SEATTLE, WA — October 15, 2025: A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction preventing the State of Washington from enforcing Senate Bill 5280, a law that critics argued would have forced Catholic priests to violate the sacred seal of confession.
The decision comes after a lawsuit challenged the law on grounds that it infringed upon First Amendment protections of religious freedom. The plaintiffs — including Catholic clergy — contended that the measure would have required priests to report certain information learned during confession, effectively piercing the centuries-old doctrine of priest–penitent confidentiality.
In the ruling, the judge agreed that enforcing SB 5280 would burden the free exercise of religion, and therefore cannot stand under the U.S. Constitution. The injunction permanently bars Washington from implementing or enforcing the statute.
Attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon, who represented the plaintiffs, celebrated the ruling on social media, calling it “a victory for civil rights and the First Amendment.” Dhillon added, “This decision ensures that priests’ religious obligations and the sanctity of confession remain protected under the law.”
Supporters of the law had argued it was designed to enhance protections for children and vulnerable individuals by ensuring mandatory reporting of abuse. However, religious freedom advocates maintained that forcing clergy to break the confessional seal would have set a dangerous precedent, eroding core constitutional protections.
With the injunction now in place, Washington joins other states where similar proposals have faced strong judicial and public opposition.
💥 Boom! A federal judge in WA has entered a permanent injunction prohibiting WA from enforcing SB 5375, which would have infringed Catholic priests’ free exercise of religion, piercing the priests’ penitent privilege. @CivilRights will always stand firm defending the 1A rights… pic.twitter.com/d1GXtuZkb3
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) October 14, 2025