Opinion ID: 201653
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Alleged Violation of the Equal Protection Fundamental Right to Free Exercise of Religion

Text: 30 Before moving to what we see as the substance of plaintiffs' equal protection claims, we first address their argument that the Massachusetts Exclusions restricts their fundamental right to free exercise of religion. Where a plaintiff's First Amendment Free Exercise claim has failed, the Supreme Court has applied only rational basis scrutiny in its subsequent review of an equal protection fundamental right to religious free exercise claim based on the same facts. Locke, 540 U.S. at 721, n. 3, 124 S.Ct. 1307 (citing Johnson v. Robison, 415 U.S. 361, 375, n. 14, 94 S.Ct. 1160, 39 L.Ed.2d 389, (1974)). 5 Because we held, above, that the Religious Exclusion does not violate the Free Exercise Clause, we apply rational basis scrutiny to the fundamental rights based claim that this exclusion violates equal protection. For the reasons stated throughout this opinion, we find that the Massachusetts Exclusions pass such review. 31