A Big Win for Religious Freedom in Texas
Texas Judge Who Refused to Officiate Same Sex Weddings Awarded $640K Settlement
Texas Judge Who Refused to Officiate Same Sex Weddings Awarded $640K Settlement
(Clever Journeys) - First Liberty Institute announced last week that a Travis County (Austin) district court awarded a settlement to Judge Dianne Hensley, a Waco-based judge, who was sanctioned by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct after declining to perform same-sex weddings.
Judge Hensley was originally disciplined for declining to officiate same-sex weddings because of her religious beliefs. She has now secured a legal victory, receiving a $10,000 settlement and more than $630,000 in attorneys’ fees as similar litigation involving judges across the state continues.
The court’s ruling, issued June 16, not only awarded Hensley the maximum compensatory damages allowed under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act but also barred the Commission from “investigating, sanctioning, or disciplining” Hensley for refusing to officiate same-sex weddings because of her religious beliefs, regardless of whether she continues to perform marriages for opposite-sex couples.
“Judge Hensley always adhered to the law and the legal guidance provided by the…
