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Judge orders training in religious liberty for Southwest attorneys

Perhaps these attorneys can better educate themselves about the religious liberties Americans possess.
From The Daily Signal.



One of the Left’s favorite things to advocate for is diversity and inclusion training. It’s celebrated and even revered, and it’s demanded on social media, in workplaces, at corporations, and within educational institutions.

But it seems the Left isn’t so happy when the tables are turned.

Take the Monday ruling of a federal judge in Texas who, while issuing sanctions in an employment case, ordered three lawyers for Southwest Airlines to take religious-liberty training from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative nonprofit law firm that specializes in First Amendment law. The ADF is best known for its wins at the Supreme Court in both Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission and 303 Creative v. Elenis.

As part of the court-ordered sanctions in the case of a flight attendant who successfully sued for religious discrimination, U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr ordered the three lawyers to take eight hours of such training by Aug. 28. Starr is a 2019 appointee of then-President Donald Trump.


“[T]he Court concludes that training on religious freedom for three lawyers at Southwest the Court finds responsible (Kerrie Forbes, Kevin Minchey, and Chris Maberry) is the least restrictive means of achieving compliance with the Court’s order,” Starr wrote in his ruling. “The Alliance Defending Freedom (‘ADF’) has conducted such training in the past, and the Court deems that appropriate here.”

Southwest announced Tuesday that it would appeal Starr’s ruling, but it seems logical and sensible, and it’s not overwrought. But some in the left-of-center media reacted to the sanctions with outrage and disdain over both this particular kind of “diversity training” and the group the judge prescribed for providing it; namely, the ADF.

In a Substack newsletter called “Law Dork,” Chris Geidner took issue with the law firm, writing, “ADF is not an unbiased, educational institution—nor does it pretend to be. The only relevant ‘training’ its website discusses in the training section is a ‘Legal Academy’ connecting ‘like-minded attorneys’ in an effort to show lawyers how ‘to effectively advocate for religious liberty, free speech, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family.’”

At Salon, a headline called the ADF a “Christian hate group.”

Slate’s legal analyst, Mark Joseph Stern, called the order “pretty frightening” and tweeted: “If upheld, Trump Judge Brantley Starr’s order would let courts force lawyers to undergo religious indoctrination sessions from an extremist group that may well contradict their own deeply held spiritual beliefs and freedom of speech. This cannot possibly be legal.”

The double standard here is blatant.

There are all kinds of diversity and inclusion trainings required at corporations, in education institutions, and demanded on social media. Such training may be commonplace, but the level of political correctness it typically features is a direct result of left-wing ideology that highlights “diversity” and “inclusiveness” over everything else, often including someone else’s “deeply held spiritual beliefs and freedom of speech” to use Stern’s formulation.

Trump was so sick of it — or perhaps knew his base was — that the Justice Department under him canceled all such trainings, although a few months later, a federal judge blocked part of the ban.

Those objecting to Starr’s order to Southwest might recall, for example, Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, in Lakewood, Colorado, who refused to make a custom-ordered wedding cake for a gay couple. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission ordered Phillips to be given “comprehensive training” on Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws.

In 2017, Southwest fired Charlene Carter, a pro-life flight attendant, after she disagreed with its union’s president for attending the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., that year and voiced concern on social media with her dues being used to support pro-abortion causes.

Carter sued, claiming she was discriminated against due to her pro-life beliefs rooted in her religious beliefs. Originally, a jury awarded Carter $5.2 million. Starr reduced her award to $800,000, to align with federal limits on punitive damages, and ordered Southwest to rehire Carter.

Southwest was found to be in serious violation of Carter’s religious liberties. As such, it seems like a suitable consequence that, among other things, Southwest understand what the concept of religious liberty entails within the First Amendment.

Who better to facilitate such training than a legal organization that has won 15 cases at the Supreme Court on issues just like this. The Alliance Defending Freedom is no “hate group.” It’s a highly specialized law firm of attorneys and staff who understand and respect the authority of the First Amendment, especially as it relates to free speech or free exercise of religion cases.

The hysteria the Left has shown in this case is so outrageous as to be laughable. In effect, it’s diversity and inclusion training for me, but not for thee.

The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.

RECRUITING UPDATE Four-star DL discusses West Virginia offer

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Lipscomb Academy (Tn.) 2025 defensive lineman Amir Leonard-Jean Charles received an offer from West Virginia this week and admitted to me that it was special because his mother attended school there. He was talking with defensive line coach AJ Jackson and they had been in communication for the past few days when the Mountaineers gave him the scholarship offer. He has actually visited Morgantown once before and believes it is a great program. The plan is to make it back to West Virginia for a visit sometime in the future and he is being recruited as a defensive lineman because coaches like his size and leverage with his long arms. He told me schools standing out early include Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and a few others. He told me ultimately the connection he has with the coaches and the vibe he has with the players will be two of the biggest things when it comes to making a college decision.

