Latest news with #SB5375
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Donald Trump administration condemned for opposing Washington child abuse law; senator says 'children will continue to suffer'
Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) has inserted itself into a contentious legal battle with the state of Washington over a recently passed law, SB 5375, that mandates reporting for child abuse, even from the clergymen who discover it under the seal of confession. The Washington law was signed into effect by Governor Bob Ferguson in May of this year but has been beset by a number of legal challenges from religious advocacy groups, as well as local representatives of the Catholic church, who oppose it on the grounds of religious freedom. Donald Trump's administration has made it clear it stands firmly against the Washington law as well, with Attorney General Pam Bondi launching a First Amendment probe against the legislation. This has culminated in the DOJ formally intervening in the lawsuit between the Seattle, Spokane and Yakima Catholic dioceses against the Washington Governor's office, known as Etienne v Ferguson. This Friday, Judge David G. Estudillo granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law's enforcement. Advocates for stronger laws against child abuse have spoken out against this development, with Senator Noel Frame saying, 'Children will continue to suffer because religious leaders they trust are not reporting when children tell them they are being hurt.' JUST IN: A federal judge has barred Washington state from enforcing a law that would have required priests to report evidence of child abuse learned during Trump administration had intervened on the side of the Catholic Trump's Department of Justice opposes child abuse law Donald Trump's Department of Justice is working to invalidate Washington state's law as part of a broader conservative agenda to protect religious institutions. Weighing in on the Etienne v Ferguson lawsuit, the DOJ claimed that the law "deprives Catholic priests of their fundamental right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, as guaranteed under the First Amendment". A federal judge has ruled that Catholic priests in Washington state cannot be required to report child abuse or neglect they learn about through confession after the Trump administration intervened in their favor. Child abuse has been a recurring stain on the Catholic church's reputation ever since the church was embroiled in scandal after scandal throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Advocates of the Catholic church have claimed that the church has reformed as a consequence and can police itself, but these arguments have repeatedly been called into question in recent investigations such as the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report. The case will likely escalate to the Supreme Court The legal battle regarding Washington's child abuse law is likely to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. Given that Donald Trump himself has appointed the majority of the Supreme Court justices, there is considerable pessimism on the law's ability to hold up to legal challenges.
New York Post
18-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Judge blocks Washington State law requiring Catholic priests to report abuse, even if disclosed in confession
WASHINGTON — A federal judge blocked Washington State Friday from enforcing a law that would require Catholic priests to report child abuse — even when disclosed in a confessional — or face nearly a year of jail time. Tacoma US District Chief Judge David G. Estudillo stayed the law that threatened clergy with a $5,000 fine and up to 364 days in prison for not disclosing child abuse and neglect heard during confessions. The legislation, SB 5375, was signed by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson in May and would have taken effect July 27. In 25-page order, Estudillo — appointed to the federal bench by former President Joe Biden — determined the law was likely unconstitutional and violated First Amendment protections allowing for the free exercise of religion. 'The State arguably could have chosen a less restrictive means of advancing its interest in protecting children from abuse and neglect by adding members of the clergy to the list of mandated reporters while also permitting a narrow exception for the confessional, as approximately 25 other states have done,' he wrote. 3 A federal judge blocked Washington State on Friday from enforcing a law that would require Catholic priests to report child abuse — even when disclosed in a confessional — or face nearly a year of jail time. Emanuele Capoferri – 'Ultimately, Washington's failure to demonstrate why it has an interest of the highest order in denying an exemption to clergy while making such exemptions available to other professionals who work with underserved children … is likely fatal to SB 5375.' The Catholic Church views confession as among the holiest of activities and instructs priests to uphold their sacred obligation by keeping such disclosures confidential — on pain of excommunication. 'This ruling confirms what has always been true: In America, government officials have no business prying into the confessional,' said Mark Rienzi, the president and CEO of the religious freedom legal nonprofit Becket, which represented the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. 3 The legislation, SB 5375, was signed by Washington State Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson in May and would have taken effect July 27. AP 'By protecting the seal of confession, the court has also safeguarded the basic principle that people of all faiths should be free to practice their beliefs without government interference.' Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, Bishop Joseph J. Tyson and Bishop Thomas A. Daly sued Ferguson May 29 and were represented by Becket, the First Liberty Institute and lawyers for WilmerHale. The US Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division sought to intervene in that lawsuit on the side of the diocese June 23. 