religion
-
Federal judge exempts Christian preschool from state non-discrimination requirements
—
by
A federal judge ruled on Monday that the state must continue funding a Christian preschool in Chaffee County even though the academy’s policies may violate the non-discrimination requirements of Colorado’s universal pre-kindergarten program. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico granted what he deemed a “narrow” permanent injunction in favor of Darren Patterson Christian Academy and…
-
Federal judge rejects ex-Denver employee’s lawsuit over vaccine objection
—
by
A federal judge ruled last week that a former Denver employee had not shown the city violated his rights by rejecting his request for a religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Specifically, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer concluded plaintiff Patrick Higgins had not actually lodged a coherent religious-based objection, as he…
-
Federal judge speaks about ‘concerning trends’ of threats against judges, weighs in on judicial ethics
—
by
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty spoke about a wide range of topics to a Lakewood audience on Tuesday, from judicial ethics and threats against judges to the role of religion in the courtroom. “In my world, you don’t even want the appearance of impropriety. You want to be above reproach. And so, we…
-
Federal judge dismisses Letecia Stauch’s jail conditions lawsuit
—
by
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by Letecia Stauch, who challenged the conditions of her confinement in the El Paso County jail prior to being convicted of murder last year in a high-profile criminal trial. In May 2023, jurors found Stauch guilty of murdering her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon. She received a sentence of life in…
-
Appeals court finds judge did not punish man for religious beliefs when giving ex-wife parenting authority
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court last month rejected a man’s claim that a Larimer County judge unconstitutionally penalized him for expressing religious beliefs critical of homosexuality when she awarded parental decision-making to his ex-wife. District Court Judge Laurie K. Dean gave Brandon Ribble’s ex-wife broad decision-making responsibility for the couple’s children as a result of their divorce.…
-
Colorado House gives final approval to bills on occupancy limits, foster youth ‘bill of rights’
—
by
The Colorado House on Friday gave final approval to two major proposals dealing with housing and youth in the foster care system with a few defections among Democrats. House Bill 1007 would block local governments from imposing residential occupancy limits except for public health and safety reasons. The House had debated HB 1007 on Feb.…
-
Federal judge allows ‘supermax’ prisoner’s limited religious freedom claims to proceed
—
by
A federal judge last week permitted a Muslim man serving a life sentence in Colorado’s “supermax” prison for terrorism-related offenses to pursue a limited number of religious freedom claims against the government. Mostafa Kamel Mostafa, also known as Abu Hamza, arrived at the U.S. Penitentiary – Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence in 2015. A British citizen, Mostafa was…
-
Federal judge allows fired Weld County principal’s Christian discrimination claim to proceed
—
by
A former Weld County high school principal will be able to pursue his claim of religious-based retaliation against the superintendent who sought to fire him, a federal judge ruled last month. Brian Littlefield was a longtime school administrator who became the leader of Roosevelt High School in 2019. He alleged his 2021 termination was the…
-
Israel conflict hits home for Colorado legislators on both sides
—
by
Nearly 7,000 miles away from her family in Israel, as missiles rained from the sky and terrorists marched into Israeli towns, Colorado Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet desperately refreshed her phone. Since the Hamas terrorist group attacked Israel on Saturday, Michaelson Jenet has relied on an online blog for updates on her family and homeland. When stress wakes…
-
Unvaccinated nurse properly denied unemployment benefits, appeals court says
—
by
A nurse who avoided COVID-19 vaccination on religious grounds but refused to sign her employer’s exemption form was properly denied unemployment benefits after the company placed her on unpaid leave, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday. Although the purpose of unemployment benefits is to compensate workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their…
