DOJ investigating ‘anti-Catholic’ Washington state law requiring clergy to report child abuse

A instrumentality signed by Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson past week that requires members of the clergy to study confessions of kid maltreatment oregon neglect is nether scrutiny, arsenic the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a civilian rights probe into whether the instrumentality violates the First Amendment.

The Evergreen State’s caller instrumentality adds "members of the clergy" to a database of professionals who are required to study accusation obtained done confessionals that subordinate to kid maltreatment oregon neglect, to instrumentality enforcement oregon different authorities authorities.

The instrumentality provides nary objection for the implicit seal of confidentiality, which applies to Catholic Priests, according to the DOJ.

The DOJ besides said the state’s caller law singles retired "members of the clergy" arsenic the lone "supervisors" who are incapable to trust connected applicable ineligible privileges specified arsenic spiritual confessions, arsenic a crushed to not study the claims arsenic mandated.

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Washington State signed a instrumentality requiring clergy members to study kid maltreatment oregon neglect learned done confession. (iStock)

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is investigating whether Washington state’s instrumentality violates religious protections provided nether the First Amendment.

The First Amendment states, "Congress shall marque nary instrumentality respecting an constitution of religion, oregon prohibiting the escaped workout thereof; oregon abridging the state of speech, oregon of the press; oregon the close of the radical peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

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Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a measure into instrumentality past week, requiring members of the clergy to study kid maltreatment and neglect learned done confessional settings, offering nary exemptions. (Getty Images)

"SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests interruption their profoundly held religion successful bid to obey the law, a usurpation of the Constitution and a breach of the escaped workout of religion cannot basal nether our Constitutional strategy of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. "Worse, the instrumentality appears to azygous retired clergy arsenic not entitled to asseverate applicable privileges, arsenic compared to different reporting professionals. We instrumentality this substance precise earnestly and look guardant to Washington State’s practice with our investigation."

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Ferguson, who signed the measure into instrumentality connected May 2, did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for remark connected the matter.

FOX 13 successful Seattle reported that the measure volition spell into effect connected July 26.

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The presumption besides reported that a national study shows that Washington is 1 of conscionable 5 states that does not explicitly oregon implicitly necessitate clergy to study suspected kid maltreatment oregon neglect. It added that astir states exempt accusation learned done confession from mandatory reporting, though Washington joins conscionable a fistful of states, including West Virginia and New Hampshire, which bash not supply specified exemptions.