Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs' Ass'n v. Clarke, No. 08-1515

In a suit brought by two sheriff deputies under 18 U.S.C. section 1983 alleging a violation of the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment when the sheriff invited a Christian group to speak at a number of mandatory employee meetings, grant of plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment on the Establishment Clause claim is affirmed as the religious group's presentations during mandatory employee gatherings gave, at the least, the appearance of endorsement by the sheriff's department, and thus, defendants violated the Establishment Clause.  

Read Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs' Ass'n v. Clarke, No. 08-1515

Appellate Information

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Decided December 4, 2009

Judges

Before: Bauer, Cudahy and Williams, Circuit Judges

Opinion by Williams, Judge