Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, et al., Petitioners v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, et al.

This case asked whether the Free Exercise Clause blocks governments from excluding houses of worship from generally available public programs because they are religious. On March 4, 2019, the Supreme Court declined review, so it did not decide that question on the merits and left the New Jersey result in place.

The Court declined review on March 4, 2019; the prompt does not provide a vote count or opinion lineup.

The dispute affects whether churches and other religious groups can compete for public benefits such as historic-preservation grants. For example, a house of worship seeking repair money for a historic building could be treated differently depending on the state and the courts involved.

There is no further Supreme Court action in this docket. The lower-court ruling remains in effect unless a future case presents the issue again and the Court agrees to hear it.

The petition asked whether governments may exclude houses of worship from generally available public programs because they are religious. It focused on historic-preservation funding after Trinity Lutheran.

Because the Court declined review, religious institutions and local governments still face different rules in different places. That matters for grants tied to preserving historic church buildings.

There was no merits stage in the Supreme Court after that order. The case ended there, and the New Jersey judgment stayed in place.