3 The Catholic Church views confession as among the holiest of activities in the life of a believer and instructs priests to uphold their sacred obligation by keeping everything confidential — or face excommunication from the religious body. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images 'Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society,' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said at the time. 'The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion.' 'We look forward to protecting Washington kids from sexual abuse in the face of this 'investigation' from the Trump administration,' Ferguson responded to local outlet KIRO 7 at the time.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Law requiring clergy to report child abuse anti-Catholic, DOJ claims
SALT LAKE CITY, May 22 (UPI) -- A new Washington state law that requires members of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect, including when the information is revealed in confession, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The DOJ claims the law is anti-Catholic and appears on its face to violate the First Amendment. The investigation, which was announced earlier this month, will look at the development and passage of Senate Bill 5375. The bill, which adds clergy members to the list of mandatory reporters, was passed by the Senate in a 28-20 vote and 64-31 by the House. It was signed into law May 2 by Gov. Bob Ferguson and is to go into effect July 27. A DOJ news release says the law has no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. "SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the release. "Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals," Dhillon said. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, disputes those claims and said the law is not anti-Catholic. She pointed out that members of the clergy are defined as a licensed, accredited or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder or similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community or sect. Mandated reporters include law enforcement officers, professional school personnel, social service counselors, nurses, psychologists and licensed childcare providers, among others. If they have reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect, they are required to report that to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Under the new law, clergy members must report abuse, but cannot be compelled to testify against the penitent in a court case or criminal proceedings. "We are talking in our case here about really simply just the reporting in real time of known or suspected abuse and neglect of children in real time," Frame said. "We're simply saying, if you believe or you know that a child is actively being abused or neglected, call it in so we can go check on that child to make sure that they are safe." Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle descibted the the law as government overreach. After the apostles were thrown into jail for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ, St. Peter responded, "We must obey God rather than men," he said in a written statement. "This is our stance now in the face of this new law," Etienne said. "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession -- or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the church." The Catholic Church in the United States has been reporting incidents of abuse to law enforcement and cooperating with civil authorities for decades, according to Etienne. Those efforts began in 1986 in the Seattle Archdiocese, he said. "Our policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters, but not if this information is obtained during confession," Etienne said. Frame countered that voluntarily complying with part of the law does not make priests mandatory reporters. "They may be if they are a teacher, for instance, but they are not mandatory reporters in their role as clergy," she said. "And to say that we're already mandated reporters has caused great confusion such that people think the only point of this bill was to 'go after confession.' Not true." The senator has been trying since 2022 to pass legislation to make clergy mandatory reporters. Articles by Investigative West about how a Jehovah's Witnesses community in Washington allegedly was covering up sexual abuse of children spurred her effort. The nonprofit news organization reported the community was handling complaints internally and abuse was not being addressed. Frame, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a family member from ages 5 to 10, said children need to know that if they ask a trusted adult such as a faith leader for help, they'll get it. "I told the mandated reporter about the abuse and that's how it was stopped, and that was my teacher," she said. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocated for passage of SB 5375 through its FFRF Action Fund lobbying arm, said the law closes a longstanding and dangerous loophole that allowed clergy to withhold information about child abuse. "FFRF urges the DOJ to immediately drop this politically motivated and legally unsound investigation," the organization said in a news release. "Protecting children from harm must be a priority that transcends religious boundaries. It is not anti-Christian to hold clergy accountable -- it is pro-child, pro-justice and pro-human rights." Other states that do not have an exemption for penitential communication as of May 2023 are New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Utah Legislature passed a bill last year that does not make clergy mandated reporters, but protects them from civil and criminal liability if they report ongoing abuse or neglect even if the information came from a penitent during confession. Utah Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns, said he sponsored House Bill 432 after constituents reached out to him. Some religious organizations had implemented their own reporting requirements, but the protection from liability applied only to mandated reporters, which did not include clergy, he said. Members of the clergy like having this option, Loubet said. "This made it clear that they could report if they wanted to and if they did, they received the protection," he said. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Law requiring clergy to report child abuse anti-Catholic, DOJ claims
SALT LAKE CITY, May 22 (UPI) -- A new Washington state law that requires members of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect, including when the information is revealed in confession, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The DOJ claims the law is anti-Catholic and appears on its face to violate the First Amendment. The investigation, which was announced earlier this month, will look at the development and passage of Senate Bill 5375. The bill, which adds clergy members to the list of mandatory reporters, was passed by the Senate in a 28-20 vote and 64-31 by the House. It was signed into law May 2 by Gov. Bob Ferguson and is to go into effect July 27. A DOJ news release says the law has no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. "SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the release. "Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals," Dhillon said. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, disputes those claims and said the law is not anti-Catholic. She pointed out that members of the clergy are defined as a licensed, accredited or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder or similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community or sect. Mandated reporters include law enforcement officers, professional school personnel, social service counselors, nurses, psychologists and licensed childcare providers, among others. If they have reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect, they are required to report that to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Under the new law, clergy members must report abuse, but cannot be compelled to testify against the penitent in a court case or criminal proceedings. "We are talking in our case here about really simply just the reporting in real time of known or suspected abuse and neglect of children in real time," Frame said. "We're simply saying, if you believe or you know that a child is actively being abused or neglected, call it in so we can go check on that child to make sure that they are safe." Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle descibted the the law as government overreach. After the apostles were thrown into jail for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ, St. Peter responded, "We must obey God rather than men," he said in a written statement. "This is our stance now in the face of this new law," Etienne said. "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession -- or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the church." The Catholic Church in the United States has been reporting incidents of abuse to law enforcement and cooperating with civil authorities for decades, according to Etienne. Those efforts began in 1986 in the Seattle Archdiocese, he said. "Our policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters, but not if this information is obtained during confession," Etienne said. Frame countered that voluntarily complying with part of the law does not make priests mandatory reporters. "They may be if they are a teacher, for instance, but they are not mandatory reporters in their role as clergy," she said. "And to say that we're already mandated reporters has caused great confusion such that people think the only point of this bill was to 'go after confession.' Not true." The senator has been trying since 2022 to pass legislation to make clergy mandatory reporters. Articles by Investigative West about how a Jehovah's Witnesses community in Washington allegedly was covering up sexual abuse of children spurred her effort. The nonprofit news organization reported the community was handling complaints internally and abuse was not being addressed. Frame, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a family member from ages 5 to 10, said children need to know that if they ask a trusted adult such as a faith leader for help, they'll get it. "I told the mandated reporter about the abuse and that's how it was stopped, and that was my teacher," she said. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocated for passage of SB 5375 through its FFRF Action Fund lobbying arm, said the law closes a longstanding and dangerous loophole that allowed clergy to withhold information about child abuse. "FFRF urges the DOJ to immediately drop this politically motivated and legally unsound investigation," the organization said in a news release. "Protecting children from harm must be a priority that transcends religious boundaries. It is not anti-Christian to hold clergy accountable -- it is pro-child, pro-justice and pro-human rights." Other states that do not have an exemption for penitential communication as of May 2023 are New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Utah Legislature passed a bill last year that does not make clergy mandated reporters, but protects them from civil and criminal liability if they report ongoing abuse or neglect even if the information came from a penitent during confession. Utah Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns, said he sponsored House Bill 432 after constituents reached out to him. Some religious organizations had implemented their own reporting requirements, but the protection from liability applied only to mandated reporters, which did not include clergy, he said. Members of the clergy like having this option, Loubet said. "This made it clear that they could report if they wanted to and if they did, they received the protection," he said.
UPI
22-05-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Law requiring clergy to report child abuse anti-Catholic, DOJ claims
1 of 2 | A Department of Justice news release says the Washington state law has no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. Photo by cottonbro studio/ Pexels SALT LAKE CITY, May 22 (UPI) -- A new Washington state law that requires members of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect, including when the information is revealed in confession, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The DOJ claims the law is anti-Catholic and appears on its face to violate the First Amendment. The investigation, which was announced earlier this month, will look at the development and passage of Senate Bill 5375. The bill, which adds clergy members to the list of mandatory reporters, was passed by the Senate in a 28-20 vote and 64-31 by the House. It was signed into law May 2 by Gov. Bob Ferguson and is to go into effect July 27. A DOJ news release says the law has no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. "SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the release. "Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals," Dhillon said. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, disputes those claims and said the law is not anti-Catholic. She pointed out that members of the clergy are defined as a licensed, accredited or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder or similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community or sect. Mandated reporters include law enforcement officers, professional school personnel, social service counselors, nurses, psychologists and licensed childcare providers, among others. If they have reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect, they are required to report that to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Under the new law, clergy members must report abuse, but cannot be compelled to testify against the penitent in a court case or criminal proceedings. "We are talking in our case here about really simply just the reporting in real time of known or suspected abuse and neglect of children in real time," Frame said. "We're simply saying, if you believe or you know that a child is actively being abused or neglected, call it in so we can go check on that child to make sure that they are safe." Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle descibted the the law as government overreach. After the apostles were thrown into jail for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ, St. Peter responded, "We must obey God rather than men," he said in a written statement. "This is our stance now in the face of this new law," Etienne said. "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession -- or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the church." The Catholic Church in the United States has been reporting incidents of abuse to law enforcement and cooperating with civil authorities for decades, according to Etienne. Those efforts began in 1986 in the Seattle Archdiocese, he said. "Our policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters, but not if this information is obtained during confession," Etienne said. Frame countered that voluntarily complying with part of the law does not make priests mandatory reporters. "They may be if they are a teacher, for instance, but they are not mandatory reporters in their role as clergy," she said. "And to say that we're already mandated reporters has caused great confusion such that people think the only point of this bill was to 'go after confession.' Not true." The senator has been trying since 2022 to pass legislation to make clergy mandatory reporters. Articles by Investigative West about how a Jehovah's Witnesses community in Washington allegedly was covering up sexual abuse of children spurred her effort. The nonprofit news organization reported the community was handling complaints internally and abuse was not being addressed. Frame, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a family member from ages 5 to 10, said children need to know that if they ask a trusted adult such as a faith leader for help, they'll get it. "I told the mandated reporter about the abuse and that's how it was stopped, and that was my teacher," she said. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocated for passage of SB 5375 through its FFRF Action Fund lobbying arm, said the law closes a longstanding and dangerous loophole that allowed clergy to withhold information about child abuse. "FFRF urges the DOJ to immediately drop this politically motivated and legally unsound investigation," the organization said in a news release. "Protecting children from harm must be a priority that transcends religious boundaries. It is not anti-Christian to hold clergy accountable -- it is pro-child, pro-justice and pro-human rights." Other states that do not have an exemption for penitential communication as of May 2023 are New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Utah Legislature passed a bill last year that does not make clergy mandated reporters, but protects them from civil and criminal liability if they report ongoing abuse or neglect even if the information came from a penitent during confession. Utah Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns, said he sponsored House Bill 432 after constituents reached out to him. Some religious organizations had implemented their own reporting requirements, but the protection from liability applied only to mandated reporters, which did not include clergy, he said. Members of the clergy like having this option, Loubet said. "This made it clear that they could report if they wanted to and if they did, they received the protection," he said.
