Saturday, October 8
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Filene Auditorium, Moore Hall

The latest clash in the constitutional culture wars is the invocation of "religious freedom" to justify refusing to comply with constitutional and statutory mandates. Examples abound: denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples; eliminating contraceptive coverage from health insurance plans; and even disallowing access to bathrooms. Judy Brown explores the evolution of that clash and points out some of the constitutional difficulties in resolving it.

JUDY BROWN is Professor Emerita at Northeastern Law School, where she was a member of the faculty for 30 years. She has taught and written extensively on the United States Constitution, concentrating especially on federalism, constitutional rights, and issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation. For the past nine years she has led Osher classes on these and related subjects.