By FāVS News Staff
Religious freedom expert to speak at Gonzaga, community event
National religious freedom expert Hannah Smith will lead two events in Spokane on Jan. 29 exploring religious liberty developments in Washington state. Smith, national coordinator for the Religious Freedom Alliance Council and former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, will present a lunch-and-learn session for law students at Gonzaga University School of Law from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Room 314, with CLE credits available for attending lawyers.
The community is invited to a follow-up evening presentation from 7-8 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2721 E. 63rd Ave. Both sessions will cover religious freedom developments in Washington state, the relationship between religious freedom and human dignity and strategies for protecting individual faith. Smith, who holds degrees from Princeton University and BYU Law School and served a decade as senior counsel at Becket Law, has presented at hundreds of events nationally and internationally on religious freedom issues.
Eastern Washington Legislative Conference to focus on music, art in advocacy
The 2026 Eastern Washington Legislative Conference will explore how music and art sustain advocacy movements during a day-long event Jan. 31 at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 N. Raymond. The conference, themed “We Shall Overcome: Building the Beloved Community Today,” runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in-person and online.
Morning sessions include interfaith presentations on the power of songs in advocacy, a keynote on spiritual persistence featuring Bishop Gretchen Rehberg and other faith leaders, and a legislative briefing. Afternoon workshops cover topics including voting rights, affordable housing, climate change and refugee and immigration issues. Registration is available through Jan. 26 at: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-fig-tree/2026-legislative-conference.
Palestinian asylum seeker released from ICE detention after bond hearing
A Palestinian asylum seeker was released from immigration detention Tuesday following a bond hearing, the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Washington announced Thursday. The man was detained Dec. 26 in Auburn by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while driving, despite entering the U.S. on a valid visa and having a pending asylum claim. CAIR-WA, which represents the man in his immigration case, filed for his release on bond. An immigration judge granted the release, and he returned home to his wife and two young children, including a 3-month-old infant.
Gonzaga earns Carnegie classification for community engagement
Gonzaga University received the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, placing it among 277 institutions nationwide recognized for integrating community partnerships into their mission and teaching. The designation, awarded every five years by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is based on an evidence-based review of how institutions collaborate with communities.
Carnegie officials praised Gonzaga’s “excellent alignment among campus Mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.” Molly Ayers, assistant dean of the Center for Community Engagement, said the recognition reflects collaborative efforts between students, faculty, staff and community partners on initiatives including community-based learning, nonprofit collaboration and civic engagement addressing issues such as education access, health equity and housing stability.
Ninth Circuit rehears challenge to Washington abortion-coverage mandate brought by church
Cedar Park Assembly of God returned to the Ninth Circuit seeking relief from Washington’s Parity Act, a 2018 law requiring employer-sponsored health plans that cover maternity care to include abortion coverage. The church argues the law violates its religious beliefs by forcing it to facilitate abortion and says it cannot find an affordable, comparable abortion-free plan.
After initial dismissal for lack of standing, a Ninth Circuit panel revived the case, though it later ruled 2–1 that Cedar Park again lacked standing before withdrawing that opinion and rehearing the case. Judges questioned whether the law burdens the church or merely regulates insurers. The state contends Cedar Park is not required to provide or pay for abortion coverage and could switch insurers. The panel has not yet ruled. More information on the case can be found on Courthouse News Service.
Western WA pastor and elementary school teacher convicted of molesting young students
A Pierce County Superior Court jury on Jan. 5 convicted Jordan Henderson on 12 of 13 counts of first-degree child molestation, according to KOMO-TV Ch. 4. Henderson, a worship pastor at Wellspring Fellowship in Lakebay and a public school teacher, was accused of sexually abusing four girls under the age of 12. He preyed on several fourth and fifth-graders at Evergreen Elementary School in Gig Harbor, Washington, between 2022-2024. He was first arrested in April 2024 and charged with nine counts of child molestation.
The families of the victims later filed a lawsuit against the Peninsula School District in August 2025, alleging that district officials failed to protect students from Henderson. They believed the school district should have known Henderson was a danger to these girls. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April. Read more of the story on The Roys Report.
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