Friend,
An appellate court agreed: every person has “the basic right to be free from state-sponsored religious coercion.” Read AU's press release here: [link removed]
While Mark Janny was on parole in 2015, his parole officer ordered him to live at the Denver Rescue Mission, a Christian homeless shelter that required Mark to participate in worship services, Bible studies, and religious counseling.
An atheist, Mark objected to these mandatory religious activities. He asked to be excused or allowed to live elsewhere, but his parole officer threatened him with re-imprisonment if he didn’t participate.
When Mark chose to stand his ground—and exercise his right to be free of religious coercion—he was sent back to jail for another five months.
Mark sued, but his case was dismissed. That’s when Americans United and two partner organizations stepped in to represent him. We appealed in March 2020, and the appellate court overturned the dismissal last week. Mark can now take his case to trial.
This is a tremendous win for Mark and religious freedom. Our country's principle of church-state separation means that the government must never force anyone to practice a faith that is not their own. And it certainly must never jail someone for refusing to submit to religious proselytization.
Your support for AU’s litigation program made this victory possible. What happened to Mark was shocking enough; for a judge to deny his right to hold the government accountable for five months of wrongful imprisonment is outrageous.
Thank you for giving Mark Janny a second chance at justice. With your continued support, we’ll go on to win a resounding legal victory for true religious freedom.
With hope and determination,
Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO
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