Church Whistleblower's Unjust Fine Upheld (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #618)

— Court upholds $400,000 fine against lawyer who warned Catholic school about predator on staff. (1:15) — Scott Adams’ deathbed conversion to Christianity shouldn’t be taken seriously. (25:30) 

— Texas attorney general sues state for non-existent religious discrimination. (42:27) 

— Ohio’s “Success Sequence” bill turns poverty into a personal failure. (55:59) 

— Can students fail an assignment if they cite God? Not if Florida Republicans get their way. (1:08:13)

Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2026/01/15/church-whistleblowers-unjust-fine-upheld/

Atheists sue West Virginia water agency over $5 million grant to Catholic school

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk4p1SqZqso

 

Oklahoma Supreme Court shuts down ‘unconstitutional’ taxpayer-funded Catholic school | The Independent

On Tuesday, the state's highest court said the contract violates the state constitution as well as the First Amendment of the Constitution. 

"The framers' intent is clear," the court's majority wrote. "The State is prohibited from using public money for the 'use, benefit or support of a sect or system of religion.'"… 

"Now Oklahomans can be assured that our tax dollars will not fund the teachings of Sharia Law or even Satanism," he said in a statement…

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/oklahoma-supreme-court-catholic-school-b2568728.html

Lawsuit accuses Catholic schools in New Orleans of discriminating against students with disabilities | PBS NewsHour

The teen's family has sued two local Catholic schools over what it describes as discriminatory admissions practices against students with physical, emotional, or learning disabilities. Now, it has joined a class-action lawsuit that claims that the Archdiocese of New Orleans asks illegal questions about students' disabilities on its schools' application forms...

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/lawsuit-accuses-catholic-schools-in-new-orleans-of-discriminating-against-students-with-disabilities

Weekly Roundup: Trump Indicted, Robertson Dead, + Catholic Public Schools? (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad and Dan being by discussing Trump’s indictment on federal charges. They then break down the life and death of Pat Robertson – an architect of the Religious Right and someone whose influence resounds in American Christian nationalism today, from media, to spiritual warfare, to queerphobia, and more. They finish the episode with a discussion of SCOTUS’ surprising decision to defend voting rights and Oklahoma’s move to create a Catholic public school.

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-trump-indicted-robertson-dead-catholic-public-schools/

Philadelphia high school students probed in blackface video with racist taunts

The archdiocese said in a statement obtained by Yahoo News that it is using this opportunity to make it "abundantly clear that there is no place for hate, racism, or bigotry at Saint Hubert's or in any Catholic school. It is not acceptable under any circumstances or at any time. The use of any racial epithet is inconsistent with our values to treat all people with charity, decency, and respect...

https://news.yahoo.com/philadelphia-st-hubert-high-school-racist-video-193814182.html