The Trump administration has successfully intervened to block a Washington state law that would have required clergy to report suspected child sexual abuse, even when disclosed during religious confession.
Citing a violation of priests’ constitutional rights, the administration joined a lawsuit against the state and secured a preliminary injunction just days before the law was set to take effect.
Senate Bill 5375, passed by Washington lawmakers, sought to expand mandatory reporting of child abuse to include faith leaders—specifically requiring them to report disclosures made during confessionals. The law was designed to close loopholes exposed by high-profile abuse scandals, including those involving Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was slated to go into effect on July 27.
But U.S. District Judge David Estudillo, a Biden appointee, ruled in favor of the clergy plaintiffs, granting a preliminary injunction that halts the law’s enforcement. Estudillo cited First Amendment concerns, noting that the law could infringe on religious freedom. He pointed to the fact that most other states provide exemptions for religious confession in their mandatory reporting statutes.
While the law applied broadly to ministers, imams, rabbis, and spiritual leaders across faiths—as well as educators and healthcare workers—critics, including the Trump administration, argued it unfairly targeted the Catholic Church and violated the sanctity of the confessional.
The Trump administration filed a separate suit against Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson and the state of Washington, claiming the law was “anti-Catholic.” A hearing on that case is expected later this week. Ferguson, who is Catholic himself, has defended the legislation and expressed disappointment in religious institutions seeking to dismantle it.
“This is not an anti-faith law—it’s an anti-abuse law,” Ferguson said in a prior statement, pointing out that the safety of children must take priority over religious customs when abuse is at stake.
Legal scholars have noted that this intervention fits a broader trend of the Trump administration aligning with religious groups to challenge state laws it views as infringing on religious liberty—even when those laws are crafted to prevent abuse or protect vulnerable populations.
The debate now centers on the constitutional limits of religious freedom, especially when it intersects with efforts to prevent child abuse. Supporters of the bill worry that blocking SB 5375 could embolden religious institutions to shield abusers under the guise of spiritual confidentiality.
For now, the injunction remains in place, halting a major reform effort intended to hold abusers accountable—regardless of where their crimes are disclosed.
