Center Seeks Immediate Reinstatement for Christian Fraternity
Center attorneys have filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Florida on behalf of a Christian fraternity, Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX, or "Brothers Under Christ"). The motion seeks immediate recognition of the group by the University of Florida and an order preventing the university from applying its student organization "nondiscrimination policy" to prevent BYX from selecting pledges on the basis of their Christian commitment.
Without official recognition, BYX is denied critical benefits provided to other student groups, such as access to meeting space and the ability to advertise and recruit members on campus. The Center's lawsuit is seeking a court ruling declaring the university's policy unconstitutional and prohibiting officials from denying recognition to BYX.
Dismissal Sought in Lawsuit Against Christian Foster Care System
The Center and lead counsel John Sheller of Louisville, Kentucky, along with Patrick Gillen of the Thomas More Center, have filed a motion seeking dismissal of an ACLU lawsuit against Sunrise Children's Services, the state's largest private provider of foster care. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which has been going on since 2000, are taxpayers challenging Kentucky's funding of out-of-home foster care placements in six juvenile residential care homes operated by Sunrise, a Baptist program. The lawsuit claims that Sunrise uses public funding to "proselytize" the wards and "coerce" them into religious observance in violation of the First Amendment. The motion argues that dismissal is warranted in light of the Supreme Court's recent decision in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, which held that taxpayers could not bring an Establishment Clause challenge without tracing the allegedly unconstitutional expenditures to particular allocations authorized by the legislature. Since the Kentucky Assembly did not specifically authorize reimbursements to Sunrise Children's Services, the motion urges, the necessary connection to legislative action fails, and the suit must be dismissed.
2007 CLS National Conference
It's not too late to sign up for the CLS National Conference in Destin, Florida on November 1-4th. We hope to see you there!
Hilton Sandestin Beach & Golf Resort
Destin, Florida
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The Center for Law & Religious Freedom is the advocacy ministry of the Christian Legal Society, which is the professional association founded in 1961 of Christian attorneys, judges, law professors, law students, and friends throughout the United States.
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