Kansas Woman Ordered by Police to Stop Praying Will Get Her Day in Court

Last June, we wrote about a Kansas woman, Mary Anne Sause, who had police come to her house to investigate a noise complaint.  During the officers’ investigation, she knelt down to pray, at which point the officers ordered her to stop praying and stand up.  She sued them, arguing that the officers violated her First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.  The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed her complaint, stating that it was unclear whether the police violated her “clearly established” rights, and thus that the officers were immune from suit because they were doing their job.

Well today, the Supreme Court disagreed.  In a 4-page unanimous order, the Court ruled for Ms. Sause, and ordered the lower court to allow her case to go forward.  Because her case is at the early stages, it’s unknown how it will ultimately play out.

Case: Sause v. Bauer, No. 17-742 (U.S. June 28, 2016) (per curiam) (opinion here)