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One nagging concern as we head into the season: an open plea . . .

This inquiry is rooted in genuine curiosity and concern: What precise measures are requisite to motivate you for a name change?

One cannot overlook the considerable deterioration that has beset not only WVU football but the university's overarching stature, and extending beyond that, the entire nation. One might even hazard to say the notion that the global landscape has undergone a marked decline. Heck, I will say it.

The devastation befalling Maui this past week, seemingly, may find a direct correlation to the inertia surrounding a name change AWAY from @Raven Shaddock — which, coincidentally, was the last time we realized success in a 10-win season.

So, again, I plead: what's the key here, what do we have to do on OUR part? I mean, observing the considerable downturn in WVU football, it's as though the entire university has been caught in the same downward spiral.

And I'll reiterate: when we widen the lens, it appears to trigger a cascading effect that reverberates across the entire nation. Perhaps, one could even speculate that global dynamics have been askew since then.

It's hardly a formidable challenge to give Rivals a call and come up with a new onscure, 80s-correlated username. The intriguing correlation between your name switch and the society's slide is palpable. The dots are fairly simple to connect—everyone agrees.

Do it:

CRISIS IN KENSINGTON: Drug users flood the streets of this lawless Philadelphia neighborhood

More Democrat policies on display. Evidently, bleaters would rather have this than have their team lose.

Democrats and their bleaters are destroying our country

Jake Tapper questions 'odd' special counsel appointment of David Weiss: 'Maybe the whistleblowers were right'

So even CNN is coming around. Tough to keep ignoring corruption so blatantly obvious.

Republican Florida Rep. Greg Steube filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden on 11AUG2023.

The Daily Caller obtained the resolution, which lists Bribery, Extortion, Obstruction of justice, Fraud and Financial involvement in drugs & prostitution as reasons to impeach Biden.

“It’s long past time to impeach Joe Biden,” Steube said in a statement after introducing the resolution. “He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the Presidency, betrayed his trust as President, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of America’s citizens. The evidence continues to mount by the day – the Biden Crime Family has personally profited off Joe’s government positions through bribery, threats, and fraud. Joe Biden must not be allowed to continue to sit in the White House, selling out our country.”

Article 1 states: “Robert Hunter Biden (Hunter Biden) and James Biden sold access to then Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. (Joe Biden) while he was in office from 2009 to 2017 and sold promised access to a future Biden Presidential Administration while he was out of office from 2017 to 2021. Hunter and James appear to have promised official actions by Joe Biden in return for payments and business opportunities from foreign and domestic business partners. Joe Biden assisted by making appearances, phone calls, meeting with the ‘business partners,’ and knowingly allowing his family members to promise access to him and actions by him in furtherance of these schemes. Hunter Biden threatened business partners that official actions could be taken against them if they did not meet terms or make payments. In at least one instance, Hunter implied that Joe Biden was aware of these threats and willing to assist in enforcing the threats, potentially through official actions. Hunter Biden attempted to enrich himself and the Biden family by threatening official actions from his father, who he claims was willing to assist in the scheme. These acts are abuses of power as well as the following federal crimes or conspiracy to commit the following federal crimes: Bribery of Public Officials, 18 USC § 201; Hobbs Act Extortion ‘Under Color of Official Right,’ 18 USC § 1951; Honest Services Fraud relating to use of official position, 18 USC § 1346.”


Article 2 States: “According to testimony from IRS whistleblowers, members of the Biden campaign improperly colluded with Justice Department (DOJ) officials to improperly interfere with investigations into tax crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden. These acts constitute an abuse of power as well as Obstruction of Justice, 18 USC §§ 1505, 1510, 1512.”

Article 3 States
: “James Biden recruited ‘investors’ for business ventures that ultimately failed. There is evidence to suggest that these investment opportunities were sold to investors based on false and fraudulent pretenses and promises. Access to Joe Biden and indications that Joe Biden supported these schemes were used to lure investors into the schemes. These acts constitute fraud or conspiracy to commit fraud in violation of 18 USC §§ 1943, 1949.” (RELATED: MTG Introduces Articles Of Impeachment Against Joe Biden)

Article 4 States:
“Joe Biden and Hunter Biden have a long history of comingled and intertwined finances. Between 2010 and 2019 thousands of dollars of Biden family money was spent on illegal drug transactions and prostitution. These acts constitute violations of or conspiracy to violate federal drug laws at 21 USC §§ 841, 842, 843, 846 and federal prostitution laws at 18 USC §§ 2421, 2421A, 2422.” (RELATED: House Moves To Delay Impeachment Vote For Biden)

In late June, The U.S. House of Representatives voted to delay efforts to impeach Biden. The vote was 219-208.

In May, Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced articles of impeachment against Biden during a press conference.

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