John Hermann, Ph.D. is a longtime professor at Trinity University where he teaches on civil rights and liberties. He is an expert in minority rights and the Supreme Court of the United States.
More Articles from this Author
Bowen v. Roy (1986)
Bowen v. Roy (1986) ruled that the government did not violate the First Amendment by assigning a Native American a Social Security number for welfare benefits.
Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith (1990)
Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith (1990) greatly changed First Amendment religious free exercise law, abandoning the compelling interest test.
Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association (1988)
Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association (1988) said that building a road through sacred Native American sites did not violate the First Amendment.
Reynolds v. United States (1879)
In Reynolds v. United States (1879), the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a federal law prohibiting polygamy did not violate the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.
Sherbert v. Verner (1963)
Sherbert v. Verner (1963) said that denying unemployment benefits to an applicant who refused to work on Saturday, her Sabbath, violated First Amendment rights.