Federal Court Approves Settlement Requiring Mich. City To Give Atheists Access To City Hall
In a victory for religious freedom, a federal judge today approved a settlement requiring the city of Warren, Mich., to allow an atheist to set up a “reason station” inside city hall after Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU and the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued in response to city officials’ efforts to allow only a “prayer station” to operate inside the public building.
In the settlement, https://support.au.org/page.redir?target=http%3a%2f%2fwww.au.org%2ffiles%2fWarren%25202015-02-23%2520%252850%2529%2520final%2520judgment.pdf&srcid=4687&srctid=1&erid=1204289&trid=0c414444-6e23-49d5-83a7-313263279cac city officials reversed course and agreed to provide the “reason station” with full, equal access to the building.
“This settlement protects the rights of freethinkers and non-theists,” said Alex J. Luchenitser, associate legal director of Americans United. “And it's also an important reminder to government bodies that they must play fair when it comes to freedom of speech. They don't have the right to favor religious viewpoints over others.”
Dan Korobkin, deputy legal director of the ACLU of Michigan and lead counsel in the lawsuit filed on behalf of Warren resident Douglas Marshall, added, “This settlement serves as a reminder that government officials have no business deciding which religious messages can and cannot be allowed into our public spaces. The First Amendment guarantees us all the right to speak freely about our beliefs – or lack thereof. Mr. Marshall should be lauded for resisting the mayor's attempt to silence him by favoring religious groups over non-religious groups.”
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