Settlement secured for group barred from expressing faith in NY park
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE
July 3, 2008 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom
Settlement secured for group
barred from expressing faith in N.Y. park
ADF-allied attorney represented members of Jews for Jesus
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney has secured a settlement on behalf of members of a Christian group barred from expressing their faith in a public park. The free speech rights of Jews for Jesus members were violated when Oyster Bay officials placed numerous restrictions on their activities, including a threat to remove them from the area if any patrons were “offended” by their message.
“Christians shouldn’t be penalized for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF-allied attorney Rick Nelson of the American Liberties Institute. “The government has no right to harass and threaten citizens for exercising their First Amendment rights in public. We are pleased that Oyster Bay officials have agreed to respect the constitutional rights of members of Jews for Jesus, who can now express their faith publicly and without fear of arrest.”
On July 25, 2006, Jews for Jesus members attempted to enter John J. Burns Park with the intent of distributing literature and speaking to individuals about their faith. Upon arrival, they were met by the Commissioner of Public Safety for the town of Oyster Bay, who stated that the town supervisor had given him orders to call the police to issue an arrest summons if group members handed out even one piece of literature.
Police on the scene ordered that members stop distributing literature. When one member noted that she was only interested in speaking about her faith, she was escorted from the park. The officer stated, “It’s not even about the ordinance as this point; they just want you to leave.” Members were also informed that there was no permit process for the distribution of literature in public parks and that they could face a citation for trespassing if patrons were “offended” by the message.
A Jews for Jesus member who returned to the park Aug. 1 to continue her activities was escorted from the area and charged with a violation of the town code.
Because the town has agreed in the settlement it approved June 24 to respect the First Amendment rights of the Jews for Jesus members, ADF attorneys have filed a voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit.
A copy of the original complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Jews for Jesus v. The Town of Oyster Bay is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/JFJComplaint.pdf.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.