Connect with us

International

U.S. Supreme Court dismisses college Christian preacher’s challenge

U.S. Supreme Court dismisses college Christian preacher’s challenge

 


WASHINGTON, March 20 — The United States Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a traveling Christian evangelist’s free speech challenge to a University of Alabama requirement that he be licensed. before handing out religious pamphlets and preaching from a sidewalk adjacent to his campus.

Judges have dismissed an appeal by preacher Rodney Keister against a lower court ruling rejecting his claim that the university’s licensing requirement violated free speech rights under the US Constitution’s First Amendment .

Keister, founder of a Pennsylvania-based group called Evangelism Mission, regularly visits US college campuses hoping to spread his Christian message to students, according to court documents.

In 2016, Keister, along with a companion, preached through an amplifier and distributed Christian literature from a sidewalk adjacent to the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, trying to engage passers-by. School officials told Keister he needed a permit for a public speaking event, prompting him and his companion to leave.

The university policy in question governed when, where and how a person unaffiliated with the school could speak in public on campus, including on sidewalks, except for “occasional recreational or social activities”. . It required a permit application 10 working days in advance – which has since been reduced to five working days – and sponsorship from a student organization or university department.

Keister in 2017 filed a lawsuit against University of Alabama officials, arguing that the sidewalk’s status under the First Amendment is that of a “traditional public forum,” offering speakers the strongest protections. solids available under the Constitution. Following losses in lower courts, Keister’s 2018 appeal was dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court, prompting him to file an amended civil rights lawsuit against those responsible for the school the following year.

A federal judge in 2020 ruled in favor of school officials, ruling the sidewalk was a “limited public forum” — a status giving public universities and other government entities more leeway to regulate particular classes of students. speakers or speech types. The 11th United States Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Atlanta, agreed last year.

Erik Jaffe, an attorney for Keister, expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss his client’s appeal.

“Whether public sidewalks remain traditional public forums with full First Amendment protections for free speech, regardless of their proximity to the university or other restricted-use property, remains an important question. and unresolved, marked by inconsistent and unpredictable decisions,” Jaffe said. “We hope the Supreme Court will eventually step in to streamline and expand constitutional protections in this area, even if it has passed up this current opportunity to do so.”

Lawyers representing University of Alabama officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has taken a broad view of religious rights in recent years, although the case came before the justices as a free speech dispute.

The High Court is due to rule by the end of June in another free speech case involving religion. The court’s conservative judges during oral arguments in December appeared set to rule that a Christian web design business owner named Lorie Smith has the right to refuse to provide same-sex marriage services. Smith said that according to her Christian beliefs, marriage should be limited to opposite-sex couples.

Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-rejects-christian-preachers-challenge-university-2023-03-20/

The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos

ExBUlletin

to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]