public School

ACLU of Oregon Calls Boy Scout Decision ‘Shameful’

Sept. 8, 2006 - The court held that it is not illegal for discriminatory organizations to recruit students in public school settings during school hours as long as the organization sanitizes its message, removing any mention that not all students can join.

Tillamook County Religious Displays

December 2005 -This past Christmas season we all heard the shrill “Merry Christmas” campaign of talk radio hosts and others around the country, including Oregon, who believe that too many people and businesses are afraid to say “Merry Christmas” and instead use alternative terms such as “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings” because the big, bad ACLU will sue them otherwise.

Oregon State Bar and Religious Discrimination

In March, 2005, the Alliance Defense Fund sponsored a one-day Regional Litigation Academy for Oregon attorneys and pastors interested in learning about First Amendment law.