Christian charity sues Ohio county over spiritual discrimination
An Ohio county has been sued for allegedly refusing to resume a contract with a Christian charity that helps trafficked youth.
Gracehaven filed a lawsuit in December towards Montgomery County officers within the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, over the county’s refusal to resume the group’s contract due to its coverage of solely hiring Christians.
A listening to for a preliminary injunction towards the contract cancelation is scheduled for Feb. 28.
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In line with the grievance, the Montgomery County Division of Job and Household Companies started contracting with Gracehaven in 2017 to assist place women who had been victims of sex-trafficking in three state-licensed therapeutic group houses.
The substitute care contract is scheduled to resume each two years, with Montgomery County reimbursing Gracehaven with Title IV-E foster care upkeep cost funds from the federal authorities.
Nevertheless, final yr, county officers opted to not renew the contract with the Christian charity, reportedly as a consequence of federal regulation prohibiting employment discrimination on the idea of faith.
Alliance Defending Freedom Authorized Counsel Jacob Reed, who helps to signify Gracehaven, informed The Christian Publish on Thursday that the authorized nonprofit “will all the time get up for spiritual organizations’ proper to rent individuals who share their religion.”
“The federal government can’t punish a Christian ministry like Gracehaven for exercising that proper,” mentioned Reed. “The First Modification protects Gracehaven’s proper to rent those that share its spiritual beliefs. Federal and state legal guidelines additionally acknowledge this proper.”
“Montgomery County can not punish Gracehaven by excluding it from the foster care system as a result of the ministry workout routines its constitutional rights. The ministry shouldn’t should battle authorized battles to make sure it’s handled equally by the federal government.”
Montgomery County spokesman Kevin Lavoie informed CP that county officers “can not remark as a consequence of pending litigation,” however they “stay dedicated to transparency and can present updates when acceptable.”
Based in 2008, in accordance with its web site, Gracehaven seeks to serve “youth and households by way of a crew of Christian employees and like-minded companions by offering intercourse trafficking prevention providers and by empowering youth rescued from sex-trafficking to thrive with dignity in a renewed life.”
A lot litigation has surfaced lately centered on whether or not the federal government can contract with Christian teams that refuse to rent people who don’t share their spiritual and ethical beliefs.
