Allison Jones Rushing could soon have a lifetime appointment to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. One of the four senators around to question her, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), said in his opening remarks to Rushing, “I’m very impressed with you.” But a number of church/state separation groups are condemning her nomination specifically.
In a letter signed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Secular Coalition for America, Center For Inquiry, and American Atheists, the groups call on the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject her nomination for a number of reasons.
Like other civil rights groups, they note her lack of experience, the fact that she doesn’t have the support of the American Bar Association, and her close ties with anti-LGBTQ hate groups. They also mention a handful of arguments that specifically get to the heart of church/state separation.
