No, No,No! Not the Fighting Irish!!! _ Is nothing sacred anymore?

Scandal at Notre Dame

Leslie C. Griffin

Justia guest columnist, UNLV law professor, and visiting UC Irvine law professor Leslie Griffin comments on the recent controversy regarding Notre Dame, of which she is an alumna. Professor Griffin comments on Notre Dame’s arguments, which include one relating to the Catholic concept of scandal, and another that postulates that whenever Notre Dame signs the form objecting to contraception, the complaint triggers the provision of free objectionable coverage to Notre Dame’s employees in a manner contrary to its beliefs. Notre Dame also argues that by signing the objection, it facilitates contraception, and, by doing so, it will lead many to think that Notre Dame condones these services, and hence undermines its role, as a Catholic educational institution, to educate others on a matter of religious and moral significance. Griffin offers strong counterarguments, both logical and legal, to Notre Dame’s contentions. Continue reading →

- See more at: http://verdict.justia.com/#sthash.Y8f57bD4.dpuf

The Bishops Versus Women’s Health: The Gloves Are Off

With Pope Francis having been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, the United States Catholic Bishops, to be sure, will sing his praises to the press, but at the same time, they cannot be pleased that this is likely to re-energize the circulation of Francis’s statement that some bishops have been “obsessed” with their political war against abortion and gay rights, when there are other more important issues to address, such as dire poverty. Nor can it be comforting for the Bishops to have such a spotlight thrown on the man who is encouraging the Church to be more inclusive and loving when their own modus operandi is, well, rather different. We are, make no mistake about it, in the midst of a war over whether the Bishops and those who agree with them, or individual women themselves, will control women’s bodies and health. - See more at: 

http://verdict.justia.com/2013/12/12/bishops-versus-womens-health-gloves#sthash.kNDHIllE.dpuf

Should a Public Middle School Grammar Teacher Be Able to Teach a Lesson About the “N Word”? - Education, Speech and Religion

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This past September, a Northern District of Illinois Federal District Court Judge ruled that Chicago public middle-school teacher Lincoln Brown—who had taught a lesson about the “N Word” in his classroom, and was subsequently suspended without pay for five days for doing so—stated a First Amendment claim against the local school board where he taught, due to that suspension.

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http://verdict.justia.com/2013/11/11/public-middle-school-grammar-teacher-able-teach-lesson-n-word#sthash.m3iLDfYK.dpuf