Mayle v. U.S.

Dist. Ct. did not err in dismissing for failure to state cause of action plaintiff’s action under Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), alleging that defendant’s printing of “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency violated RFRA, as well as plaintiff’s First Amendment rights. While plaintiff argued that instant motto amounted to government endorsement of “monotheistic” concept of God, which conflicted with his religion and forced him to affirm religious message that was opposite of what he espoused, Ct. of Appeals found that printing motto on U.S. currency was neither unconstitutional nor violation of RFRA, since any religious content in motto did not go beyond statutory or constitutional boundaries. Ct. further noted that printing of motto on currency was related to legitimate governmental objective of acknowledging aspect of nation’s heritage.