Filed Date: May 16, 2005
Closed Date: Feb. 22, 2008
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This case was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts on May 16, 2005 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against the Department of Health and Human Services. The plaintiff claimed that the department's provision of more than a million dollars of public funds to a ministry called "The Silver Ring Thing" (SRT) that uses federal abstinence education funding to bring "unchurched" students to Jesus Christ constituted an unlawful establishment of religion and a governmental endorsement and preference for religion in general and specific tenets of the ministry in particular.
The ministry developed a three hour presentation that was meant to occur directly following a mandatory abstinence education assembly in public schools and which, according to the plaintiff, was "permeated with religion."
In a two-year settlement agreement entered on February 22, 2006, the defendants acknowleged that they had terminated the SRT grant effective January 31, 2006. The agreement provided that defendants would not fund SRT's abstinence eduction as it had been structured and implemented during the fiscal year 2005, that strict requirements would be made before considering funding any future proposals from SRT, and that extensive monitoring of SRT's activities would occur if SRT was given a grant.
Summary Authors
Denise Heberle (8/7/2012)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4282256/parties/american-civil-liberties-union-of-massachusetts-v-leavitt/
Chandrasekhar, Charua A. (New York)
Corbin, Caroline Mala (New York)
Cowie, Craig (District of Columbia)
Eisenberg, Avlana Kinnert (District of Columbia)
Coppolino, Anthony J. (District of Columbia)
Tauro, Joseph Louis (Massachusetts)
Chandrasekhar, Charua A. (New York)
Corbin, Caroline Mala (New York)
Cowie, Craig (District of Columbia)
Eisenberg, Avlana Kinnert (District of Columbia)
Freeman, Jared O. (District of Columbia)
Jueds, Victoria Howard (District of Columbia)
Mach, Daniel (District of Columbia)
Pulham, Thomas (District of Columbia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4282256/american-civil-liberties-union-of-massachusetts-v-leavitt/
Last updated April 15, 2024, 3:04 a.m.
State / Territory: Massachusetts
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: May 16, 2005
Closing Date: Feb. 22, 2008
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
ACLU of Massachusetts, on behalf of their tax-paying members who allege that federal money being used to fund 'inherently religious activities' is in violation of the Establishment Clause.
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
US Department of Health and Human Services, Federal
Case Details
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement: