Dear Friend,
American Atheists has been hard at work in the courts lately, filing amicus briefs in two federal cases to defend essential civil rights protections and crucial constitutional freedoms.
Yesterday, we joined more than 100 organizations (as well as 90 members of Congress) to demand the restoration of the Community Relations Service (CRS) after it was unceremoniously, unilaterally, and unlawfully dissolved by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this year.
The CRS, commonly referred to as “America’s Peacemaker,” was first established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prevent violence and promote cooperation between communities and governments in resolving civil disorder and disputes regarding race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, and sexual orientation. It is (or was) the only federal agency dedicated to mediating such tensions.
Over the last 60 years, the CRS has played a vital role — if not always a highly visible one — in facilitating dialogue, training, and partnerships between local constituencies and law enforcement. The Service has, for example, responded in the wake of hate crimes motivated by religious and anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry — including the 2012 mass shooting at a Sikh gurdwara, the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub, and the 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. Its conciliators were also deployed during last year’s Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
Despite lacking the legal authority to eliminate the CRS, Bondi’s DOJ did just that, writing: “The CRS mission does not comport with Attorney General and Administration law enforcement and litigating priorities.” Again, the mission they found inconsistent with their priorities is (or was) to “prevent or resolve community conflicts and tensions that arise from actions, policies, and practices perceived to be discriminatory.”
A coalition of civic organizations, including two NAACP chapters, the Ethical Society of Police, and others, filed suit against Bondi and the DOJ, contending that dismantling the CRS, “without notice or public input,” is “brazenly defying Congress.”
We agree. And the brief we submitted yesterday sends a clear message: The CRS is an essential guardian of Americans’ civil rights, Bondi cannot legally eliminate it, and America’s Peacemaker must be restored without delay.
I mentioned we’ve been busy? We filed a second amicus brief in late November, joining a coalition of nonprofit groups in The Buckeye Institute, et al. v. IRS. In this case, we’re arguing that all nonprofits should be treated equally under the law, and we’re taking a strong stand to protect our own members and donors, as well as the backers of all charitable organizations.
Since 1969, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, like American Atheists, have been required to confidentially disclose the identities of major donors. But in 2020, Trump’s IRS concluded that information wasn’t necessary to enforce tax laws, so it eliminated similar donor-disclosure rules for other types of nonprofits, including 501(c)(4) political groups, but not for us (c)(3)’s.
This is more than unfair or unreasonable; it’s a violation of our First Amendment rights, and with Christian Nationalists running the show, we will fight to protect the privacy and confidentiality of our supporters. That’s exactly what we’re doing by joining this case. And I hope we can count on you to keep standing with American Atheists as we continue defending civil rights, the absolute separation of church and state, and the freedoms essential to a thriving democracy.
I’ll share further updates as these cases move forward. In the meantime, please consider making a contribution today in support of our legal and advocacy work.
Thank you,
Geoffrey T. Blackwell
Legal Director
American Atheists is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, nonprofit educational organization that relies on the support of members like you. Contributions are tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 74-2466507 and our Combined Federal Campaign number is 52217.
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