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EPISODE 23 | Jul, 29, 2025

Bigots Beat Orphans in Court, with attorney Sam Grover

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Summary

A federal court rules that a bigot has a right to impose their anti-LGBTQ bigotry on orphans. Andrew breaks down the case, Bates v. Paakseresht, with Sam Grover, a constitutional attorney at the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The majority in this case essentially ignored the rights of children and focused solely on the rights of this Christian bigot, represented by ADF. Plus, a rapid fire round up of everything else that’s happening.

Episode Resources:

Meet The Guest

Sam Grover

Sam received his B.A. in philosophy and government from Wesleyan University in 2008. He first worked for FFRF in 2010 as a legal intern while attending Boston University School of Law. In 2011, his article on the religious exemptions in the Affordable Care Act’s individual health insurance mandate was published in the American Journal of Law and Medicine. After receiving his J.D. from Boston University in 2012, Sam worked as a law clerk for the Vermont Office of Legislative Council where he drafted legislation on health care, human services, and tax issues. He returned to work as a constitutional consultant for FFRF in the fall of 2013. Sam has written a paper on counterterrorism and the law that was published by the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City and has traveled to southern Africa to work under Justice Unity Dow of Botswana’s High Court. Sam was promoted to Senior Litigation Counsel in May 2024.


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