Written By April Fogel, 1819 News
Last Tuesday, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against Tuscaloosa Public Library, the City of Tuscaloosa and the City of Northport on behalf of Eagle Forum of Alabama. The suit claims that the library has refused to allow the Eagle Forum, a Christian organization, to use publicly available meeting space solely because of its religious character and activity.
Eagle Forum is one of the most successful groups in Alabama that hosts events that encourage discussion, inform citizens about important issues, and promote involvement in the political process. The library invites a wide variety of groups to use its Rotary Room meeting space, but library staff has denied Eagle Forum access to its meeting space.
“Tuscaloosa Public Library has no right to lock us out of its publicly available meeting space just because library staff may disagree with our views on politics or religion,” said Becky Gerritson, executive director of Eagle Forum, in a written statement. “The library, of all places, should make every effort to protect a learning environment where all ideas and viewpoints are welcome. We urge the court to restore our constitutionally protected freedom to continue holding meaningful discussions in the library.”
“The Tuscaloosa Public Library can’t close its meeting spaces to religious groups like Eagle Forum while swinging them wide open to every manner of secular organizations. Such religious discrimination blatantly violates the Constitution,” said ADF senior counsel Travis Barham. “We are urging the court to hold library staff accountable for this violation of Eagle Forum’s constitutionally protected freedoms and restore the Christian nonprofit’s right to access the public library like everyone else.
“The Board of the Tuscaloosa Public Library maintains and enforces a policy that allows secular organizations to use the library’s meeting spaces while denying the same benefit to religious groups, violating Eagle Forum’s First Amendment rights,” Gerritson said.
Eagle Forum of Alabama was established in 1986 as a state chapter of the national Eagle Forum organization. Eagle Forum champions God, family, and country. ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit, Eagle Forum of Alabama v. Tuscaloosa Public Library Board of Trustees, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
The Alliance for Defending Freedom has successfully defended families, companies and organizations across the nation.
According to their website, “ADF is the world’s largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom,
free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights.”
“Alliance Defending Freedom exists to keep the door open for the gospel by advancing every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth. We contend for the truth in law, policy, and the public square, and equip the alliance to do the same,” the website says.
