Becket Case Database

In 2017, New York state mandated that employers pay for abortions in their employee health insurance plans. That included churches, soup kitchens, and nuns. Following the order, a diverse coalition of religious groups that includes contemplative goat-herding Anglican nuns asked the ...

Daniel Negusie, an Eritrean Christian, was imprisoned in inhumane conditions for his refusal to serve in his country’s military. While in prison, he was punished and threatened with death for his...

The United Methodist Church founded Southern Methodist University (SMU) in 1911 to carry out its religious mission and ensured in SMU’s governing documents that the Church would continue to oversee SMU. For over a century thereafter, the Church played a ...

When a government mandate threatened their Baptist beliefs, two Texas universities were forced to court to defend their religious freedom. The 2011 HHS Mandate forced religious non-profits like the to either violate their faith-driven mission by providing services, such as the ...

In August 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a federal mandate that required employers to provide services like the week-after pill in their health insurance plans. The mandate forced evangelical Christian ministries like Reaching Souls International, Truett-McConnell College, ...

Minnesota created the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program nearly 40 years ago to encourage and enable high school students to earn college credit tuition-free. Since 1985, the program has allowed thousands of students to enroll at universities throughout the state and ...

In April 2005, Kawal Tagore reported to her IRS job, as she always did. But that day was different: her supervisor sent her away from the office and told her not to return. Ms. Tagore had recently...

Catholic priests in Washington faced an impossible choice between obeying their faith or complying with the law. A state law enacted in 2025 mandated that priests report instances of abuse or neglect that they hear about in the sacrament of confession, ...

Bella Health and Wellness is a nonprofit Catholic healthcare clinic in Colorado that offers life-affirming, dignified healthcare to men, women, and children from all backgrounds and faith traditions. Consistent with its religious duty to honor the dignity of human life, ...

In the wake of the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, anti-Jewish protests emerged on college campuses nationwide. At UCLA, activists first set up an encampment in the heart of campus where they enforced a “Jew Exclusion Zone,” segregating Jewish ...

Like many government seals and flags across America, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania’s seal includes a collection of images that reflect its history and culture. These images include—among other things—cement silos, textiles, and a farm, symbolizing significant aspects of ...

Founded by Benedictine monks in 1889, Saint Leo University has long offered a Catholic education rooted in faith, community, and service. In 2020, Saint Leo adopted a new model of shared governance with its faculty members to foster a stronger sense of ...

Eleanor McCullen has spent decades exercising her religion by offering help and support to women in need outside of abortion clinics. Knowing that women often have abortions when they feel they have no place to turn for love and support, ...

Medicine Wheel is a sacred prehistoric stone circle about 80 feet in diameter that was constructed by the aboriginal peoples of North America.  Although the age of the structure is unknown,...

After years of litigation, Washington DC’s Third Church of Christ, Scientist finally won its battle with DC preservationists, and will soon enjoy a new church building. Its previous building was an...

It was supposed to be like any other house of worship. In 2010, a Muslim community in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, began building a mosque and community center to accommodate its growing congregation. Little did they know, their innocuous plans would incite a ...

Families in Oklahoma, especially those in rural areas with poorly performing schools, are looking for the best school options for their children. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa have long operated schools to offer an education ...

As dedicated foster parents, Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch are heroes to countless kids. Between them, they have welcomed more than 45 foster kids into their loving homes—the majority of whom came from disadvantaged communities and experienced severe trauma. To ...

Yeshiva University is America’s oldest Jewish institution of higher education. “Yeshiva” literally means a school for studying the Talmud—and Talmud studies remain at the heart of everything Yeshiva does. Most undergraduate students spend up to five hours each ...