The DOJ, the FACE Act, and the Future of Equal Justice under Law    A newly released Department of Justice report examining enforcement of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act between 2021 and 2024 raises a question that should concern every American committed to constitutional governance. Did the Department of Justice depart from its calling to administer justice without fear or favor, or did it drift toward the selective exercise of governmental powe

This week, the Wagner Center joined Advancing American Freedom (AAF) and like-minded advocates in filing an amicus curiae brief in Missouri v. FDA —a case that presents profound questions about the rule of law, the proper limits of federal authority, and the government’s obligation to protect innocent human life. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal government used the crisis as a pretext to relax longstanding safety protocols governing mifepristone, a chemical a

Jonathan Turley’s recent critique of Colorado’s latest legislative efforts offers a sobering reminder that the First Amendment remains under persistent pressure, not from foreign adversaries, but too often from state actors. His analysis underscores a troubling pattern. State regimes, convinced of the ideological certainty of their policy aims, too often attempt to regulate speech in ways that the Constitution plainly forbids. At issue is Colorado’s continued effort to impos

A Biblical and Constitutional Analysis of the 50CAN Survey By Hon. William Wagner (Ret.) WFFC Distinguished Chair for Faith and Freedom EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The State of Educational Opportunity in America (2nd Edition) survey reveals a nation in tension. Parents increasingly desire educational choice, flexibility, and greater control over their children’s formation. Yet barriers to access, declining parental engagement, and systemic limitations persist. At its core, the report

The American constitutional order now stands at a familiar crossroads. From time to time, public discourse exposes the fault lines that run beneath our jurisprudence, revealing not merely legal disagreement, but a deeper conflict over truth itself. Recent remarks by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives have again drawn those lines into sharp focus. His observation that Americans have misunderstood the so-called “separation of church and state” did not introduce a

The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Olivier v. City of Brandon marks an important clarification of the relationship between criminal convictions and civil rights litigation under 42 U.S.C. §1983. The Court held that a prior conviction does not categorically bar a plaintiff from seeking forward-looking relief, such as an injunction, challenging the constitutionality of the law used against him. At issue was a street preacher convicted under a municipal ordinance reg

Keynote Address of the Hon. William Wagner Presented to Right to Life Michigan March 18, 2026 We are in the midst of a defining moment in our nation's history. This is not merely a healthcare policy dispute. It is not merely a disagreement about education. It is not merely a clash between political parties. It is a battle over truth itself. It is a battle over whether marriage means what God ordained it to mean. Whether procreation remains a sacred gift rather than a matter

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — March 16, 2026  — Against the warm backdrop of an Arizona spring afternoon, friends and supporters of the Wagner Faith & Freedom Center gathered at the elegant Olive & Ivy restaurant for a memorable luncheon centered on faith, encouragement, and shared purpose. The event brought together members of the Spring Arbor University community and like-minded guests celebrating of faith, connection, and calling. From the moment guests arrived, the atmosphere reflect

A recent study by the American Federation for Children provides important insight into one of the most consequential public policy debates of our time, how best to educate the next generation . The research examines Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship program over its first fifteen years and compares its academic impact with the effect that equivalent increases in public-school spending would likely have produced. The findings are striking. According to the analysis, expanding s

The Islamic Republic of Iran presents a sustained and multifaceted national security threat to the United States. That threat is not confined to a single weapon system or a single battlefield. It includes Iran’s nuclear ambitions and missile capabilities, its support for proxy forces across the Middle East, its direct and indirect threats to U.S. personnel and installations, and its willingness to engage in regional escalation to achieve strategic ends. Recent reports of coor

In the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 32, Jesus tells his disciples, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  This is no casual remark. It is a foundational claim about the nature of freedom itself — that liberty is inseparable from truth. President Ronald Reagan, a statesman who grasped the religious roots of American liberty, once said, “Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.”  Both Scripture and

On The Drew Mariani Show  this week, Professor William Wagner  addressed the deeply emotional and legally complex question of grandparents’ visitation rights  in light of a recent Boston Globe  investigation into an ongoing Rhode Island Family Court case. The Globe article highlighted a dispute in which a grieving set of grandparents sought court-ordered contact with their young granddaughter over the objections of her father.  Professor Wagner began by acknowledging the prof

The Constitutional Doctrine of Standing in the Context of Parental Rights Across our nation, a quiet but profound constitutional conflict is unfolding. It is not confined to distant federal agencies or obscure regulatory codes. It is happening in families. In living rooms. In conversations between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. It is unfolding in the deeply personal, often painful moments when parents seek to guide their children through adolescence, identity strugg

The Wagner Faith & Freedom Center at Spring Arbor University is pleased to invite friends and supporters to a special luncheon program in Scottsdale, Arizona , on Monday, March 16, 2026 , at the beautiful Olive & Ivy  restaurant. This gathering will bring together members of the Spring Arbor University community for an afternoon of fellowship, encouragement, and thoughtful reflection on the vital intersection of faith, family, freedom, and Christian higher education . Feature

By the Hon. William Wagner (Ret) The reported impending execution of a 19-year-old Iranian wrestling champion, allegedly for participation in peaceful anti-government protests, is more than a tragic human rights crisis. It is also a window into the growing convergence of international human rights law, U.S. statutory sanctions policy, and an increasingly tense national security posture toward the Islamic Republic of Iran.  The U.S. State Department’s public demand that Iran h

Hon. Wm Wagner (Ret) recently authored the Statement of the State Bar of Michigan Religious Liberty Law Section condemning disruption of church service. Click below to read the official RLS Position Statement: The Religious Liberty Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan solemnly condemns the recent disruption of a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators entered the sanctuary during the course of a religious service and effectively halted

January 27 On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we pause to remember one of the darkest chapters in human history—the systematic, state-sponsored annihilation of six million Jewish men, women, and children, and the persecution and murder of millions of others, carried out with chilling deliberation under the Nazi regime. The Holocaust stands as a permanent warning of what occurs when law is severed from moral truth, when the inherent dignity of the human person is deni

Revisiting the Insights of a Professor, Civil Rights Leader, Journalist, and Friend of MLK Jr.   On the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2004, I had the privilege of interviewing and hosting Roger Wilkins [i] , now with the Lord, who shared not as a distant commentator but as a man who knew Dr. King well and who, with sobriety and affection, tried to “draw some lessons” from King’s life appropriate for us today.   Today, on MLK Day 2026, I publish online, for the first

A Rebuttal to the Leftist Report, In Harm’s Way —  Exposing the Flaws in Research, Law, and Logic Behind the Call to Repeal Michigan’s Parental Consent Statute In recent years, Michigan has emerged as a focal point of a national effort to dismantle long-standing parental involvement requirements in abortion law. This article offers a comprehensive rebuttal to In Harm’s Way : How Michigan’s Forced Parental Consent for Abortion Law Hurts Young People, a report published by the

Washington, D.C.  — The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in two closely watched cases addressing the future of women’s sports and whether female athletic programs may be required to permit male athletes to compete in women’s competitions. Among the amici curiae supporting female athletes were Spring Arbor University President Dr. Brent Ellis and the Wagner Faith & Freedom Center, represented by the Hon. William Wagner (Ret), who authored the amici briefs