Story perspectives

Maine Court Upholds Order Blocking Bickford From Chapel

9/3/2026

Summary

Story summary

Maine Supreme Judicial Court upheld barring Emily Bickford from taking her daughter to Calvary Chapel.
Father Matthew Bradeen said the chapel’s rapture teachings caused his daughter anxiety and panic attacks.
The court held the restriction was based on the child’s emotional harm, not anti-Christian bias.
Liberty Counsel will petition the U.S. Supreme Court, calling the decision a serious threat to religious freedom.

History

Historical Context

In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Wisconsin v. Yoder, affirming Amish parents’ right to withdraw children from public school for religious reasons. The 7-0 ruling, authored by Justice Byron White, emphasized that compulsory education could not outweigh sincere religious convictions without demonstrable harm. Today's Maine Supreme Judicial Court similarly weighed a child’s emotional distress against parental religious practice, echoing Yoder’s balance of faith and welfare. The precedent suggests courts may continue to prioritize child protection, prompting Liberty Counsel’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for broader religious-freedom safeguards.

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Story summary

Maine Supreme Judicial Court upheld barring Emily Bickford from taking her daughter to Calvary Chapel.
Father Matthew Bradeen said the chapel’s rapture teachings caused his daughter anxiety and panic attacks.
The court held the restriction was based on the child’s emotional harm, not anti-Christian bias.
Liberty Counsel will petition the U.S. Supreme Court, calling the decision a serious threat to religious freedom.

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