From: Howard Rothenburg
Subject: SNET: ACLJ Files Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against School District
in Ar
Date: 11 Jun 2000 01:36:30 -0400
To: Les Kinsolving
--546F70696361-553378539.68549745.960701974
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
-> SNETNEWS Mailing List
ACLJ Files Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against School District in Arizona
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 8, 2000---The American Center for Law and
Justice, an International public interest law firm, today filed a lawsuit in
U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Arizona on behalf of a Scottsdale resident
who was told he could not advertise his summer camp for kids because it was
too religious.
"This is a case about religious discrimination and protecting the First
Amendment rights of our client," said Kevin Theriot, Senior Associate Counsel
of the ACLJ whose office is in Atlanta. "Our client was unfairly singled out
and denied equal treatment--a move that was both discriminatory and
unconstitutional."
The ACLJ filed suit today on behalf of Joseph Hills, president of an
organization called "A Little Sonshine from Arizona"--a non-profit
educational corporation that had planned to conduct a summer camp for kids
and advertise through the Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48.
According to the complaint, the school district distributed literature
from non-profit organizations to students as a community service. Many
organizations, including the YMCA, advertised summer programs and youth
activities during the 1999-2000 school year through the school district, but
Hills was denied equal access to this community service and was not permitted
to advertise his summer camp because two of the nineteen courses included
Bible stories.
The complaint contends that school officials told Hills they would
consider permitting the distribution of literature advertising his camp if he
removed the descriptions of the Bible classes, removed graphics of the Bible
and of a dove carrying an olive branch, and included a disclaimer that stated
that the school did not endorse the material.
"It is clear that the school district singled out this summer camp and
took action that was discriminatory," said Theriot. "The law is very clear:
if you permit a wide variety of organizations to advertise their summer camp
and youth activities, you cannot prohibit an organization from doing the same
just because school officials think the content of the brochure is too
religious."
The suit contends that because Hills was not permitted to advertise in
schools, he has had to cancel one camp session, refund thousands of dollars
in deposits, and is struggling to salvage the rest of the summer program.
The complaint contends that the actions of the school district violate
the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and also violate
provisions of the Arizona Constitution. The suit names as defendants the
Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48, the Superintendent, two Assistant
Superintendents, and a Communications Specialist for the school district.
The suit requests that the court declare the school district's literature
distribution policy unconstitutional and requests that the court prohibit the
defendants from engaging in discriminatory actions in the future.
The ACLJ is an international public interest law firm specializing in
First Amendment law and focusing on pro-family, pro-life, and pro-liberty
cases. The ACLJ is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA and its Web site
address is www.aclj.org.
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ACLJ Files Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against School District in Arizona
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 8, 2000---The American Center for Law and
Justice, an International public interest law firm, today filed a lawsuit in
U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Arizona on behalf of a Scottsdale resident
who was told he could not advertise his summer camp for kids because it was
too religious.
"This is a case about religious discrimination and protecting the First
Amendment rights of our client," said Kevin Theriot, Senior Associate Counsel
of the ACLJ whose office is in Atlanta. "Our client was unfairly singled out
and denied equal treatment--a move that was both discriminatory and
unconstitutional."
The ACLJ filed suit today on behalf of Joseph Hills, president of an
organization called "A Little Sonshine from Arizona"--a non-profit
educational corporation that had planned to conduct a summer camp for kids
and advertise through the Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48.
According to the complaint, the school district distributed literature
from non-profit organizations to students as a community service. Many
organizations, including the YMCA, advertised summer programs and youth
activities during the 1999-2000 school year through the school district, but
Hills was denied equal access to this community service and was not permitted
to advertise his summer camp because two of the nineteen courses included
Bible stories.
The complaint contends that school officials told Hills they would
consider permitting the distribution of literature advertising his camp if he
removed the descriptions of the Bible classes, removed graphics of the Bible
and of a dove carrying an olive branch, and included a disclaimer that stated
that the school did not endorse the material.
"It is clear that the school district singled out this summer camp and
took action that was discriminatory," said Theriot. "The law is very clear:
if you permit a wide variety of organizations to advertise their summer camp
and youth activities, you cannot prohibit an organization from doing the same
just because school officials think the content of the brochure is too
religious."
The suit contends that because Hills was not permitted to advertise in
schools, he has had to cancel one camp session, refund thousands of dollars
in deposits, and is struggling to salvage the rest of the summer program.
The complaint contends that the actions of the school district violate
the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and also violate
provisions of the Arizona Constitution. The suit names as defendants the
Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48, the Superintendent, two Assistant
Superintendents, and a Communications Specialist for the school district.
The suit requests that the court declare the school district's literature
distribution policy unconstitutional and requests that the court prohibit the
defendants from engaging in discriminatory actions in the future.
The ACLJ is an international public interest law firm specializing in
First Amendment law and focusing on pro-family, pro-life, and pro-liberty
cases. The ACLJ is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA and its Web site
address is www.aclj.org.
-> To unsubscribe send email to snetnews-unsubscribe@topica.com
___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
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