In Re Marriage Of Jensen-Branch

KENNEDY, J. -- James D. Branch appeals the parenting plan entered with the decree dissolving his  marriage to Marianne Jensen.*fn1 The trial court ordered that Jensen have sole responsibility for the religious upbringing of the couple's two children. Although Branch, who is a member of the Worldwide Church of God, is allowed to take the children to his church when he attends during times when the children are with him, under the plan they are not to receive any religious education or indoctrination from Branch. The trial court based this restriction on the potential for psychological harm to the children arising from the parents' conflicting religious beliefs. Branch argues that this restriction impermissibly infringes upon his right to freedom of religious expression.