Maine’s high court rules father can restrict daughter’s church attendance
Summary
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a father can decide if his daughter can attend a specific evangelical church after a dispute with the mother. The court supported the lower court’s decision, which said the church’s teachings were harming the child’s mental health.Key Facts
- A court in Maine gave a father the right to restrict his daughter’s attendance at Calvary Chapel Greater Portland, an evangelical church.
- The dispute involved the religious upbringing of the daughter, who was 11 years old in 2024.
- The father claimed the church’s teachings caused his daughter anxiety and a panic attack, especially over the idea of “the rapture.”
- The lower court ruled that some church language was psychologically harmful to the child, and this was upheld by the state’s highest court.
- The father can decide if the daughter attends services or interacts with church members, except for the mother’s influence.
- Both parents must share responsibility for other religious exposure, but if they disagree, the father’s choice prevails.
- The mother’s lawyer plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the ruling violates First Amendment religious freedom rights.
- The father’s lawyer supports the decision and expects the case may reach the U.S. Supreme Court for its wider impact on religious freedom laws.
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