There are nine justices who serve on the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) – correctly titled out of respect for judicial purists. It has a 6-3 constitutional conservative majority. These presidential appointments are for life. Donning the familiar and prestigious robes are the following:
President George H.W. Bush appointed one justice, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991.
President George W. Bush appointed two justices, Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005 and Associate Justice Samuel Alito in 2006.
President Barack Obama appointed two justices, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Associate Justice Elena Kagan in 2010.
President Donald Trump appointed three justices in his first term of office, beginning with Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch in 2017, then Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett in 2020.
President Joseph Biden appointed one justice, Associate Justice Ketanji Brown in 2022.
Spontaneity is rare on the SCOTUS docket. Cases usually arise after carefully crafted facts present an opportune question of law better known as a “Test Case.” Put plainly, the makeup of the Court determines which cases are presented after considering the likelihood of their success. By the grace of God, believers have risen to the occasion and presented issues of religious liberty to this Court.
To that end, religious liberty in public schools is on the rise.
The Court will hear oral argument on Mahmoud v. Taylor on April 22, 2025. The matter arose when a Maryland public school allowed use of a book titled “Puppy Pride” in its language-arts curriculum. The story is one of a puppy who gets lost during an LGBTQ+ Pride parade. When parents protested, the district denied the parents’ request to excuse their children. Can the school do that? Days later, on April 30, 2025, the Court will hear Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond. The question before the Court is whether an Oklahoma Catholic school can become the nation’s first taxpayer funded public charter school with a faith-based curriculum.
Then there was Parents Protecting Our Children, UA v. Eau Claire Area School District. Parents have asked the Court to weigh-in regarding public school policies that usurp and conceal from parents’ purview a child’s decision to change his or her gender and the school’s encouragement of it. The Court was made aware of more than 1,000 schools who adopted such a policy. The Court grappled with its decision from July to December 2024 before denying its review of the case. Given the strong language used by Justice Alito after the announcement, it is probably safe to assume the issue will arise again. If left to him, Justice Alito would have taken the case.
Bolded print in this Article can serve as a prayer guide for our nation, her highest Court, and the difficult matters they face. I offer a final encouragement to accompany your prayers: remember, as the hymnist did, that, “My country ‘tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty, of Thee I sing.” As often as it is my turn to write, I will keep you informed of our sweet land of religious liberty.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For more information about the article, please call 501-376-4791 or email [email protected].
The Foundation welcomed Emma Jumper, Ministry Services Attorney, to our team in November. Emma is from Paragould, Arkansas, where her family raises Angus cattle. She is currently a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, and in her spare time, can be found on the family farm, running, or flying airplanes. Emma has a degree in Finance from Mississippi State, an MBA from Oklahoma State University, and a JD from the Bowen School of Law. We are excited to have her join us as we continue to serve, advise, and encourage Arkansas Baptists.
– Bobby Thomas, President, Arkansas Baptist Foundation