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4w ago

Judge Dismisses Oklahoma Education Department’s Lawsuit Against Freedom From Religion Foundation

The ruling held that the department lacked standing because it failed to allege a concrete harm; its own duty to address demand letters negated any claimed chilling effect.

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Overview

  • U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III dismissed the department’s complaint on August 14, 2025, finding it lacked standing due to the absence of a concrete, particularized injury.
  • The department had filed suit on March 31, 2025, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief after FFRF sent letters in February 2018 and December 2024 alleging unconstitutional school-sponsored prayer and Bible readings.
  • The court rejected the department’s chilling-effect theory as inapplicable, noting relevant precedents address nonprofit harms from government action, not government complaints against advocacy groups.
  • The opinion emphasized that handling such demand letters falls within the department’s statutory responsibilities and that recent faith-promoting initiatives by Superintendent Walters undermined claims of interference.
  • Freedom From Religion Foundation was represented by attorneys from the ACLU of Oklahoma and the ACLU Foundation (New York) in the Eastern District of Oklahoma litigation.