By my dogs that love gravy this is so asinine I really doubted it could be true. First the trend by religious people to think they have the right to push their god and religious driven opinions on everyone else is increasing to a level that is stunning. That a judge thought it was OK for a religious Christian woman to spam and harass her co-workers with her church views and offensive pictures is also something I don’t understand. The judge was appointed by trump if that helps to understand she is a fundamentalist Christian nationalist. But what really scares me is the actions of the judge who went full fundamentalist Christian on the defendants to the point of forcing a religious indoctrination on them. HOW IS THAT LEGAL? Forcing a nonbeliever on threat of the court to not only attend forced religious indoctrination, but to also pay for it. Plus it seems a large part of the woman’s story was made up as it is becoming increasingly a tactic by religious fanatics to get their cases in court. Plus the religious hate group was no way involved with the case but the judge forced his fundamentalist views and support of the religious hate group to force them into the case. What has Texas and this country become? Hugs
The lawyers must take religious freedom classes from the Alliance Defending Freedom, the right-wing Christian group that has systematically rolled back civil liberties.
KENT NISHIMURA/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGESKristen Waggoner, president of the Alliance Defending Freedom, speaks to members of the press outside the Supreme Court on December 5, 2022.A Trump-appointed Texas judge has ordered three senior Southwest Airlines lawyers to take eight hours of “religious-liberty training” from the far-right Christian hate group Alliance Defending Freedom.
In his late Monday ruling, U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr specifically mandated the lawyers take the training as part of court-ordered sanctions for religious discrimination. He described ADF as one of several “esteemed non-profit organizations that are dedicated to preserving free speech and religious freedom.” The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated ADF as an extremist hate group.
The mandated hate-group training is the latest phase of a lawsuit brought by flight attendant Charlene Carter, who sued Southwest for firing her in 2017 after she sent confrontational anti-abortion messages to her union’s former president. Carter argued she had been discriminated against based on her religious beliefs, and U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr sided with her in December, ordering she be reinstated.
Starr, who was appointed by Donald Trump in 2019, also ordered Southwest to issue a statement telling its employees that the airline “may not” engage in religious discrimination against them. Instead, Southwest said that it “does not” do so, prompting Carter to demand additional sanctions against the company.
Carter had made no request for Southwest to undergo religious liberty training. ADF is not representing Carter, nor is it otherwise related to the case at all, so it’s unclear why Starr felt the need to involve the group.
It’s hard to overstate ADF’s role in rolling back civil liberties. One of its lead lawyers is Erin Hawley, who is married to far-right Senator Josh Hawley. ADF helped overturn Roe v. Wade and then sued to remove mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortions, from the national market. That case is still in limbo, as the Fifth Circuit Court has yet to issue a ruling.
ADF also represented the plaintiff in the recent Supreme Court case 303 Creative v. Elenis. Web designer Lorie Smith was suing to have the right to refuse services to LGBTQ people. The design request she claims she received that prompted her suit appears to have been entirely fabricated.
I can’t wait to go on a flight again where I tell them my deeply held religious beliefs require I fly in first class and all my wine is free.
Appeal on the grounds that the trainings violate your religious liberty.
You can be damned sure no judge would order a Christian to take classes in atheism.
Yes, this is even worse than the state requiring attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous, which many courts have held violates the Establishment Clause:
A number of state Supreme Court and federal circuit court cases–including Arnold v. Tennessee Board of Paroles (1997), Griffin v. Coughlin (New York, 1996), Warner v. Orange County Dep’t. of Probation (2nd Cir. 1997), Rauser v. Horn (3rd Cir. 2001), and Kerr v. Farrey (7th Cir. 1996)– have defined Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other treatment programs based on AA’s 12 steps as religious in nature.
Yeah, and I also wondered how it was legal for the State of Florida to contract out supervision of those on probation to a group like The Salvation Army, but it has been that way in several FL counties for a very long time.
While the rest of the country wasn’t paying attention, evangelical Christianity became the de facto national religion. Expect the US Supreme Court to make it official any day.
1. Wear rainbow shirts, pro-choice shirts, etc.
2. Put on headphones the entire time, browse phone.
3. See how long you can hold up a middle finger during the lecture.
“Daaamn, my eyes keep itching during this meeting.”
Scottie's Playtime 
Right wing religious insanity at its ugliest. Bizarre and disturbing how they twist and reshape history and the Constitution to fit their twisted ideals and norms.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hello Michael. The law / constitution are of secondary importance to these types of people, their religion takes priority and if they think the US law disagrees with their god, they will trash the law to enforce their religious doctrines. This judge was another unqualified trump pick to please the evangelicals and the Federalist Society. The problem is not they have a religion, religious views, or worship a god. It is a problem when they try to force those things on all the rest of us. Hugs
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know. Wouldn’t even call it a secondary concern for these zealots. They’re so tightly focused on their own freedoms, religion, and rights, they don’t give a damn about anyone else. Land of the free? Not with them around. Hugs ‘n cheers
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think it is legal because it’s an order of the court in a civil action. This sanction would need to be appealed to a higher court, but it’s likely that’d be more expensive than just taking the training, which I think I recall the airline has to cover, along with expenses. Knowing ADF’s history thanks to PFAW, those expenses will be exhorbitant. It could be that the costs could be recovered on successful appeal, but it will all take time to work through the cycle of justice. Meanwhile, we can thank Sen. McConnell and TFG for this and many other judges just like him. And more to come under the next Republican president, whenever that may be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Ali. I believe you mean it might stand, but it clearly violates the separation of government and religion. Plus the court cannot force person A to attend a religious seminar led by leaders of person’s B religion against the wishes of person A. I agree often businesses settle a lawsuit to avoid more costs. But I really hope the airlines or the lawyers won’t as it sets a very bad precedent. Yes you are right, think what horrible judges will be installed if republicans get in charge again. Hugs
LikeLiked by 1 person