The Rutherford Institute is a non-profit group based in Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...

 dedicated to the defense of civil liberties, human rights, and religious liberty

Freedom of religion

Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...

. It was founded in 1982 by John W. Whitehead. It is often described as a conservative organization.
with roots in the millenarian Christian right

Christian right

Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...

,
It has participated in many legal actions, including assisting Paula Jones

Paula Jones

Paula Corbin Jones is a former Arkansas state employee who sued U.S. President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment. The lawsuit was dismissed before trial on the grounds that Jones failed to demonstrate any damages...

 in her lawsuit against U.S. President Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

 in 1997 and John Freshwater

John Freshwater

John Freshwater is a former science teacher at Mount Vernon Middle School in Mount Vernon, Ohio, USA. The Board of Education voted to consider firing Freshwater in 2008 on the grounds of his conduct and teaching materials. He requested a public administrative hearing, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code...

 in his ongoing court cases related to corporal punishment

Corporal punishment

Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...

 and teaching creationism in a public school classroom

Creation and evolution in public education

The status of creation and evolution in public education has been the subject of substantial debate in legal, political, and religious circles...

.