Sixth Circuit dismisses religious law firm's challenge to hate-group designation
A unanimous panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected American Freedom Law Center’s appeal, finding it lacked concrete injury from a Michigan press release that linked the firm to a hate-group list.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously threw out American Freedom Law Center’s lawsuit challenging a Michigan Department of Civil Rights press release that referenced the SPLC’s Hate Map, which labels the firm as an anti-Muslim group. Judge Chad Readler wrote that the firm failed to show any tangible reputational damage or a future injury, a prerequisite for standing. The court also rejected claims that the state’s reliance on the SPLC list violated the First Amendment, noting a lack of evidence.
The firm’s argument that donors might be targeted was deemed speculative, and the press release has since been removed from state websites. The ruling upheld a 2025 dismissal for lack of standing, with Judges Jane Stranch and Rachel Bloomekatz joining Readler on the panel. Neither the state attorney general’s office nor the law firm responded to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The case clarifies the legal threshold for standing in disputes over government references to hate-group designations.
In this story
