Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court affirmed a lower court decision granting a father decision-making authority over his daughter’s participation in church activities, resolving a custody dispute stemming from 2024.
The case involved Matthew Bradeen and Emily Bickford, who disagreed over the religious upbringing of their then-11-year-old daughter. Bickford had been taking the child to multiple weekly services at Calvary Chapel Greater Portland, an evangelical church in Westbrook. Bradeen contended the church environment was harmful and had triggered anxiety in his daughter, including a panic attack following exposure to teachings about the rapture.
The lower court sided with Bradeen, determining that certain church messaging was psychologically damaging to the child. The court cited language the pastor used during a prayer mentioning the father by name approximately 30 times, characterizing him as needing salvation and describing the custody proceedings as an attack on God’s Word. The lower court and appellate judges found the harm resulted not from evangelical doctrine itself but from the mother’s decisions to expose the child to messages portraying the father negatively without attempting to mitigate the impact.
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court’s decision on Sept. 1 stipulated that both parents must share decision-making on the daughter’s exposure to religious organizations generally, but granted the father final authority in cases of disagreement. Bickford’s legal representation, led by attorney Mathew Staver of Liberty Counsel, announced plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the ruling violated the mother’s First Amendment rights and demonstrated hostility toward religious practice. Staver contended the decision conflicts with other states’ approaches to parental religious rights.
The case has drawn attention to broader questions about religious liberty and parental authority. Liberty Counsel, which describes itself as a Christian ministry focused on religious freedom, has represented multiple churches in recent litigation. Bickford and her counsel have 90 days to pursue an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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