Montgomery, AL — The Foundation for Moral Law, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the strict construction of the
Constitution according to the intent of the Framers and to the right to acknowledge God in the public arena, has come
to the defense of U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Monifa J. Sterling, who was court-martialed in part for refusing to remove
Bible verses from her office desk.
In its amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court, the Foundation argued that the First Amendment, the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act, and Department of Defense regulations require the armed forces to accommodate soldiers’
religious practices unless the military has a compelling interest that cannot be achieved by less restrictive means. The
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces denied LCpl Sterling’s appeal, and the case is now before the U.S. Supreme
Court on a petition for a writ of certiorari.
Foundation President Kayla Moore said concerning the brief: “As the wife of a West Point graduate who served
in Vietnam, I am shocked that the armed forces would deny this Marine the religious liberty that is guaranteed
by the Constitution she has taken an oath to defend. Such cases are widespread, and the Foundation stands
ready to defend our service men and women whenever their rights are under attack.”
Foundation Senior Counsel John Eidsmoe, a retired Air Force Judge Advocate, added: “The courts have long
rejected the notion that soldiers surrender their constitutional rights when they enter military service. As our brief
demonstrates, LCpl Sterling arranged these Bible verses on her desk in a way that only she could see them. Other
military personnel are allowed to place messages on their desks. The Marines have no compelling interest that is in
any way threatened by this message. We ask the Supreme Court to use this case to make a landmark ruling that
protects the religious liberty of all military personnel.”