Religious Freedom WINS — Michigan City Settles Lawsuit for $825,000

The city of East Lansing in Michigan enacted a policy that targeted Country Mills Farms after its owner, a Roman Catholic, said on Facebook that he follows his church’s teachings about marriage and expresses his beliefs when operating his business.

The new policy banned Country Mills Farms and its owner from participating in the farmers market. Apparently lawmakers in the city didn’t understand that “Congress shall make no law,” especially one with a specific target in mind.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of Steve Tennes, the farm’s owner, for religious discrimination. From ADF (emphases added):

The city used a discretionary system of individual assessments to ban only Tennes from market participation, even though Tennes and his family farm have always served everyone at the farmer’s market and have never received any complaints. Additionally, their farm is in Charlotte, 22 miles from East Lansing, well outside the city’s boundaries and jurisdiction.

City officials had to realize how ill-advised they were to target a business in this way. A court ruling against the city in August might have helped them realize it. East Lansing settled the lawsuit to the tune of $825,000 in damages and attorney’s fees. The settlement also allows Tennes to run his farm in a way that’s consistent with his faith, without facing government retaliation.

“Steve and his family-run farm happily serve all customers as a valued vendor at East Lansing’s farmer’s market,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson. “The court was right to agree that the First Amendment protects Steve, like every other small business owner, to operate his business according to his faith and convictions.”

Photo credit: Alliance Defending Freedom

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