A federal court in Idaho has affirmed the First Amendment rights of a church, ruling that a public charter school’s decision to revoke a lease for Sunday services was unconstitutional. Chief U.S. District Court Judge David Nye’s ruling addresses a legal clash between Truth Family Bible Church and Sage International, a charter school in Middleton.
The case stems from Sage International’s cancellation of a lease that permitted the church to hold services in its gymnasium. This decision coincided with the school seeking approximately $15 million in bonds for building upgrades. The Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) flagged the lease as a possible violation of Idaho’s Blaine Amendment, which prohibits public funding to religious organizations.
Judge Nye criticized the motivations behind the lease’s termination. He described the school’s actions as a “lapse in judgment,” noting that the church would only have benefited “incidentally” from any upgrades made to the school’s facilities, without receiving direct funding. As a result, the cancellation of the lease was deemed a violation of the church’s constitutional rights.
In his decision, Nye addressed the legal arguments surrounding the Blaine Amendment, siding with the church’s claims under the First Amendment. He stated that the lease cancellation “effectively stifled” the church’s religious expression, which is protected by the right to free exercise and free speech. Legal representatives for the church argued that using a state amendment to end the contract infringed upon these fundamental rights.
Raúl Labrador, Idaho’s Attorney General, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. He stated, “Government agencies cannot discriminate against religious organizations simply because they’re religious.” Labrador emphasized that Truth Family Bible Church should receive equal treatment to any non-religious entity.
In response, a spokesperson for the IHFA welcomed the clarity provided by the court’s decision, indicating that it would help prevent similar issues in the future.
Truth Family Bible Church, identified as a “new church plant in Middleton,” began as a home Bible study before transitioning to a more formal church structure. The church’s mission emphasizes its commitment to spreading the Word of God and serving the community. Currently, the church is holding its services at another school’s gym while navigating the aftermath of the lease cancellation.
This ruling stands as a significant affirmation of religious rights amid ongoing challenges regarding the intersection of faith and public policy. It underscores the importance of ensuring that churches and similar organizations can operate without undue government interference based on religious grounds.
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