Cases | Independence Law Center

Case Page: Jeriah Sellers v. MeltSpa – Forcing Women to Escort Males into the Women’s Locker Room

The Spa Environment and Jeriah’s Duties Jeriah Sellers is employed by MeltSpa in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where she works as a concierge. MeltSpa provides salon and spa treatments. In preparation for their treatments, guests undress in multi-user locker rooms, designated by signage for men or for women. When escorting women to the women’s locker room, Jeriah is expected to enter with the guest and…

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church – First Amendment & RLUIPA – Discrimination against Churches

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church is a small Ukrainian Catholic parish in Collier Township, Pennsylvania, whose members belong to an ancient Eastern Christian tradition rooted in Ukraine and worship according to millennia-old liturgical customs. Ukrainian Catholic refugees, escaping Soviet-era persecution in the 20th century, came to Collier Township seeking a place where they could freely…

Youth 71Five Ministries v. Oregon – Exclusion of Faith-Based Employers from State Grant Program

Independence Law Center Supports Oregon Youth Ministry Barred from Program for its Religious Hiring Standards in the U.S. Supreme Court On February 13, 2026, the Independence Law Center filed a brief in support of Youth 71Five Ministries, a Christian nonprofit youth-mentoring ministry that has been serving at-risk youths since the 1960s. Its name, 71Five, is a reference to Psalm 71:5—“Lord God,…

Hecox (Idaho) & B.P.J. (West Virginia) — State Statutes Protecting Girls’ Sports

October 2025 While Title IX has, for years, clearly permitted separate categories for males and females in athletics, activists began a coordinated effort to force entities to accept males on female teams. In response, in March 2020, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act into law. Idaho was the first state to pass such a law, re-clarifying that its state law protects…

Analysis: Release Time From Public Schools for Religious Instruction

October 2025 In Pennsylvania, state law mandates that schools must permit students to be dismissed for up to thirty-six (36) hours per school year for religious instruction. “Release-Time Programs” operate to provide religious instruction to students during the school day at off-site locations. This memorandum is provided to clarify frequently asked questions and common concerns that school…

Case Page: Chiles v. Salazar

Chiles, a Christian, views her career as an outgrowth of her faith. She believes that people flourish when they live consistently with God’s design for marriage and sexuality. Many of her clients seek her counsel precisely because their faith matters to them and they desire counseling that will help them align their life goals and behavior, including their sexuality, with their convictions. However,…