Court awards $640K to judge who refused to marry same-sex couples
A judge in Waco, Texas, who was disciplined for refusing to perform same-sex weddings was awarded $640,000 in her lawsuit against the state’s judicial oversight agency. (Image from Shutterstock)
A judge in Waco, Texas, who was disciplined for refusing to perform same-sex weddings was awarded $640,000 in her lawsuit against the state’s judicial oversight agency.
In a June 16 decision, Travis County, Texas, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled in favor of McLennan County, Texas, Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley, who brought a claim against the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct for violating her rights under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The statute prohibits the government from burdening a person’s exercise of religion.
Gamble ordered the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct to pay Hensley $10,000 in compensatory damages and $630,000 in attorney fees and other expenses. The judge also enjoined the commission from “investigating, sanctioning or disciplining” Hensley over her decision not to marry same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs.
In 2019, Hensley received a public warning from the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct after the agency learned of her decision to only officiate weddings for heterosexual couples, according to a story from KERA News. The judge, who cited her Christian faith, referred same-sex couples to other local officiants.
During the long-running dispute, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct withdrew the sanction against Hensley in 2024. The Texas Supreme Court in October also amended the state judicial conduct rules to allow judges to decline to perform wedding ceremonies that go against their religious beliefs.
“I think the agency overstepped itself, and what we saw was their bias on the issue and not the law,” Hensley told KERA News after the decision last week.
The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct did not respond to KERA News’ request for comment.
The Texan and Houston Public Media have additional coverage.
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