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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom from Religion Foundation | 3/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_from_Religion_Foundation | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T10:20:24.238002+00:00 | kb-cron |
==== Employment issues ==== In 1995, the FFRF sued the state of Wisconsin for designating Good Friday as a state legal holiday. In 1996, the federal district court ruled that Wisconsin's Good Friday holiday was indeed a First Amendment violation because, in reference to Wisconsin's Good Friday holiday law, the "promotion of Christianity is the primary purpose of the law."
==== Public funding ==== FFRF opposed the city of Versailles, Kentucky helping a church get federal funding to create a local disaster relief center. The FFRF is filing a lawsuit on behalf of four residents against the state of South Carolina to oppose the funding to Christian Learning Centers of Greenville County to build a private religious school, and the FFRF is challenging that it is unconstitutional.
==== Religious displays on public property ==== In December 2007, the FFRF, on behalf of a group of concerned Green Bay residents and invoking the First Amendment rights of all of the city's residents, sued the city because of the placement of a nativity scene at Green Bay's city hall. Before the case was heard, the city removed the nativity scene. The judge then dismissed the suit, citing lack of jurisdiction. Since the nativity scene already was removed and a moratorium imposed on future such displays, there remained no basis for continued dispute. He went on to say, "the plaintiffs have already won. ... the Plaintiffs have won a concrete victory that changes the circumstances on the ground." In 2011, in response to the refusal of the city of Warren, Michigan, to remove a nativity display in the civic center, the FFRF sought to place a winter solstice display. The mayor refused the request and the FFRF brought suit. The suit was dismissed by Judge Zatkoff of the U.S. District Court; the dismissal was upheld by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court in 2013. In September 2011, the FFRF, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), sued the Giles County, Virginia, school district on behalf of anonymous plaintiffs. A display of the Ten Commandments had been placed beside a copy of the U.S. Constitution at Giles County public schools. Prior to the suit, in January and June 2011, the FFRF and the ACLU had sent letters to the school board requesting removal of the display. The school superintendent ordered that the displays of the Ten Commandments be removed. The Giles County school board met in June 2011 and voted to overturn the superintendent's decision to remove the display. After the suit was filed, the school board in 2012 agreed to remove the display and to pay attorneys' fees. In November 2011, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker referred to the Capitol's Christmas tree as a "Christmas tree" instead of a "holiday tree". The FFRF, which opposed prior efforts to restore the name to "Christmas tree" objected to the title. In May 2012, the FFRF, acting on a complaint from a resident, asked the city of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, to remove a Latin cross from a World War I and II memorial on public land. The city refused to do so. The FFRF states that it is currently looking for a plaintiff in the area to represent for a suit, which the FFRF have yet to do, citing the difficulty with another case that occurred with another plaintiff in the state, Jessica Ahlquist, in the case Ahlquist v. Cranston. On July 24, 2012, after receiving a letter from the FFRF, the Steubenville, Ohio, city council decided to remove the image of the Christ the King Chapel at the Franciscan University of Steubenville from its town logo. In August 2012, the FFRF, on behalf of a resident, threatened a lawsuit challenging a Latin cross that had been displayed on top of the water tower of Whiteville, Tennessee. After the FFRF wrote three initial letters, but before the lawsuit was filed, the town removed one arm of the cross. The removal cost the town $4,000, and as part of the settlement the town paid $20,000 in the FFRF's attorneys fees. The town also agreed never to replace the missing arm and not to place other crosses on public property. In August 2012, the FFRF, on behalf of a Montana resident, sued the United States Forest Service. A special use permit for the placement of a statue of Jesus on federal land was granted in 1954 at the request of the Knights of Columbus. The Forest Service continued to grant renewals of the permit until 2010. When the Service declined to renew, the Knights declined to remove the statue citing "tradition" and the "historical" value of the statue. After on-line protests the statue was allowed to stay and the permit granted. The FFRF filed suit in February 2012. In June 2013, a federal judge found in favor of the defendants, allowing the statue to remain. In August 2013, the FFRF filed an appeal of the decision. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected FFRF's arguments and upheld the memorial. In 2012, the FFRF wrote several letters to Prudhommes Restaurant, in Columbia, Pennsylvania, explaining that offering a 10% discount to Sunday patrons who present a church bulletin is a violation of state and federal law, specifically the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The individual who brought the matter to the FFRF's attention has filed a discrimination complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. The FFRF was only involved in an advisory capacity. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission entered a final order allowing the restaurant to continue the church bulletin discount. A lighted cross in a public park in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was removed by the borough in 2018 after complaints from FFRF. Not far from the park a solar-powered 28-foot cross was erected by a local resident on his own property.
==== Prayer in government/schools ====