For a second day in a row, we have important legal news for you.
In a sweeping 60-page ruling issued yesterday, a federal judge found in favor of Andrew Miller, an atheist and Secular Humanist, who has been forced to participate in religious substance abuse treatment as a condition for his parole.
We brought this case in collaboration with local counsel Mountain State Justice, after learning that Andrew had been denied parole repeatedly because of his objection to the overtly religious addiction recovery program that shamelessly contends that atheists are “doomed to an alcoholic death” unless they “seek Him.”
U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin issued a preliminary injunction requiring officials with the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR) to remove completion of the state’s Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program from Andrew’s parole eligibility requirements.
Geoff Blackwell, our Litigation Counsel who led this effort, is pleased with this outcome. “This is a complete vindication of Andrew’s rights under the law. As Judge Goodwin said in his ruling, if Andrew had not stood up for his rights and instead allowed West Virginia to force this religious programming on him, it’s entirely possible he would already have been released. That’s not a choice anyone should have to make.”
As a supporter of American Atheists, you know how important these legal victories are. They create important precedent that ensures the civil rights of nonbelievers.
And at a time when Christian nationalists are ramping up their multi-pronged attacks on religious liberty, we need you on our side to keep fighting. So as we celebrate this important victory, please take a moment to realize that you’ve played a crucial role in this success. Thank you for being there for us, and by extension, for Andrew and others being discriminated against.
Sincerely,
Nick Fish
President
PS: The easiest way to support us is via a monthly donation. For an amount that doesn’t break the bank, you can have a significant annual impact on our work. Please consider a monthly gift. You can do so online, or by calling our membership department at 908-276-7300 ext. 101. Thank you.
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.
American Atheists
225 Cristiani Street
Cranford, NJ 07016
United States