A federal judge ruled that a Utah County high school did not violate a family’s religious freedom by relaxing attendance rules during the last week of school.
- The student’s parents say their son used his free time to have sex with his girlfriend in the school parking lot, against the family’s religious beliefs.
Why it matters: If the family had prevailed in its religious freedom claim, the case could have opened the doors to a reinterpretation of the First Amendment — one that obligates government entities to actively aid the practice of religion.
Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish ruled last week that the school did not compel the student to break the rules of his family’s Latter-day Saints faith during an informal hooky week at Skyridge High School in May 2022.
- Yes, but: Parrish sent the case back to a state court to determine whether the family could sue the school for negligence.
R&I – TP
Ballast